T-14 with a family. Forum

[longdaysjourney]

Hi,

Stats are 3.66 and regularly >175 on PTs. I am married with a child who will be two-and-a-half when I begin law-school. Which of the T-14 schools are especially family friendly? I'm particularly interested in hearing from parent/law-students. COL is not my main concern, I am more concerned with a school having a "family friendly" atmosphere. Additionally, I am not really considering Cornell, NYU, or Northwestern.

Thanks

[FuManChusco]

Northwestern.

[longdaysjourney]

Additionally, I am not really considering Cornell, NYU, or Northwestern.

Northwestern.

uhhhh

[Paichka]

I'm not in T14, just for full disclosure, but I am down the road from one (G-town). I'm married, with a 15 month old daughter. She was 6 months old when I started law school. I live outside of the city and commute in -- the other students with families that I know of do the same thing. Both sides of the Beltway -- Northern Virginia and Maryland -- have areas which are extremely family friendly, and within a fairly straightforward commute in to the district. Georgetown Law is a couple of blocks up from Union Station, where you can pick up the MARC (Md) or the VRE (Virginia).

I live a little farther south than the average bear, and I love it. I'm within walking distance of a great elementary school, grocery store, a couple of nice restaurants, and a short drive from a huge mall. My neighborhood is extremely safe with an active neighborhood watch. Other neighborhoods, particularly parts of Arlington and Old Town, are very family friendly. I can't speak for the Maryland side, but I love Bethesda, and I've heard great things about it. The main problem with NoVA and MD are that they're pretty pricey.

[longdaysjourney]

I'm not in T14, just for full disclosure, but I am down the road from one (G-town). I'm married, with a 15 month old daughter. She was 6 months old when I started law school. I live outside of the city and commute in -- the other students with families that I know of do the same thing. Both sides of the Beltway -- Northern Virginia and Maryland -- have areas which are extremely family friendly, and within a fairly straightforward commute in to the district. Georgetown Law is a couple of blocks up from Union Station, where you can pick up the MARC (Md) or the VRE (Virginia).

I live a little farther south than the average bear, and I love it. I'm within walking distance of a great elementary school, grocery store, a couple of nice restaurants, and a short drive from a huge mall. My neighborhood is extremely safe with an active neighborhood watch. Other neighborhoods, particularly parts of Arlington and Old Town, are very family friendly. I can't speak for the Maryland side, but I love Bethesda, and I've heard great things about it. The main problem with NoVA and MD are that they're pretty pricey.

I would like to live within walking distance of the school that I attend. What do you think about the area of DC that Georgetown is in?

[ArthurEdens]

Do you mean family friendly in terms of the law school or in terms of the law school's location? If location, then I would imagine that UVA, Duke, and Michigan are good choices.

[longdaysjourney]

Do you mean family friendly in terms of the law school or in terms of the law school's location? If location, then I would imagine that UVA, Duke, and Michigan are good choices.

Both, actually. Why UVA? Isn't it the party school of the T-14? Or is that a misconception?

[jnorsky]

Sure for those who want to party, I can say that the kids that go to UVA law definitely seem to be more into drinking than other t-14's but they are also really cool, well rounded people as well as sociable. Im going to UVA next year and I could definitely see someone with a family going and having a great three years there. Tons of greenery and outside stuff to do. 2 hours from DC. Just a really pleasant place.

[Paichka]

The area that Georgetown Law is in is right next to the Hill. Capitol Hill is ridiculously expensive -- members of Congress and whatnot live there. I imagine if you can afford it, it's a great place to raise kids.

Public transportation in DC is good, though, so I'm going to interpret your "want to live within walking distance" statement as being totally okay with living within walking distance from a metro stop. You'd take the metro to Union Station via the Red Line, then walk a couple of blocks north to the law school. If I were living IN DC, I'd probably aim for Dupont Circle, and maybe...Brookland? Ward 3 in general is pretty nice -- I have friends who live in Friendship Heights and really like it.

Dupont Circle is WONDERFUL -- super-trendy, full of great restaurants and shops. Penn Quarter is a nice area, but it's full of nightclubs and is near the Verizon Center. I'd probably stay away from Adams Morgan...it's a huge nightspot. Very popular with single students and staffers...don't know how popular it is with families.

