IUB($) vs. Wisconsin vs. Iowa vs. Florida

[Chelios]

Hey all, was hoping for some insight on schools. I am a FL resident, and have toyed with the notion of going to UF with in-state tuition. However, I'd ultimately like to end up in a big city (Ideally Los Angeles I believe, but New York and Chicago are also attractive), and biglaw is of definite interest to me. I know that the vast majority of FL residents do not venture outside of the state, and that remains my primary concern with Florida Law.

I have visited Indiana, Iowa, and UF, and liked Bloomington the best of the three. With that said, I do have some reservations about whether it can sustain its place in the USN; and further, whether its reputation will ever catch up to its ranking. I have received approximately 45k from Indiana. I have not asked Wisconsin or Iowa to match, but it remains a possibility that they could. How big is the difference in reputation between the three midwest schools? I know they are all strong regional schools, but are any uniquely positioned to place in a coastal legal market?

Where would you attend given these choices? Retaking the LSAT is not an option at this point, and I will operate under the presumption that I will not hear from a waitlist school until the opportunity presents itself. Thanks for any feedback!

Chelios

[JollyGreenGiant]

TBH, your biglaw chances are pretty much the same at all these schools (i.e. not very high). Unless you wanna live in the midwest, I'd take UF.

[You Gotta Have Faith]

Shorter Answer: These three Midwest schools are seen by many as mostly comparable in reputation and placement elsewhere. There are nuanced arguments that could be made for all of them, but we'll just forget about that because IU-B gave you money. So if you like the Midwest better than Florida, take IU-B. And if you think you prefer Florida, take UF.
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Longer Answer: I'd pick IU-B, particularly given that they're helping you some with $. After discount, 45K is pushing you very close to their in-state tuition.

From any of these 4 schools, hitting up California will be more difficult. Not impossible by any means, but you will definitely have to work harder because none of these schools have large alumni bases there or large numbers of CA firms that recruit from there (though there are some). Re your "coastal" concerns, the East Coast is definitely easier to tap into from all three of these Midwest schools than the West Coast (of course the Midwest is definitely the strongest place for them).

There are a number of strong "secondary" markets in the Midwest that these schools would all fare well in (by secondary I mean cities that aren't Chicago). And most of those schools are well thought of in the Midwest, at least within the legal field, where it actually matters. When I once considered Indiana, someone asked me to specify IU-B or IU-I... so the legal community does pay attention (and that was several hours away, in a different Midwestern state).

If you liked Bloomington a lot, then really take that into consideration. You'll be happier there. And liking where you are is sometimes understated around here. Re any possible concern about getting back to FL, I think that won't be too great an issue coming from IU-B (or Iowa or Wisconsin) since firms are mainly wanting to be convinced that you'd actually stay where they are and have reasons for wanting to be there. If you already have connections to a place, problem solved.

And do think about asking Wisconsin and Iowa to consider scholarships for you. You never know. Doing that got me an extra 16K last year.

[ScaredWorkedBored]

No reason not to go to IUB over Wisconsin & Iowa if IUB is giving you money. Prospects out of all of them are relatively similar for national big city placement (do very well to feel good about your chances).

None of them are really going to give you a boost over Florida for getting a job in Los Angeles. At least not anything I'd place a large financial bet on.

[t_flores08]

In this case, I would probably choose UF (I am a fellow 0L, but thought I'd share my thoughts since I am also an FL resident and toyed with the idea of UF). The in-state tuition is REALLY affordable and you can minimize your debt. The other schools are good schools, but from what I have gathered, are going to leave you in the same position as UF in terms of getting a job in LA, but with a LOT more debt. If you were really interested in the midwest, I might say to take IUB or Iowa. But if you want LA, and these are your options, take UF and minimize your debt.

If you really want a school in the Midwest, maybe choose the school that will give you in-state tuition after your first year. Not sure if you will get as big of a discount as UF gives for in-staters, but it might be worth something. Good luck and HTH