Iowa (sticker w/ in-state after 1L) vs Wisconsin ($) Forum

[ToTransferOrNot]

I don't like walking to school in sub-0 degree weather...

Welcome to the Upper Midwest. I can't wait to get back and do exactly that.

Yea I did it for 4 years as an undergrad at Northwestern...I was hoping grad school might be more car-friendly, but perhaps not on the tiny isthmus of Madison (is that the actual isthmus' name?)

/facepalm

[Regionality]

I don't like walking to school in sub-0 degree weather...

Welcome to the Upper Midwest. I can't wait to get back and do exactly that.

Yea I did it for 4 years as an undergrad at Northwestern...I was hoping grad school might be more car-friendly, but perhaps not on the tiny isthmus of Madison (is that the actual isthmus' name?)

/facepalm

I don't speak cyber-sign language...

[ToTransferOrNot]

Madison... is the capital of the state of Wisconsin... not the name of the trip of land that is in the middle of the city. Thus the series of lulz.

[Regionality]

Madison... is the capital of the state of Wisconsin... not the name of the trip of land that is in the middle of the city. Thus the series of lulz.

lol. Yea man, I know this. I was referring to the isthmus and realized its name might not be Madison...just like Daly City in California is on the San Francisco peninsula. Geological name doesn't always equal political name...

[ToTransferOrNot]

Oh, I see.

Well, now I'm embarassed.

[Regionality]

Oh, I see.

Well, now I'm embarassed.

S'coo

[traehekat]

Go to Iowa.

/thread
/drunk

...

[OnWisconsin]

I don't like walking to school in sub-0 degree weather...but I guess if I get close enough that wouldn't be too big a deal. Decent 1 bedroom apt w/in walking distance to the law school for less than 700/month possible?

Sorry about the delay in answer.

Finding something in that price range should not be a problem.

For the best deals, look out by the engineering campus (out by Camp Randall). It's a hike (to say the least) but you'll be rewarded with affordable houses that have been converted into duplex/English style flats. The UG presence out there is not as great and of those that are out there they're for the most part engineering kids (see studious ie Nerds ie quiet).

Stay off Mifflin, off Langdon (Frat row) and out of any of the high rise looking places. All are party central regardless of time, day, classes, etc.

All of this is based on price of a single w/o a roomate. Grab yourself a roomy and your options open even further and the price will drop.

Another place to look is East of Langdon on Gillman, Gorham, and Johnson (and their associated cross streets). Very cool area with a good sense of community. Low rent, interesting spaces, and mainly Grad students. Plus the walk is no where near as far.

[daddymike]

OP, you may as well flip a coin. That's how much thought you should be putting into this...




UNLESS, you are dead-set on practicing a specific kind of law. Then you should check the faculty to see who specializes in what. I mean, for Anti-trust, you simply can't beat studying under Herbert Hovenkamp at Iowa. I'm sure Wisco has some specialized faculty, as well. Good luck!

[Regionality]

OP, you may as well flip a coin. That's how much thought you should be putting into this...

UNLESS, you are dead-set on practicing a specific kind of law. Then you should check the faculty to see who specializes in what. I mean, for Anti-trust, you simply can't beat studying under Herbert Hovenkamp at Iowa. I'm sure Wisco has some specialized faculty, as well. Good luck!

I don't know if you are trivializing the decision or legitimately think they are 100% equal in every respect (and my specific mitigating factors reinforce this equality)...but either way, your post proved entirely useless

[traehekat]

OP, you may as well flip a coin. That's how much thought you should be putting into this...

UNLESS, you are dead-set on practicing a specific kind of law. Then you should check the faculty to see who specializes in what. I mean, for Anti-trust, you simply can't beat studying under Herbert Hovenkamp at Iowa. I'm sure Wisco has some specialized faculty, as well. Good luck!

I don't know if you are trivializing the decision or legitimately think they are 100% equal in every respect (and my specific mitigating factors reinforce this equality)...but either way, your post proved entirely useless

I think all he is trying to say, like pretty much everyone else, is that this is a toss up. You can't go wrong either way, really, especially in reference to job prospects since that is all that really matters anyway.

He actually did give you some solid advice on looking into faculty specializations. If you are interested in a specific area of the law and either Wisconsin or Iowa has a professor or two that is really a superstar in that field, gaining a mentor like that can be pretty invaluable. Although, most prospective law students either don't have a very clear idea of what area of law they want to specialize in (if they want to specialize at all), or they end up changing their minds once they get into law school anyway. In which case, you are back to square one, flipping a coin as daddymike, myself, and others (half) jokingly suggested.