If I were okay with the metro and still wanted to live close to the city, I'd probably aim for Alexandria or Rosslyn. Rosslyn is one metro stop outside the city limits, so it would probably take you about 15 minutes to get to Union Station in the morning, then walk from there.

But that's Georgetown. And I defer to people who actually live in the city -- I'm a NoVA gal.

Duke is great, but not if you want to live within walking distance. Crime in Durham can be a serious problem, and besides, anything within walking distance of campus is going to be full of undergrads (sez the former Duke undergrad). The neighborhoods tend to complain a lot about the fraternity practice of having groups of guys living together in unofficial frat houses, throwing enormous parties all weekend long. There are some good neighborhoods close by, but nothing that I can think of off the top of my head that's especially family friendly. If you ARE willing to drive, there are some great neighborhoods between Durham and Chapel Hill. If I were going to Duke, that's what I would have done -- I'd have lived closer to Chapel Thrill and commuted.

[ogman05]

Sure for those who want to party, I can say that the kids that go to UVA law definitely seem to be more into drinking than other t-14's but they are also really cool, well rounded people as well as sociable. Im going to UVA next year and I could definitely see someone with a family going and having a great three years there. Tons of greenery and outside stuff to do. 2 hours from DC. Just a really pleasant place.

TCR. This is a lot of the reason I was interested in UVA. I would have to say that Charlottesville is a great place for a familly. Everytime i mention moving there I hear great things about the place. People are always raving about it and wishing they can move back there (ie. my pediatrician, lawyer in my church, many others). I would say northwestern is more family oriented as a law school as there is an older crowd there but you already said you werent interested.

[Paichka]

Sure for those who want to party, I can say that the kids that go to UVA law definitely seem to be more into drinking than other t-14's but they are also really cool, well rounded people as well as sociable. Im going to UVA next year and I could definitely see someone with a family going and having a great three years there. Tons of greenery and outside stuff to do. 2 hours from DC. Just a really pleasant place.

TCR. This is a lot of the reason I was interested in UVA. I would have to say that Charlottesville is a great place for a familly. Everytime i mention moving there I hear great things about the place. People are always raving about it and wishing they can move back there (ie. my pediatrician, lawyer in my church, many others). I would say northwestern is more family oriented as a law school as there is an older crowd there but you already said you werent interested.

I love Charlottesville, but my opinion is based on one visit, a couple of party weekends, and word of mouth. It's a gorgeous place.

[Bosque]

Duke is great, but not if you want to live within walking distance. Crime in Durham can be a serious problem, and besides, anything within walking distance of campus is going to be full of undergrads (sez the former Duke undergrad). The neighborhoods tend to complain a lot about the fraternity practice of having groups of guys living together in unofficial frat houses, throwing enormous parties all weekend long. There are some good neighborhoods close by, but nothing that I can think of off the top of my head that's especially family friendly. If you ARE willing to drive, there are some great neighborhoods between Durham and Chapel Hill. If I were going to Duke, that's what I would have done -- I'd have lived closer to Chapel Thrill and commuted.

Yah, if you go to Duke you need a car. The area around Duke is not metropolitan like DC or New York. However, I am maybe 5 minutes away from the law school (ten by bike) in a house, and the area I live in is very family friendly.

The crime problem is overblown by the way. So long as you don't live in the wrong area and use common sense, you should never have a problem. If you are used to living in a city, you most likely already have more than sufficient instincts to avoid trouble.

[starstruck393]

Ann Arbor is a great city, especially for families. I'd definitely look into Michigan.

[FuManChusco]

Additionally, I am not really considering Cornell, NYU, or Northwestern.

Northwestern.

uhhhh

haha. I know what OP said. doesn't change the fact that Northwestern is known for having an older, more mature class.

[KMaine]

Hello. I am a dad at a t-14 (Cornell). When I was looking at schools, I concentrated on places in smallish cities. My top choices going in were Virginia, Duke and Michigan. Did not get into VA, and after touring Duke, Michigan and Cornell, I found that Cornell was the best for me. I really liked Duke and the campus, but thought that we would need to live in Chapel Hill if I went there (I have school-age kids and that was a consideration). Overall, Ann Arbor did seem like a family-friendly (and friendly in general place), but as a dad, I wanted to keep my debt low(ish), and MI didn't really offer any money. I would recommend that you check it out.

