Georgia v. Georgia State Forum

ATLaw13 · Post by **ATLaw13** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:10 pm

From GA and seriously considering GA and GA State. Have been accepted to both. I'm also waiting to hear back from Vanderbilt and Emory, but I don't really want to go into $100,000+ debt. I double majored, had a 3.75 GPA and two LSAT scores (152 & 165), but I don't think that's going to be good enough to get serious money from either Vandy or Emory. I received an offer from UGA for 12,500/yr (which almost covers COL), and I am assuming that I will get a full ride or close from GA State. I'm not set on Biglaw and would be happy working in gov't for at least a few years. I also want to be in Atlanta after I graduate. So, with UGA COA at about 65k and GA State at 50k (assuming a full scholarship or close to it), which would you choose? Just a few things to consider, GA State will have a brand new school by the time I start and is based in Atlanta. I am currently working in Atlanta and I don't really want to leave for 3 years, but I would go to UGA if my prospects of getting a job after law school would significantly improve by doing so.

Bonus question - With Vanderbilt and Emory at around 200k COA, how much money would it take to choose either over UGA or GA State?

MarkfromWI · Post by **MarkfromWI** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:25 pm

ATLaw13 wrote:From GA and seriously considering GA and GA State. Have been accepted to both. I'm also waiting to hear back from Vanderbilt and Emory, but I don't really want to go into $100,000+ debt. I double majored, had a 3.75 GPA and two LSAT scores (152 & 165), but I don't think that's going to be good enough to get serious money from either Vandy or Emory. I received an offer from UGA for 12,500/yr (which almost covers COL), and I am assuming that I will get a full ride or close from GA State. I'm not set on Biglaw and would be happy working in gov't for at least a few years. I also want to be in Atlanta after I graduate. So, with UGA COA at about 65k and GA State at 50k (assuming a full scholarship or close to it), which would you choose? Just a few things to consider, GA State will have a brand new school by the time I start and is based in Atlanta. I am currently working in Atlanta and I don't really want to leave for 3 years, but I would go to UGA if my prospects of getting a job after law school would significantly improve by doing so.

Bonus question - With Vanderbilt and Emory at around 200k COA, how much money would it take to choose either over UGA or GA State?

I have no knowledge of the GA market, but in general terms, I think an extra $15k for the state flagship is worth it over GA State. The fact that GA State will be in a new building should have zero influence on your decision- New buildings are nice but they do nothing for job placement.

Winston1984 · Post by **Winston1984** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:37 pm

I would take UGA here. And no Vandy/Emory are not worth that much. Honestly, I don't think Emory is worth much more than UGA. Vandy is, but not that much more.

Also, you should change your thinking about biglaw. If you want it, you need to go to a different school. If you don't, UGA is a very solid option.

ATLaw13 · Post by **ATLaw13** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:51 pm

If I was top 10-15% of my class I would go for Biglaw, but like I said I'm not set on it and would be willing to work in gov't/politics or at mid-size firm.

While looking at each school's website I noticed that GA State has externships that you can do during the fall and spring semesters at places in Atlanta like the CDC, Greenlaw, Dept. of Natural Resources, etc. Would these programs help at all in finding job after law school? Being that UGA is in Athens I would not have these opportunities and just wondering if externships would make GA State worth it. One of my undergrad degrees was in Bio, and I was thinking about trying to build off that by specializing in environmental or health law.

runinthefront · Post by **runinthefront** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:52 pm

UGA by a mile

JerryLundegard · Post by **JerryLundegard** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 1:02 pm

I would say UGA as well but to playus devils advocate( my ex girlfriend and a ton of her friends went to UGA) GA State tends to do better in the Atlanta market. So anywhere else in Georgia-UGA....Atl though is a wash maybe a slight edge to GA ST

redsoxfan1989 · Post by **redsoxfan1989** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 1:21 pm

GA State should only be in the conversation if you are going part-time. It's one of the best PT programs out there.

gregfootball2001 · Post by **gregfootball2001** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 6:57 pm

JerryLundegard wrote:I would say UGA as well but to playus devils advocate( my ex girlfriend and a ton of her friends went to UGA) GA State tends to do better in the Atlanta market. So anywhere else in Georgia-UGA....Atl though is a wash maybe a slight edge to GA ST

Whoa there tex - that's really really not true. Most of the biglaw firms hire a few from Georgia, a few from Emory, a few from t-14s, and then maybe have a spot for a GA State person. GA State is a fine school, and if you rock it you can get biglaw, but way more of the class gets that kind of employment from Georgia.

jbagelboy · Post by **jbagelboy** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:55 pm

Voted UGA. Good value for your goals.

sundontshine · Post by **sundontshine** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 7:11 pm

ATLaw13 wrote:While looking at each school's website I noticed that GA State has externships that you can do during the fall and spring semesters at places in Atlanta like the CDC, Greenlaw, Dept. of Natural Resources, etc. Would these programs help at all in finding job after law school? Being that UGA is in Athens I would not have these opportunities and just wondering if externships would make GA State worth it.

For what it's worth, UGA has similar externships that people do all the time. It just requires some planning of your schedule so that you have time a couple days a week to drive into Atlanta.

Hutz_and_Goodman · Post by **Hutz_and_Goodman** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 7:16 pm

jbagelboy wrote:Voted UGA. Good value for your goals.

BigZuck · Post by **BigZuck** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:34 am

Hutz_and_Goodman wrote:
jbagelboy wrote:Voted UGA. Good value for your goals.

I agree

I do think that the "I'm ok without big law, would like to work in government, maybe mid law, environmental law would be cool" thing is a bit of an issue. Not because that's not a normal thought, but just because a school like UGA is going to be pretty limiting most likely and you really need to know what it is that your student loans will be paying for. As of now the OP doesn't really have any goals besides geographic location, which I don't think is the end of the world, just that the OP needs to realize what types of jobs will likely be open to him/her and which kinds of jobs will be foreclosed to him/her.

If that looks good, then go for it.

applicant4321 · Post by **applicant4321** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:18 am

I have heard from many attorneys in Georgia that if you're planning on working in Atlanta that GA State is the place to go because you will have three years to network in Atlanta. Of course UGA is a great school, but you will be in Athens for three years and won't have the same leg up as graduates from GA State. UGA may offer you more opportunities for what kind of law you want to practice but don't count State out just based on rank.

ATLaw13 · Post by **ATLaw13** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 9:38 am

Does anyone know what would account for Georgia State having a higher employment score than UGA (and by a large margin for that matter). On the new rankings by USNWR UGA is at a mere 51.7% while Georgia State is at 70.8%

BigZuck · Post by **BigZuck** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 9:42 am

ATLaw13 wrote:Does anyone know what would account for Georgia State having a higher employment score than UGA (and by a large margin for that matter). On the new rankings by USNWR UGA is at a mere 51.7% while Georgia State is at 70.8%

US News doesn't matter, I wouldn't spend any time trying to decipher what they say

Law school transparency has UGA at 68% and Georgia State at 60%

ATLaw13 · Post by **ATLaw13** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 9:58 am

BigZuck wrote:
ATLaw13 wrote:Does anyone know what would account for Georgia State having a higher employment score than UGA (and by a large margin for that matter). On the new rankings by USNWR UGA is at a mere 51.7% while Georgia State is at 70.8%
US News doesn't matter, I wouldn't spend any time trying to decipher what they say

Law school transparency has UGA at 68% and Georgia State at 60%

That's what I assumed. Thanks for the resource.

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