Deathmatch: Wake v. UConn Forum

[Magnolia]

Also, NC State = triangle area = one of the most liberal regions in the state.

I grew up in the triangle and had the exact opposite experience. Outside of the immediate NC State/UNC/Duke campus areas, the triangle is just as conservative as the rest of the state. I hated every second and moved to the NE as soon as I could. I could see it maybe being a great place if you find a niche, but not everyone does.

Oh I didn't know that.....I was hoping to get further up north for LS but with in-state tuition at UNC, I just can't pass it up. I've lived on opposite sides of the state (beach and mtns) and had very conservative experiences in my hometown, and liberal ones at my current grad school. But, when I have visited CH I always felt it was a little hub of liberalness compared to other places in the state.

Don't get me wrong, CH is super liberal and I have no doubt you'll have a great time going to school there. It's just when you get more into the suburbs and other parts of the triangle, where most people aren't associated with the school, that it gets much more conservative. I would imagine the same is true for Wake. While you're there for school, you should have no problem finding fellow liberals. If you stay after graduation, it gets harder.

I think how happy you can be as a liberal living in NC depends a lot on how much you can tolerate the crazies. Some of my friends have no trouble just ignoring the birthers and the Glenn Beck fanboys, and they are perfectly happy. I couldn't just ignore them, and it's why I moved away.

[DeeCee]

Also, NC State = triangle area = one of the most liberal regions in the state.

I grew up in the triangle and had the exact opposite experience. Outside of the immediate NC State/UNC/Duke campus areas, the triangle is just as conservative as the rest of the state. I hated every second and moved to the NE as soon as I could. I could see it maybe being a great place if you find a niche, but not everyone does.

Oh I didn't know that.....I was hoping to get further up north for LS but with in-state tuition at UNC, I just can't pass it up. I've lived on opposite sides of the state (beach and mtns) and had very conservative experiences in my hometown, and liberal ones at my current grad school. But, when I have visited CH I always felt it was a little hub of liberalness compared to other places in the state.

Don't get me wrong, CH is super liberal and I have no doubt you'll have a great time going to school there. It's just when you get more into the suburbs and other parts of the triangle, where most people aren't associated with the school, that it gets much more conservative. I would imagine the same is true for Wake. While you're there for school, you should have no problem finding fellow liberals. If you stay after graduation, it gets harder.

I think how happy you can be as a liberal living in NC depends a lot on how much you can tolerate the crazies. Some of my friends have no trouble just ignoring the birthers and the Glenn Beck fanboys, and they are perfectly happy. I couldn't just ignore them, and it's why I moved away.

Reminds me of when in my hometown I drove to Chick-Fil-A to get lunch and the Tea Party Express bus was there. I couldn't even go in the damn building, with all the TP'ers chanting and yelling at people walking in the door. I was super sad and I started eating at the other CFA across town that didn't host them (they are a franchise, so I feel my switch did have an impact). Anyway, long story short you're probably right-- I'm (mostly) OK with it because I tend to ignore those types as much as possible. NC is one of the most progressive states in the south also when you compare their voting results and state laws with other southern states.

Anyway, sorry to get OT snapdragon! Connecticut and North Carolina are different in terms of culture (and probably politics), but like Magnolia said, it would probably be more liberal around the university than the city of W-S.

[snapdragon]

Dee, not OT at all.. the differences between NC and CT are very relevant to my decision, honestly. I went to Wake's ASW, but really all I learned about NC is that people are friendlier (and I need to adjust my response to that or come off as cold), the area around campus is nice, I'd definitely need a car, and biscuits & gravy are plentiful.

Oh and btw the poll is totally tied. I voted for UConn so I could see the results easier when loading the thread, so really it's at 50/50. This continues to amuse me.

