UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE) Forum

(Rankings, Profiles, Tuition, Student Life, . . . )

Maryland or Florida

Poll ended at Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:44 pm

Florida
7
28%
Maryland
18
72%
 
Total votes: 25

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BmoreOrLess

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Re: Florida versus Maryland

Post by BmoreOrLess » Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:50 pm

http://www.cityrating.com/crime-statist ... ville.html
http://www.cityrating.com/crime-statist ... imore.html

Violent crimes are a bit higher in Baltimore, but I bet a good portion of that is drug related. Property crime is higher in Gainesville, and you are way more likely to get raped in Gainesville.

TBF, I fucking hate Gainesville and think the place is a shithole. Baltimore isn't great, but I'd much rather be here now that I am not an undergrad.

Moral of the story, neither place is very safe.

Lord Randolph McDuff

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Re: Florida versus Maryland

Post by Lord Randolph McDuff » Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:50 pm

dixon02 wrote:
kellyugkellyug wrote:
abc12345675 wrote:I grew up in Baltimore. Great city. Some of the comments on here about walking a block from the law school and being in the Wire is total nonsense. People who feel that way either are racists, have never been to an urban area, or are just lying.

Are parts of the city HORRIBLE? Definitely. But there is ZERO reason to go there unless you're doing some sort of charity work. As a law student you won't have to go to these areas.

If you live in New York City, do you constantly have to walk through Bushwick, East Harlem, or the Gun Hill Road section of the Bronx?? Same thing with B-more.

Racist, huh? There are bad areas not far from the law school. That's a fact. Would a law student need to visit them on a daily basis? No, but a wrong turn near the school could put you in a bad part of town. I'm sorry if that offends you, but it's not racist.
Oh dear me. I stand corrected. OP, you should go to UF. If you go to UMD, you might make a wrong turn and end up in a bad neighborhood! The horror! Just think: going to UMD may require you to TURN AROUND AND GO BACK THE WAY YOU CAME. This sounds downright terrifying, especially for someone who has been in the military.

I retract my earlier statements about basing your decision on employment prospects. No job is worth having to turn around.
By the way Gainesville sucks.

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Re: Florida versus Maryland

Post by RobMD » Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:55 pm

Teflon_Jeff wrote:
jackattack17 wrote:Make sure you visit Maryland before deciding to go there. The law school is in Baltimore, not College Park. And by Baltimore, I mean right downtown with an armed security guard accompanying the receptionist at the door. OP, since you've been in the service, this might not be a big deal to you, but after having visited myself, I would not want to leave the law school after dark for even a one block walk. See, e.g., The Wire.

Florida is sunny. Other things being equal, go there.
This. Sunny gorgeous weather, or school in Bodymore, Murderland.

UF, not close.
I lived near UF when I was younger and I recently took grad school classes a few blocks from the UMD law school. The areas around the law school a few blocks to the north and a few blocks to the west are pretty crappy. We are talking boarded up row houses with young males milling around in the streets during the middle of the day crappy. The law school area has starbucks and panarea mixed in with an occasional liquor store or club. It's surrounded by UMD schools (med school, one of the business school buildings) and is pretty nice. Just park at the more expensive parking garage next to the school, not the cheap one a block or two away. Also, what other posters said about the social scene and economy is true. If you are picking schools just based on location go to UMD. Gainesville is flat, boring, hot and not close to the beach. Baltimore is a major city with good neighborhoods, multiple nightlife scenes, and the Maryland economy is doing well due to all of the federal dollars pouring in from the rest of the country.

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Re: Florida versus Maryland

Post by dixon02 » Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:00 pm

This whole thread is stupid. People arguing back and forth over personal preferences in location. Let's clear this up: some people like warm weather and beaches and college towns. Some people prefer big cities with more people and a wider variety of options. To each their own. Stop arguing about which is better; it's a personal preference.

Also, more importantly, it's all completely irrelevant. Regardless of your preference for one location or the other, they are each perfectly acceptable places to live and go to school. Your ability to get a job, preferably one that you want, is what should drive this decision (since debt is the same at both). Stop this useless (often uninformed or sheltered) bickering.