It really matters where your family will be comfortable, so be sure that your SO likes where you go, so make sure to have some frank conversations with him/her about all of your choices. Do not let him/her defer to you on the choice. He/She will have to spend three years wherever you end up and his/her happiness will be really important to your success and happiness.

Best of luck with your search and your choice. BTW, I did not really check out the T-6 as my stats made them a long shot.

[Renzo]

It seems like by "family friendly" you mean "not urban," so Michigan, UVA, and Duke are your schools.

[KMaine]

It seems like by "family friendly" you mean "not urban," so Michigan, UVA, and Duke are your schools.

Not really sure that OP does mean that (although that was a big consideration for me). I think a place could be urban and "family friendly." The main concern for me was finding good public schools for my daughters.m OP's child seems younger.

[thisamericanlife]

I met a lot of people with families at Michigan and UVA. I would look at these two.

[The Kid]

The main concern for me was finding good public schools for my daughters.

This.

Can anyone give specific advice on that issue (T14 x public schools for children)?

[Renzo]

It seems like by "family friendly" you mean "not urban," so Michigan, UVA, and Duke are your schools.

Not really sure that OP does mean that (although that was a big consideration for me). I think a place could be urban and "family friendly." The main concern for me was finding good public schools for my daughters. OP's child seems younger.

I realize big cities can be family-friendly; I brought my family to NYU (the Village is not family friendly, FYI). But I think the OP is using "family friendly" as code for staid and suburban.

[yeff]

Renzo, did you bring the fam not only to NYU, but to the Village, in the university housing? Or to somewhere else in NYC?

If the former, why did you choose to? And if the latter, where did you go?

[Renzo]

Renzo, did you bring the fam not only to NYU, but to the Village, in the university housing? Or to somewhere else in NYC?

If the former, why did you choose to? And if the latter, where did you go?

Yep, and law dorms. I did it because apartment hunting in NYC is a huge hassle, and I didn't have the time/resources to do it before school started, so it made the move much, much easier to move into school-provided housing. We're moving out this summer, probably headed for the UWS or Brooklyn.

[KMaine]

I realize big cities can be family-friendly; I brought my family to NYU (the Village is not family friendly, FYI). But I think the OP is using "family friendly" as code for staid and suburban.

Yeah, I guess because OP did not foreclose the possibility of a big city and most of the schools in the T-14 are located in cities, I just assumed he did not want to limit himself to the few suburban options and wanted to hear from some people at other schools as to how their "family" experience was at those schools.

The main concern for me was finding good public schools for my daughters.

This.

Can anyone give specific advice on that issue (T14 x public schools for children)?

In looking at schools we found the ones around Duke to be VERY big. Since that was not what we were used to in Maine, we would have sent our girls to Montessori school if I had gone to Duke (or looked more carefully at the schools in Chapel Hill/surrounding area. We have been really happy with the Ithaca public schools. The girls have really good teachers and a group of classmates from around the world (good mix of local kids/international kids). My wife is a teacher, and she has been very pleased. The girls are thriving. It seemed, from what we saw, the schools in Ann Arbor were fairly similar to those in Ithaca (meaning good). We played at the playground and looked in the windows, but visited over MLK Day weekend and so did not have a tour. This is all I know. If you are willing to come to Ithaca, the schools are very strong (from our experience). We were more than willing to give up a few USNWR rankings spots for a quality of life that fits our family, staid and suburban though it may be.

[GordonBombay]

Not at a T-14 or even law school yet, but very familiar with Charlottesville.

1. It's a college town, but not in the sense that the school is the only thing there. It's very much it's own city also.
2. I have a friend who's father actually completed a masters there while she was an infant, a long time ago, but just a reference to someone doing that.
3. The law school is a little out of the way from the main campus and downtown scene/ Fraternity row and "the corner" so if you mean walking distance to the law school it's a little different than just in the heart of normal student neighborhoods

Didnt go there, not going there....just saying I would think it would be a good fit. Know a lot of people who grew up there as well

[The Kid]

Thanks a lot for the input, KMaine.

And Renzo, could you talk a little about schools in the neighborhoods where you plan to live?