[androstan]

Dee, not OT at all.. the differences between NC and CT are very relevant to my decision, honestly. I went to Wake's ASW, but really all I learned about NC is that people are friendlier (and I need to adjust my response to that or come off as cold), the area around campus is nice, I'd definitely need a car, and biscuits & gravy are plentiful.

Oh and btw the poll is totally tied. I voted for UConn so I could see the results easier when loading the thread, so really it's at 50/50. This continues to amuse me.

I love biscuits and gravy.

Oh, and fried chicken and iced tea.

Thank God I'm a Country Boy.

[snapdragon]

Sweet tea confused and startled me I'm an unsweetened with a wedge of lemon sort of girl.

[YankeesFan]

Sweet tea is one of the single greatest beverages available in the United States. I cnt wait to have my fill of it next year.

[tarheel87]

Also, NC State = triangle area = one of the most liberal regions in the state.

I grew up in the triangle and had the exact opposite experience. Outside of the immediate NC State/UNC/Duke campus areas, the triangle is just as conservative as the rest of the state. I hated every second and moved to the NE as soon as I could. I could see it maybe being a great place if you find a niche, but not everyone does.

Oh I didn't know that.....I was hoping to get further up north for LS but with in-state tuition at UNC, I just can't pass it up. I've lived on opposite sides of the state (beach and mtns) and had very conservative experiences in my hometown, and liberal ones at my current grad school. But, when I have visited CH I always felt it was a little hub of liberalness compared to other places in the state.

Don't get me wrong, CH is super liberal and I have no doubt you'll have a great time going to school there. It's just when you get more into the suburbs and other parts of the triangle, where most people aren't associated with the school, that it gets much more conservative. I would imagine the same is true for Wake. While you're there for school, you should have no problem finding fellow liberals. If you stay after graduation, it gets harder.

I think how happy you can be as a liberal living in NC depends a lot on how much you can tolerate the crazies. Some of my friends have no trouble just ignoring the birthers and the Glenn Beck fanboys, and they are perfectly happy. I couldn't just ignore them, and it's why I moved away.

Seriously? I've lived in NC for just about my entire life and I've never witnessed any of these "crazies" or even anyone pushing any kind of conservative agenda on anyone else. While I don't understand the TLS need for a super liberal atmosphere, I would not let any kind of fear of politics to scare you away from NC, it isn't real, and quite frankly I have no idea what most of the people in this thread are talking about when it comes to NC being some Tea Party state.

Furthermore, WFU is pretty even politically. If I had to guess I'd say the student body leans right, but you would never know it without specifically asking people. Actually, the state as a whole could probably be best summed up by that line of thinking. I certainly recommend Wake Law, but the thoughts on NC politics that have been advanced in this thread simply don't speak to the truth of the situation as I have witnessed it over my lifetime.

Edit: To be fair, I am a rather moderate conservative myself.

[girlonfire]

Snap, I saw the title before I even logged in and LOLed.. knew it was u.

I sent you a super long email w all my opinions... but today, I'm really feeling like Wake. I think it's Wake!

see email for pros & cons

[DeeCee]

Dee, not OT at all.. the differences between NC and CT are very relevant to my decision, honestly. I went to Wake's ASW, but really all I learned about NC is that people are friendlier (and I need to adjust my response to that or come off as cold), the area around campus is nice, I'd definitely need a car, and biscuits & gravy are plentiful.

Oh and btw the poll is totally tied. I voted for UConn so I could see the results easier when loading the thread, so really it's at 50/50. This continues to amuse me.

I love biscuits and gravy.

Oh, and fried chicken and iced tea.

Thank God I'm a CountryBoy girl.

FTFM.
PLUS MOTHERFUCKING 1.
Sorry, I love biscuits and gravy. And brunswick stew.

[DubPoker]

Sweet tea is one of the single greatest beverages available in the United States. I cnt wait to have my fill of it next year.

I pretty much grew up in NC. I cannot stand sweet tea, it is way to sugary and makes me ridiculously thirsty for water.

