UF v. Miami... and is 26 old? Forum

[mps]

If i am as close to 100% sure as possible that I want to practice in South FL after law school, should I go with Miami or UF? I also might be interested in a clerkship, which school would give the better shot at that? (i know they're impossible to get, but reach for the stars, right?).

I've been offered the 23,000/yr at Miami, but it has the 3.2 gpa stipulation. Nothing from UF, but i am a FL resident. Money isn't a factor, but honestly, I'd feel pretty awesome if I managed to spend less than originally anticipated on law school.

Also, I'm 26, graduated college several years ago, and don't want to be surrounded by a bunch of 23 year olds with no real world experience... nothing against 23 year olds, i'd just feel kinda creepy hanging out with them all the time. Which school do you think would be better considering that? Do you think either school has a good number of people/good environment for slightly older students?

Thank you so much for your help!!

[eudaimondaimon]

Also, I'm 26, graduated college several years ago, and don't want to be surrounded by a bunch of 23 year olds with no real world experience... nothing against 23 year olds, i'd just feel kinda creepy hanging out with them all the time. Which school do you think would be better considering that? Do you think either school has a good number of people/good environment for slightly older students?

THEN DON'T GO TO UF.

Seriously. The university's student population makes up ~49% of Gainesville's population. I am a 23-year-old and I'm sick-to-death of 23-year-olds.

[mps]

hahaha, thanks... i was worried about that! good to hear from someone actually there, but also a bummer...

[lawduder]

UF is going to place just as well in South Florida as Miami, if not slightly better. I wouldn't go to Miami over UF for only $23k/year.

[eudaimondaimon]

Honestly, Gainesville is a pretty great town no matter what your preferences. I understand your objection to hanging out with "kids," but its not bad enough to discount the University. Plus there's literally more than 15,000 older grad students to hang with. You'll just learn to avoid certain bars/parts of town

[lawduder]

I also hear the law students aren't as douchey as the undergrads.

[lawschoolstudent85]

.

[iShotFirst]

This is a big concern for me too about Gainesville, being 27 and married. But I think the above poster said it best that you should just avoid certain places, I mean in any city there are places for 22 years olds and places for older people, its just that in a place like Gainesville I imagine there would be more of the former, less of the latter. Doesnt mean the latter doesnt exist.

At least I hope so.

[sumus romani]

I was an older graduate student in Gainesville and it is simply awesome. I lived in an area for a year with a good number of law students and it was a great place (Hibiscus Park--google "Hibiscus Park Gainesville", and you'll get a good idea of where it is). Shopping and the law school are very close, and the neighborhood is cheap. Bars and places to eat are a bit farther, as in a mile or two away, but we often socialized by just having friends over to our house (who has money in graduate school anyway?). Big cities such as Miami can be fun, but only if you have money, at least in my experience ($15 for a single drink in a club in South Beach?!).

[98234872348]

I don't know anything about UMiami, but I can attest that UF has a strong population of non-traditional students, many of which are well over the age of 23 (the oldest person in my section is over 50). That being said, the majority of students fall into the 23-25 year old age range.

Also, a 3.2 gpa contingency at UMiami is probably at least median; you should factor that into the equation when deciding between these schools. If you lost your scholarship because of poor performance (it isn't advisable to go to law school expecting to do well, although I haven't found that grades are quite as arbitrary as people make them out to be) you would be paying substantially more to attend UM and your job prospects would be bleak to nonexistent (there are top 5% LR kids at UF who have no job for 2L summer, I can't even imagine how grim job prospects are for those students who fall below median at UM).

hth.

[Grizz]

Also, I'm 26, graduated college several years ago, and don't want to be surrounded by a bunch of 23 year olds with no real world experience... nothing against 23 year olds, i'd just feel kinda creepy hanging out with them all the time. Which school do you think would be better considering that? Do you think either school has a good number of people/good environment for slightly older students?

If avoiding young people is your top priority, go to Miami. However, while Miami=UF in south FL, UF>Miami everywhere else, in general. If south FL doesn't work out, you would probably be better served by going to UF, in which case I'd take UF and hedge my bets.

[mps]

thanks for all the input! so it seems Miami=UF in S. Fl, not Miami>UF, consensus says that's correct? and as for the student body, I've decided to visit both places while students are in session to get a feel. am considering deferring a year, and am worried that i would loose fl residency (thanks to interim yr plans) and thus would see a major tuition hike at UF... argh i hate these decisions, esp if i loose my residency!

