Bama vs. W&L vs. Georgia

[eah0004]

Having a really hard time deciding here. Ultimately would like to practice in the Southeast or South Atlantic region. BigLaw would be nice but it's certainly not a necessity. Visited W&L and really loved it, but it's a long way from home and my most expensive option. Bama is cheapest and closest to home, but I am worried that I'd be limited to practicing in Alabama. I also am a born and raised Auburn girl, so three years in Tuscaloosa could be pretty rough. I'm still waiting to here from UGA (been in review since december... could be a waitlist), but it seems like it would be a happy medium between the two others and I love Athens.

What are your opinions of these 3 schools?
If you vote UGA, do you think they're worth sticking it out through the summer and fighting my way off the waitlist?

Thanks!

[bartleby]

financially, it makes the most sense to go to bama. i think bama also rises with the new us rankings if you care about it.

would you be paying sticker for w&l?

[Pricer]

financially, it makes the most sense to go to bama. i think bama also rises with the new us rankings if you care about it.

would you be paying sticker for w&l?

I don't think Bama will rise, but I do think UGA will drop a couple of spots as the #28 tie breaks up.

I think Bama or UGA will work, whichever you prefer. I like UGA over Bama because of access to Atlanta, but that is my personal preference. Even at half tuition, W&L will be expensive. You should try negotiating with UGA using your Bama scholarship.

edit: Nevermind, it says in state tuition for Bama, not scholarship. Reading comp fail on my part. Have you heard back about scholarships from Bama?

[bartleby]

misread, too. tough choice.

[eah0004]

I haven't received any scholarships from bama, but I'm going to try to negotiate soon. At this point tuition there would be about 5K cheaper per year than W&L and UGA, but spending that 5K might be worth it to go to a school where I know I'd be happier. My main problem with bama is that I really don't want to be in Tuscaloosa for 3 yrs and I'd like to practice somewhere other than Alabama, but it seems like the most practical choice. Ideally, I would go to UGA but I'm worried I will get waitlisted (163/4.0) and won't be able to find my way off of it, leaving myself to choose between Bama and W&L.

So y'all think 20K is still too expensive for W&L? I really enjoyed my visit there, but I haven't heard a lot of positive feedback on TLS about W&L. Could someone elaborate on those negative opinions please?

[ndirish2010]

This is real tough. I would go with W&L I think unless you want to stay in Alabama, then Bama.

[Pricer]

I haven't received any scholarships from bama, but I'm going to try to negotiate soon. At this point tuition there would be about 5K cheaper per year than W&L and UGA, but spending that 5K might be worth it to go to a school where I know I'd be happier. My main problem with bama is that I really don't want to be in Tuscaloosa for 3 yrs and I'd like to practice somewhere other than Alabama, but it seems like the most practical choice. Ideally, I would go to UGA but I'm worried I will get waitlisted (163/4.0) and won't be able to find my way off of it, leaving myself to choose between Bama and W&L.

So y'all think 20K is still too expensive for W&L? I really enjoyed my visit there, but I haven't heard a lot of positive feedback on TLS about W&L. Could someone elaborate on those negative opinions please?

I don't know enough about W&L to comment. I have read that it is a very respected school, but I have also read that the DC market is tough.

If you do get WLed at UGA, then you should still be happy with either of the other two options. I think your GPA will get you past the WL, though, especially if you write a Why UGA essay and explain your desire to relocate to Georgia and work in Atlanta.

[dubyahnell]

A couple thoughts. I was really torn between W&L and Bama last year, my numbers were slightly better than yours - but I was competitive for both schools.

Alabama pursued me like a bat out of hell, I mean they easily have the most flexible/willing to negotiate admissions in the country. Before you go much further with your decision, I highly recommend calling them and telling them where you are in the decision making process. Also, have you gone to one of their ASW's yet? Like 5 minutes after I checked into the hotel they sent me an email saying that they'd drop all the strings attached to my scholly, and tacked some more on - I think they were waiting to see who was genuinely interested, and if you proved it by showing up, they sweetened the deal.

However, I chose W&L for the same reasons that you are struggling with - while my package at Bama would have been 10K a year (or more) in less debt, W&L is legit. Our placement in the South is incredible (fairly good in DC, fair in NY, and marginal in Cali). I'd say that our "sphere of influence" (or as I call it "crescent") is solid in every Southeastern state from DC to Dallas - and my experiences with OCI etc have really reaffirmed that. Bama only places in Bama, unless you're top 10/15%. W&L is competitive with Bama in Bama, and powns them through the rest of the Southeast. I'm not going to type up all the anecdotal evidence to back this up, but as far as national placement with hiring partners, W&L's hiring prestige is way better than its (or Bama's) rank.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-gr ... aw-schools

W&L doesn't game the USNWR at all and are very candid about their hiring numbers etc (see B. Twitty's interview with Vault etc), Bama games their USNWR numbers hard - and hiring partners know this. In the Southeast hiring partners care about traditional prestige (which they know well), not the most current USNWR rank (which they don't know, I promise). Also, when you compete for jobs in Bama (which I know isn't you goal, but it is Bama's only strength) you're going against every other Bama kid for that same firm - alums won't stick their neck out for you, because you look like everyone else. W&L alum in Alabama firms (Birmingham is one of my target markets) have stuck their neck out for me repeatedly, to get me interviews and contacts. W&L alum are easily the most rabid in the nation, there are fewer, but they more than make up for it in tenacity. And that isn't just in Birmingham. W&L alum go out of their way to help current students all the time.

Also, W&L will never negotiate with you on scholly. And I'm surprised you aren't in at Georgia with your numbers and acceptances at W&L and Bama, that's really interesting. I bet they accept you late and offer an in-state price tag, that happened a lot last year, if I remember right. Hope that was all helpful - sorry for the length.

[eah0004]

Thank you so much, dubyahnell. That was really helpful and just the kind of answer I was hoping for! I loved W&L at the February Open House, so it's good to finally hear some positive concrete comparisons to other schools I'm considering. And hopefully you're right about UGA and they're just taking their time. If I get in there, I feel sure that Bama will fall to 3rd place on my list (w/o serious scholarship offers), and the decision will come down to W&L and UGA.

[Eagles_Legendz]

Anyone know how Alabama places anywhere OUTSIDE of Alabama? I.E. Mississippi, Florida, Georgia etc?

I got accepted today and have an offer to virtually attend for free. It's hard to pass going to a Tier 1 school and coming out with no debt, though I am aware Bama is certainly regional.

I still have a lot of applications outstanding (including W&L), but Bama's offer is very attractive.

[JakeL]

I got the impression that Alabama certainly places OK in the south. At least Tenessee, Panhandle, Atl. Of course it all depends how well you do in school.

[Bill Cosby]

Georgia shouldn't even be in the running.