I would like to note that there is a huge number of northerners in the Triangle area. In my average class growing up under 4 people out of 30 where actually from North Carolina (and I lived in the suburbs of raleigh.) Cary was jokingly refered to as the Congested Area of Relocated Yankees. While I would assume Winston Salem is more conservative.

Politically Wake county (Raleigh is in the county, not Winston Salem) is middle of the road.

"Clinton in 1992 and Obama in 2008 won the county. The races have almost always been close, such as in 1980, when Ronald Reagan won by a landslide nationwide, but by a mere 1% in Wake County. Recently, Republican George W. Bush won the county in 2000 with 53% and defeated John Kerry in 2004 by a slim 51% to 49%. In 2008 Democrat Barack Obama defeated John McCain 56-43%"

UNC is next to Wake in Orange County and is noticeably more liberal.

Non-Rural NC is looked at unfairly by people not living in the South

[DeeCee]

Seriously? I've lived in NC for just about my entire life and I've never witnessed any of these "crazies" or even anyone pushing any kind of conservative agenda on anyone else. While I don't understand the TLS need for a super liberal atmosphere, I would not let any kind of fear of politics to scare you away from NC, it isn't real, and quite frankly I have no idea what most of the people in this thread are talking about when it comes to NC being some Tea Party state.

Furthermore, WFU is pretty even politically. If I had to guess I'd say the student body leans right, but you would never know it without specifically asking people. Actually, the state as a whole could probably be best summed up by that line of thinking. I certainly recommend Wake Law, but the thoughts on NC politics that have been advanced in this thread simply don't speak to the truth of the situation as I have witnessed it over my lifetime.

Edit: To be fair, I am a rather moderate conservative myself.

I did not say it was a "Tea Party State" or that people were crazy, if you're speaking to me also. However, I will stand by my statement that I will not patronize businesses that hold TP rallies in my neighborhood.

In fact, I was saying quite the opposite about CH in my previous posts, and about how liberal the area is. And don't kid yourself, it really depends on where you live in NC is how far right/left the politics are. For example, Appalachia is pretty interesting between Boone and Asheville being liberal enclaves, while the surrounding towns (Wilkesboro, Spruce Pine, other small places) are very conservative. As a liberal, I have noticed there was a very conservative tilt in my hometown, though where I attend grad school is by far the most liberal area I have lived in in NC.

[DubPoker]

Reminds me of when in my hometown I drove to Chick-Fil-A to get lunch and the Tea Party Express bus was there. I couldn't even go in the damn building, with all the TP'ers chanting and yelling at people walking in the door. I was super sad and I started eating at the other CFA across town that didn't host them (they are a franchise, so I feel my switch did have an impact). Anyway, long story short you're probably right-- I'm (mostly) OK with it because I tend to ignore those types as much as possible. NC is one of the most progressive states in the south also when you compare their voting results and state laws with other southern states.

Chic-Fil-A is pretty conservative in general. They aren't open on Sundays for religious reasons (owner taught Sunday school or something and they kept the policy) While i'm going to continue eating their delicious chicken, it does seem like a natural place for Tea Party people to gather at.

[NCtoDC]

As a native North Carolinian having grown up in a very small, super conservative town, and myself NOT being conservative...I feel that you can definitely "feel" the conservativeness of an area. I think the biggest part of living in NC that is annoying to me is the religious undertone of seemingly EVERYTHING. Alas, this is a consequence of living in the bible belt. If you can learn to ignore this (and other less liberal ways of thought)..which I have been learning to do more and more over the last 2 years since moving back down from CT, I think you will be OK

[Magnolia]

Seriously? I've lived in NC for just about my entire life and I've never witnessed any of these "crazies" or even anyone pushing any kind of conservative agenda on anyone else. While I don't understand the TLS need for a super liberal atmosphere, I would not let any kind of fear of politics to scare you away from NC, it isn't real, and quite frankly I have no idea what most of the people in this thread are talking about when it comes to NC being some Tea Party state.