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Re: Florida versus Maryland

Post by wake875 » Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:02 pm

I'm sorry, I thought this was america

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BmoreOrLess

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Re: Florida versus Maryland

Post by BmoreOrLess » Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:11 pm

dixon02 wrote:This whole thread is stupid. People arguing back and forth over personal preferences in location. Let's clear this up: some people like warm weather and beaches and college towns. Some people prefer big cities with more people and a wider variety of options. To each their own. Stop arguing about which is better; it's a personal preference.

Also, more importantly, it's all completely irrelevant. Regardless of your preference for one location or the other, they are each perfectly acceptable places to live and go to school. Your ability to get a job, preferably one that you want, is what should drive this decision (since debt is the same at both). Stop this useless (often uninformed or sheltered) bickering.
But its so much fun to shit on Gainesville.

And beaches? Ocean City and Dewey (and all beaches in between the two) are way better than anything in the vicinity of Gainesville.
wake875 wrote:I'm sorry, I thought this was america
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h2oplyer7

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Re: Florida versus Maryland

Post by h2oplyer7 » Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:57 pm

Wow, well thanks for all the input. I have decided on UF. I visited LST and looked at the numbers, (not too big of a difference, but still) and I think I will be less distracted in Florida. I have never been to Baltimore, but being that my family grew up in Los Angeles, I don't think I would have been unhappy there. Actually, I think I would have loved it. With schools so close in ranking and numbers, this really did come down to personal preference.

I do find it amazing though that one person told me to retake the LSAT. I know that UMD and UF aren't T14s but...really??? The school will only cost me 20k total because of the 9/11 GI Bill, and I will get in-state the next year, since I am transferring my comission to Florida. Granted I only scored a 162 on the LSAT, but do some people honestly think a person cannot have a successful career coming out of either of these schools? All I can say is that there are more things in life that count toward success than such narrow-minded thinking.

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BmoreOrLess

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Re: Florida versus Maryland

Post by BmoreOrLess » Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:54 pm

h2oplyer7 wrote:Wow, well thanks for all the input. I have decided on UF. I visited LST and looked at the numbers, (not too big of a difference, but still) and I think I will be less distracted in Florida. I have never been to Baltimore, but being that my family grew up in Los Angeles, I don't think I would have been unhappy there. Actually, I think I would have loved it. With schools so close in ranking and numbers, this really did come down to personal preference.

I do find it amazing though that one person told me to retake the LSAT. I know that UMD and UF aren't T14s but...really??? The school will only cost me 20k total because of the 9/11 GI Bill, and I will get in-state the next year, since I am transferring my comission to Florida. Granted I only scored a 162 on the LSAT, but do some people honestly think a person cannot have a successful career coming out of either of these schools? All I can say is that there are more things in life that count toward success than such narrow-minded thinking.
I don't think it is people being narrow-minded and saying you can ONLY be successful if you go to a t14, it is just that your odds of being successful greatly improve if you are at a T14. If you are in the top 20% or so at UF will you be successful? Most likely, but the reality is that it is a whole lot easier to boost your LSAT 6-10 points than land in the top 20% of your class anywhere, especially if you didn't study hard/effectively the first time around. Not sure what your GPA is, but pretty much regardless if you can go from a 162 to a 170+, UVA comes into the picture, which would open up a lot more doors for you. I am not sure how the GI Bill works but it would still be a state school. I went from a 162 to a 168 fairly easily, and put me in a lot better of a situation than I had with the 162.

Regardless, good luck at UF, and don't mind my Gainesville trolling.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by h2oplyer7 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:42 pm

Maryland offered me enough money today to make going there free. They offered it to me after I withdrew in favor of UF. Any thoughts???

Maryland threw me an additional 18k a year (54k total) as long as I don't fail a course. That, combined with the GIB, means the school will be competely paid for. I am OOS.

Florida will cost about 19k a year until I can establish residency, then it will be free with the GIB.

I am interested in tax law. UF is ranked #2 in that field. Is it worth paying the money?

I have until Wednesday to decide.

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noleknight16

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by noleknight16 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:44 pm

No stips on the MD scholly? Free all 3 years?

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by noleknight16 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:49 pm

By the way, it is EXTREMELY hard to get FL residency now

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h2oplyer7

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by h2oplyer7 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:50 pm

The only stipulation is I have to remain in good standing. Yes, free all three years.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by noleknight16 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:51 pm

h2oplyer7 wrote:The only stipulation is I have to remain in good standing. Yes, free all three years.
Maryland all day err day. Enjoy! :)

You may not even achieve FL residency till 3L and UF isn't worth an extra ~40k

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noleknight16

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by noleknight16 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:59 pm

--LinkRemoved--

The Legislature has made it harder for out-of-state college students to gain Florida residency.

