UGA vs Emory Forum

[jcb0018]

Goal: land a job in Atlanta with a big or medium sized firm working on transactions/mergers and acquisitions.

Current options:

UGA @ 13k a year (out-of-state equalizer and 5k a year. Wife will be working so will gain residency for years 2 &3)
Emory @ 30k a year (54k scholarship)

- Wait listed at Texas (current state resident)
- Waiting to hear back from Bama and Vanderbilt.

Stats:
163, 3.79 from an SEC school and 2 years of good work experience.

Thanks for your help!

[lawhopeful10]

Retake the LSAT for a HYS or another t-14. I go to UGA and did really well first semester but to have a good shot at big law you basically need top 10%. I would have to look around the room and ask myself if choosing any random 9 people I could out test them which made my first semester really stressful and I still don't feel OCI secure as other people who do well at better schools might. If you will have a low debt amount and accept that you could strike out on big law then UGA or Emory can be okay but if you are big law or bust you need a different school.

[BigZuck]

Not sure I really understand this plan. You're a Texan but you know you want to work in Atlanta? Do you have any ties to Atlanta? Why not try to get a job in TX, which would presumably be much easier?

Everything I have heard about Atlanta big law is that they are highly grade conscious. Honestly I don't think either of these are very good options- too expensive and/or big law chances are too remote. Also, midlaw doesn't really exist. If you're totally fine with working at a small firm and your wife is covering living expenses then that might change the calculus a bit.

Bottom line- you have to retake and either go to one of these schools for very cheap, or go to a better school.

[gregfootball2001]

Goal: land a job in Atlanta with a big or medium sized firm working on transactions/mergers and acquisitions.

Current options:

UGA @ 13k a year (out-of-state equalizer and 5k a year. Wife will be working so will gain residency for years 2 &3)
Emory @ 30k a year (54k scholarship)

- Wait listed at Texas (current state resident)
- Waiting to hear back from Bama and Vanderbilt.

Stats:
163, 3.79 from an SEC school and 2 years of good work experience.

I'm copying and pasting this from a post I wrote a few months ago.

Emory has better placement overall. It places 29% of its class in law firms of 100+ lawyers and federal clerkships (which is what we'll call "big law" - your definition may vary). A good number of these positions are outside Georgia, but a good number of the class will stay in-state. (http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... =employers)

Georgia is at a hair over 24% for 100+ lawyers and fed clerkships. Almost everyone will stay in Georgia. (http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... =employers)

So, looking at the pure numbers, Emory is 5% better.

However, there's one thing to keep in mind. For Emory, you're paying 30k/y, plus possibly some living expenses, let's say 10k/y. That's 120k total, plus interest.

For Georgia, you're paying 13k/y plus some living expenses (let's arbitrarily just say the same amount (Athens is cheaper than Atlanta, but harder for your wife to get a job)) of 10k/y. That total is 69k plus interest.

Is more than 51k (when you include interest) worth an extra 5% of placement? I don't know. So while the pure, numbers driven answer to your post is that Emory is better at getting people jobs, it comes with quite a hefty price tag. Which is "better?" Depends on your risk-adverseness vs your debt-adverseness, I suppose.

tl;dr: Retake, go to Harvard.

[CanadianWolf]

Go to the ASW for each school. This should help in making a decision.

[treeey86]

Retake.

If you do not, then Emory. Biglaw Firms go slightly deeper in the Emory class. Additionally, if you strike out at OCI Emory's location in Atlanta gives you the opportunity during 2L and 3L to constantly network/work part-time at smaller firms/clerk wherever and try to procure a job that way. Not saying you could not do the same at UGA, but I know UGA current/former students who tried the same thing and the grind driving to and from Atlanta just wore them down.

Lots of Emory grads secured jobs after striking out at OCI by doing the above. Emory degree is also more portable.

[jug1489]

Definitely go UGA over Emory. Emory is simply not worth the extra money. Either school in order to land a big law job you are going to need to be in the top of the class. If you do well enough in school to land a big law job at Emory that means you also could have done so at Georgia. People get so caught up with numbers (rankings etc.) during the admissions process, but the most important number the day you graduate (And you won't truly understand this until you are required to make payments) is the amount of student loan debt that you have acquired. Emory time and again saddles people with expectations that statistically will likely not be met and debt that places an enormous burden on the student.

To sum it up: If you are good enough to get placed in an Atlanta big law job from Emory you could have gotten placed there from Georgia as well. Emory is not worth attending unless you get offered a VERY good scholarship.

[MyNameIsFlynn!]

tl;dr: Retake, go to Harvard.

Did this, would recommend. Atl wants Harvard far more than they want high grades.

OP, if you're serious about ATL BigLaw, you should retake and at least aim for Duke or UVA, if not HYS.

[splittinghairs]

tl;dr: Retake, go to Harvard.

Did this, would recommend. Atl wants Harvard far more than they want high grades.

OP, if you're serious about ATL BigLaw, you should retake and at least aim for Duke or UVA, if not HYS.

Agreed, if you want a realistic chance at ATL biglaw and specifically M&A at a bigfirm, you need to retake and get at least 170 so you can get a comfortable scholarship at Duke/UVA.

But if you must choose between the Emory and UGA, it would be foolish to pay $55,000 more for Emory just for that extra 5% in placement into bigfirm + fed clerkship. You can try to get Emory to up their scholly, otherwise graduating out of emory with $130,000 debt is foolish.