Furthermore, WFU is pretty even politically. If I had to guess I'd say the student body leans right, but you would never know it without specifically asking people. Actually, the state as a whole could probably be best summed up by that line of thinking. I certainly recommend Wake Law, but the thoughts on NC politics that have been advanced in this thread simply don't speak to the truth of the situation as I have witnessed it over my lifetime.

Edit: To be fair, I am a rather moderate conservative myself.

I'm not doubting your personal experience. I'm simply offering my own experiences as a liberal growing up in NC. I'm also not disagreeing that there are pockets of liberals in the state. However, as a moderate conservative, your view of the state probably isn't the same as someone who is further to the left. I grew up in Wake county, which is probably one of the most liberal counties in the state, and I still found it to be very conservative compared to my own disposition. NC isn't Texas, but that doesn't mean it isn't still conservative.

For example, here's a current fight going on in my "liberal" home county: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 07063.html

FTR, I'm also not arguing that OP shouldn't go to WFU. It may very well be the right choice for her. But considering that a WFU degree may not be able to get her back to New England, I think she should be making an informed choice about what it will be like to live in NC if she gets stuck there. Then she can decide what's best for her.

[androstan]

I went to HS in Brunswick County, i.e. bumfuck, NC.

[NCtoDC]

I went to HS in Brunswick County, i.e. bumfuck, NC.

Alexander County for me

[DeeCee]

Reminds me of when in my hometown I drove to Chick-Fil-A to get lunch and the Tea Party Express bus was there. I couldn't even go in the damn building, with all the TP'ers chanting and yelling at people walking in the door. I was super sad and I started eating at the other CFA across town that didn't host them (they are a franchise, so I feel my switch did have an impact). Anyway, long story short you're probably right-- I'm (mostly) OK with it because I tend to ignore those types as much as possible. NC is one of the most progressive states in the south also when you compare their voting results and state laws with other southern states.

Chic-Fil-A is pretty conservative in general. They aren't open on Sundays for religious reasons (owner taught Sunday school or something and they kept the policy) While i'm going to continue eating their delicious chicken, it does seem like a natural place for Tea Party people to gather at.

This made me lol! Yeah I definitely know about their awesome food and just because conservatives own the joint, that won't push me away. I don't care about anyone's beliefs or positions, but I do not like the idea of a business parading their values because it makes those who do not have the same values (such as myself) second-guess going there, especially when said rallies are in progress. Essentially, I think it is not a good business practice to align your business with a divisive group, much less one that even members of the Republican party or other conservatives aren't cheering about.

[DeeCee]

I went to HS in Brunswick County, i.e. bumfuck, NC.

Alexander County for me

You know it's bumfuck when you name your county instead of your town, lol. Leland, Shallotte, etc. androstan?

[androstan]

I went to HS in Brunswick County, i.e. bumfuck, NC.

Alexander County for me

You know it's bumfuck when you name your county instead of your town, lol. Leland, Shallotte, etc. androstan?

Yeah, the towns are too small. What's really the difference between living in Shallotte, Ocean Isle Beach, or Sunset?

Would revealing my town be TMI for the internets? Or am I already screwed b/c I've named my HS, county, undergrad, grad....

Bleh OIB.

[snapdragon]

Andro, today's your day! Let me know what you pick.

As for me, I'm leaning about 65% towards UConn lately. My boyfriend's mom is apparently DYING for me to go there, and has offered to put in a good word for me with all kinds of gvt people who hire legal interns / young attorneys. Really hoping they give me something in scholarship money, though. Looking at loan repayment calculators scares me, and my EFC is pretty high, so I'd be stuck with a lot of non-federal loans.