[darknightbegins]

If you get in state tuition then go to Florida. I have gotten into Miami but the price to go there has me really thinking twice. I am on Hold for Florida State and if I get in there I would likely to to Florida State and hopefully get in state tuition after the first year.

I hope 26 isn't old, I'm 25 and will be going to law school my first year...of course I spent a few years working on a master's though.

Besides, just think of all the 18 year old freshman that are ripe for the taking! Bwahahahaha

[Lomax]

This topic has already been discussed in the following thread: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=104198

I'm agreeing with rad law, and also stating the fact that you'd be a fool to make avoiding young people your top priority. Law school is an investment of a great deal of time, effort, and money. One who chooses to go to law school is sacrificing each of those very valuable commodities while expecting sufficiently rewarding returns. For one, then, to risk blowing one's chances at achieving those sufficiently rewarding returns for their sacrifice of a great deal of time, effort, and money, by refusing to sacrifice a little bit of personal comfort - over three years of hard studying that isn't going to let one think much about one's living conditions, mind you - is beyond comprehension.

The University of Florida is your clear choice here. Why? Because an education from there should be as likely to land you a job in South Florida as an education from the University of Miami, and your overall chances of getting a job may be greatly enhanced should you graduate from the University of Florida with similar grades and credentials as from the University of Miami, given the University of Florida's far superior job placement statistics outside of South Florida. Furthermore, the guaranteed cost of your education from the University of Florida is significantly cheaper than that from the University of Miami. If you were smart, you would work things out to ensure that you maintain in-state tuition, given the difference that makes. Cost of living is cheaper in Gainesville than in Miami. Finally, consider that the UF has UM beat by 20 on the US News rankings, and that UF is #8 (ahead of UC Berkeley, Yale, and UCLA) on the 2010 Super Lawyers rankings (UM is #20).

If you're going to put in all that time, money, and effort, then get everything you can out of your investment. Go for the best choice you have in front of you to meet the goals you're setting out to achieve, which is, in this case, the University of Florida. If you have to throw in a little more than you would've originally liked - holding off on South Beach for another three years, perhaps - in order to do that, then so be it.

[mps]

Lomax - you're last sentence is only too true, oph.

This thread's been really helpful, yay TLS.

[swflgirl]

This is a helpful thread for me as I am 36 and sitting for the LSAT in June. I am only applying to Florida schools so I am avidly reading every thread about the Florida schools. I have to say my age is a consideration also because of the whole college town/mentality thing so this thread is good. thanks!

[Grizz]

This topic has already been discussed in the following thread: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=104198

I'm agreeing with rad law, and also stating the fact that you'd be a fool to make avoiding young people your top priority. Law school is an investment of a great deal of time, effort, and money. One who chooses to go to law school is sacrificing each of those very valuable commodities while expecting sufficiently rewarding returns. For one, then, to risk blowing one's chances at achieving those sufficiently rewarding returns for their sacrifice of a great deal of time, effort, and money, by refusing to sacrifice a little bit of personal comfort - over three years of hard studying that isn't going to let one think much about one's living conditions, mind you - is beyond comprehension.

The University of Florida is your clear choice here. Why? Because an education from there should be as likely to land you a job in South Florida as an education from the University of Miami, and your overall chances of getting a job may be greatly enhanced should you graduate from the University of Florida with similar grades and credentials as from the University of Miami, given the University of Florida's far superior job placement statistics outside of South Florida. Furthermore, the guaranteed cost of your education from the University of Florida is significantly cheaper than that from the University of Miami. If you were smart, you would work things out to ensure that you maintain in-state tuition, given the difference that makes. Cost of living is cheaper in Gainesville than in Miami. Finally, consider that the UF has UM beat by 20 on the US News rankings, and that UF is #8 (ahead of UC Berkeley, Yale, and UCLA) on the 2010 Super Lawyers rankings (UM is #20).

If you're going to put in all that time, money, and effort, then get everything you can out of your investment. Go for the best choice you have in front of you to meet the goals you're setting out to achieve, which is, in this case, the University of Florida. If you have to throw in a little more than you would've originally liked - holding off on South Beach for another three years, perhaps - in order to do that, then so be it.