In the past, students could move to the state and after a year in college they could establish Florida residency and qualify for in-state tuition if they met certain criteria, such as buying a home or filing a tax return in Florida.

Legislators amended the law this past session and now out-of-state students can't become Florida residents unless they take a year off of school and wait.

"In the past, it was strict but uncomplicated to establish residency," said Susan Lehr, vice president of government relations at Florida Community College at Jacksonville.

In this tough economy, a lot of people are moving around for jobs and it might make sense for a child or a spouse to try to attend college in Florida if they relocate. Waiting a year to start school is now an added burden, Lehr said, especially because she believes many students will enroll in college, thinking they'll be able to establish residency.

There is an exemption in the law for dependents of active-duty military.

Legislators had been trying to change the residency requirements for years. A similar change was passed in 2005, but vetoed by Gov. Jeb Bush.

Basically, it's a cost issue. Out-of-state students often pay four times as much in tuition and fees than in-state students.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by dixon02 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:07 pm

Rankings of individual programs at law schools are not worth the paper they're printed on. You need to completely ignore this idea that Florida supposedly has the #2 tax program. No employer anywhere knows that or cares about that. If you are interested in tax law, you can certainly study tax law at Maryland.

Really, I think the only question left is: where would you like to practice? They're both regional schools, so you need to be prepared to set up shop in whichever state you head off to. If you think you'd be happy in Maryland (and it sounds like you would based on earlier responses), then that's the obvious choice. Free law school is pretty nice.

Only thing I'd add: you previously were leaning toward Florida. Did you call them and tell them about Maryland's offer? If not, you should do that. Tell them you will attend if they can match.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by flem » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:09 pm

dixon02 wrote:Rankings of individual programs at law schools are not worth the paper they're printed on. You need to completely ignore this idea that Florida supposedly has the #2 tax program. No employer anywhere knows that or cares about that. If you are interested in tax law, you can certainly study tax law at Maryland.
As long as you're going for an LLM, this is one place the specialty rankings aren't bullshit.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by CanadianWolf » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:15 pm

OP: Do both. Get a free JD from Maryland & an LLM in taxation from Florida (which Maryland just made a bit more affordable for you).

P.S. Or retake.
Last edited by CanadianWolf on Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by TTTehehe » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:15 pm

Maryland for free? Since everyone loves "The Wire" so much: Shieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. Go to Maryland.

Baltimore is not that bad. Furthermore, who said you had to live in Baltimore? Plenty of nice areas (Towson, Bethesda, etc.) that are within driving distance to Baltimore. Plus, you can catch the train and live closer to D.C. so that you can intern and network there, if you choose. Sure, Florida is sunnier, and has nice weather, but access to D.C. alone makes UMD worth it. And you're going for free? Refer back to my wire quote.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by HellOnHeels » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:18 pm

TTTehehe wrote: Shieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
:lol:

seriously though. do what the other poster said, and contact Florida and see if they'll match. if they won't, then go to maryland.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by Teflon_Jeff » Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:36 pm

stephinmd wrote: :lol:

seriously though. do what the other poster said, and contact Florida and see if they'll match. if they won't, then go to maryland.
This. If FL matches, then go. If not, have fun in MD.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by taxnstuff » Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:48 pm

pretty good options either way, congrats!

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by h2oplyer7 » Tue Jul 10, 2012 12:34 am

Ok great! Thanks everyone for your responses. They really did help. I emailed UF this evening and told them about the situation.

Charm City here I come, if Florida can't match!

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by TTTehehe » Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:29 am

h2oplyer7 wrote:Ok great! Thanks everyone for your responses. They really did help. I emailed UF this evening and told them about the situation.

Charm City here I come, if Florida can't match!
Refer to my avatar for my feelings.

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by taxnstuff » Tue Jul 10, 2012 10:53 am

If you end up moving to bmore feel free to pm me with any questions

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Re: UPDATE: Florida ($) vs. Maryland (FREE)

Post by HellOnHeels » Tue Jul 10, 2012 11:09 am

taxnstuff wrote:If you end up moving to bmore feel free to pm me with any questions
I feel like there are a lot of people either from or in Baltimore on these boards. Small world!

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
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