[Nicholasnickynic]

Ok, it is time for the final decision. My thoughts have changed somewhat since the last post I made on this subject. After doing some thinking, discussing and outlining, I have decided that I really want the possibility of a job in New England after law school. With that said, my pros and cons are as below:

Wake

Pros:

Seems to have better overall employment stats. I'm not really interested in Biglaw, but Wake seems to have a snowball's chance in hell whereas UConn has essentially none.
Cheaper - WAY lower COL
Something "different" from my whole life in CT
Has a clinical program I particularly like (Child Advocacy)

Cons:

Student body seemed like a good deal of conservative prep school kids which is a minus for me. I'm a fairly liberal non-religious sort, and don't know if that would be a good fit in the south. I also don't wear shorts.
Not really sure I want to live in NC (not sure that I don't either).
Concerned as to whether the degree has any mobility to New England.
Winston-Salem was not so great.
I have no connections, friends, relatives or well wishers in the state of NC to the best of my knowledge.

UConn

Pros:

Liked the feel I got from the school and student body
Although Hartford sucks, West Hartford is very closer and West Hartford > W-S, IMO.
More direct placement in New England
I have family friends who are attorneys (both in private practice & gvt) throughout the state
Could possibly live rent-free 3L year (moving back home an hour away from campus. My parents are barely ever there, as they have another home where my dad now lives full time and my mom spends weekends).
I'd have the emotional support of my friends, long term bf and family throughout law school.

Cons:

More expensive (emailed them for negotiations)
I'm concerned about their general employment stats. I'd rather be employed in NC than unemployed in CT, this much I know.
Really would have liked the opportunity to get out of CT for a few years (however, I've realized that the option of coming back is more important to me than leaving).
Facilities / staff are a little less nice than Wake's.
I'd like to think the ranking doesn't mean anything, but ranked 56th vs. Wake's 39th.

Decision needs to be made by one week from today. Any further input, thoughts, comments, derision, ideas, crude drawings or other replies are welcome. I re-posted this because having the ability to come back to New England means a lot more to me than I thought it would, and I liked UConn's campus/vibe a lot more than I thought I would. General advice from attorneys I've asked has been "Wake Forest for the South, UConn for New England".

Go UConn. All you need is 1 job hookup. If you can use just one of those connections once for 1 summer internship- thats your foot in the door. And I'm at wake right now.

[snapdragon]

Thanks for the insight, Nicholas. That is my biggest pro-UConn reason at the moment - I do know people here who seem to like me and have an interest in helping me find employment and internships.

[northwood]

snaps go to uconn! for 10k you are close to home, have a solid network to work off of, and know the area. plus you can work longer in the summer, and make and save more money!

[androstan]

Andro, today's your day! Let me know what you pick.

As for me, I'm leaning about 65% towards UConn lately. My boyfriend's mom is apparently DYING for me to go there, and has offered to put in a good word for me with all kinds of gvt people who hire legal interns / young attorneys. Really hoping they give me something in scholarship money, though. Looking at loan repayment calculators scares me, and my EFC is pretty high, so I'd be stuck with a lot of non-federal loans.

Your EFC is irrelevant to getting federal loans. As long as you are a US Citizen or legal resident you qualify for 20,500/year in direct stafford. If you have solid credit you qualify for all the grad plus $$$ you need.

[snapdragon]

Andro, today's your day! Let me know what you pick.

As for me, I'm leaning about 65% towards UConn lately. My boyfriend's mom is apparently DYING for me to go there, and has offered to put in a good word for me with all kinds of gvt people who hire legal interns / young attorneys. Really hoping they give me something in scholarship money, though. Looking at loan repayment calculators scares me, and my EFC is pretty high, so I'd be stuck with a lot of non-federal loans.

Your EFC is irrelevant to getting federal loans. As long as you are a US Citizen or legal resident you qualify for 20,500/year in direct stafford. If you have solid credit you qualify for all the grad plus $$$ you need.

Andro, you tempt me to go to GW PT so whenever I'm panicking, I have someone who I can count on for Sensible Advice.