+1

[madmartigan]

From what I've gathered, UMiami places slightly better in south fl. But you have to do well at either school to land a good Miami job. With the 23k scholly, cost is comparable. The 3.2 minimum is a bit shady. But given the cost is similar, I would throw weight to 3 years QofL. Miami ftw.

[Lomax]

From what I've gathered, UMiami places slightly better in south fl. But you have to do well at either school to land a good Miami job. With the 23k scholly, cost is comparable. The 3.2 minimum is a bit shady. But given the cost is similar, I would throw weight to 3 years QofL. Miami ftw.

I disagree with your conclusion, for the following reasons (among others):

1. The University of Miami does not place better than the University of Florida in South Florida. You might be getting the illusion that it does from the larger number of UM grads in South Florida as compared to UF grads, but consider that UF grads are spread among the major cities of Florida with only, say, half of them presumably choosing to base themselves in South Florida. Nearly all UM grads who do get jobs get them in South Florida, with very few securing jobs where there are many UF grads in cities like Tampa and Orlando.

2. You have to do well at either school to land a good Miami job, but if you happen to not do quite as well as you would have liked and can't land that good Miami job, it would be nice to be able to land a decent job elsewhere. UF gives you a better chance of doing that than UM.

3. Cost is not necessarily comparable. With in-state tuition, UF tuition runs about $43,000 over three years as it stands. UM tuition comes to $114,000 without the scholarship, and $45,000 with it the whole time. But what if you run into a bad patch and don't end up beating a full half of your not-so-stupid classmates that first year? Well, then UF turns out to be $48,000 cheaper than UM.

4. As I said before, law school is an investment. You have to keep that in mind. You are sacrificing now for later gains. In keeping with that idea, you should be prepared to sacrifice on the "now" of quality of life, and not let it affect your investment decision. And remember, if you're going to be making an honest effort at landing that good Miami job, you'll need to be burying yourself in the books much of the time anyway. It shouldn't make any difference where you live. You won't have time to enjoy South Beach. You'll do just as well in Gainesville, where it's also warm and where there is also alcohol.

5. If you care so much about quality of life, then consider that the one thing you would be able to enjoy as a law student - the peace and quiet of your own apartment - is probably a luxury you would not be able to afford in Miami, but would be able to afford in Gainesville.

[darknightbegins]

I don't think the last point is true. I'm sure people can find quiet apartments in Miami.

[Lomax]

I don't think the last point is true. I'm sure people can find quiet apartments in Miami.

Unless I am mistaken, you have missed the point. Real estate in Miami is very, very expensive, as is apartment rent - in many cases prohibitively so. A law student could certainly find a quiet apartment in Miami, but without a bunch of roommates chipping in, he or she could probably not pay for one.

[darknightbegins]

Thanks for elaborating

[darknightbegins]

Some housing I found:

http://www.campusrent.com/University_of ... tments.cfm

http://www.movingoffcampus.com/apartmen ... ami?page=2

Some of this doesn't seem too bad considering the local.

[Lomax]

Some housing I found:

http://www.campusrent.com/University_of ... tments.cfm

http://www.movingoffcampus.com/apartmen ... ami?page=2

Some of this doesn't seem too bad considering the local.

Doesn't seem too bad? You must not be picky. One advertisement from your first pick is out in West Miami-Dade, maybe 15 miles from the University of Miami, and is a shabby-looking efficiency barely big enough to fit a full bed. Even then, the asking rate is in the "$500-$850" category. Your second pick yields better results, but still none too appealing. The only one under $800 a month on there is a studio for $660 located near the airport, which is still a fair distance from the University of Miami. Also, consider that we're just now coming out of South Florida real estate Armageddon, and rent prices are liable to come up as real estate prices recover.

Just so you know, $600 will get you a 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment with a washer and drier and utilities paid close to campus in Gainesville.

[darknightbegins]

I spent about 5 minutes looking. I don't think that 7 to 800 a month to live close to campus in beautiful coral gabels is that bad of a deal. As for prices coming up, I wouldn't dispute that, but I'm dealing in the present right now.

So much Miami hate man...I'm not here to shit on Florida and if I had in state tuition to go there I would go there over Miami. Being an out-of-state person though, out of state tuition for Florida and Miami are within a few thousand of each other. That being the case I'll take living in Miami over the swamp.