[Regionality]

OP, you may as well flip a coin. That's how much thought you should be putting into this...

UNLESS, you are dead-set on practicing a specific kind of law. Then you should check the faculty to see who specializes in what. I mean, for Anti-trust, you simply can't beat studying under Herbert Hovenkamp at Iowa. I'm sure Wisco has some specialized faculty, as well. Good luck!

I don't know if you are trivializing the decision or legitimately think they are 100% equal in every respect (and my specific mitigating factors reinforce this equality)...but either way, your post proved entirely useless

I think all he is trying to say, like pretty much everyone else, is that this is a toss up. You can't go wrong either way, really, especially in reference to job prospects since that is all that really matters anyway.

He actually did give you some solid advice on looking into faculty specializations. If you are interested in a specific area of the law and either Wisconsin or Iowa has a professor or two that is really a superstar in that field, gaining a mentor like that can be pretty invaluable. Although, most prospective law students either don't have a very clear idea of what area of law they want to specialize in (if they want to specialize at all), or they end up changing their minds once they get into law school anyway. In which case, you are back to square one, flipping a coin as daddymike, myself, and others (half) jokingly suggested.

FUUUUUU

[daddymike]

OP, you may as well flip a coin. That's how much thought you should be putting into this...

UNLESS, you are dead-set on practicing a specific kind of law. Then you should check the faculty to see who specializes in what. I mean, for Anti-trust, you simply can't beat studying under Herbert Hovenkamp at Iowa. I'm sure Wisco has some specialized faculty, as well. Good luck!

I don't know if you are trivializing the decision or legitimately think they are 100% equal in every respect (and my specific mitigating factors reinforce this equality)...but either way, your post proved entirely useless

Disappointing.

[Regionality]

OP, you may as well flip a coin. That's how much thought you should be putting into this...

UNLESS, you are dead-set on practicing a specific kind of law. Then you should check the faculty to see who specializes in what. I mean, for Anti-trust, you simply can't beat studying under Herbert Hovenkamp at Iowa. I'm sure Wisco has some specialized faculty, as well. Good luck!

I don't know if you are trivializing the decision or legitimately think they are 100% equal in every respect (and my specific mitigating factors reinforce this equality)...but either way, your post proved entirely useless

Disappointing.

Yea, I was harsh...I just hadn't been coming to a decision and as much as I would like to flip a coin, I don't see myself literally doing that...not even a large coin, or a silver dollar, a Sacajawea, or an ancient Roman one...I wouldn't even flip one of those fancy coins they flip during the super bowl where they actually have to explain which side is heads and which is tails to the dense football players.

So...I'm gonna see if Iowa will match Wisconsin. If they won't, and I don't get in to any of my waitlists, I'll go to Wisconsin because I like that it's the same cost without forcing me to do anything...and I like Wisconsin as a state more than Iowa...

[Slimpee]

Hi all....

So Wisconsin emailed me a potential game-changer today and offered me a 21k scholarship (over 3 years), no stipulations. Previously I had been trying to decide between Iowa and W&L...but after my previous thread I had narrowed it down to Iowa...

Now I receive a scholarship offer from Wisconsin reducing my total three year tuition to about 88k.

The deal with Iowa is that an out-of-stater must pay the larger tuition their first year, but during their 2L and 3L years can get in-state tuition if they work quarter-time as a research assistant, bringing their tuition down from 40k/yr to 22k/yr...

Basically, if I do the math now, the cost of total tuition is roughly equal: 88k for Wisconsin, 85k for Iowa...PLUS I don't have to do 10hrs/wk of work at Wisconsin, and the tuition is guaranteed...however I would be making and saving more than this at Iowa b/c of hourly wages and reduced health insurance costs (to the tune of about 4k/yr)

I'm very confused...input between the two schools' job prospects? location? national reach? Which financial deal is better?

Hey, would you mind posting or PM'ing me your numbers? Thanks!

[Regionality]

Hi all....

So Wisconsin emailed me a potential game-changer today and offered me a 21k scholarship (over 3 years), no stipulations. Previously I had been trying to decide between Iowa and W&L...but after my previous thread I had narrowed it down to Iowa...

Now I receive a scholarship offer from Wisconsin reducing my total three year tuition to about 88k.

The deal with Iowa is that an out-of-stater must pay the larger tuition their first year, but during their 2L and 3L years can get in-state tuition if they work quarter-time as a research assistant, bringing their tuition down from 40k/yr to 22k/yr...

Basically, if I do the math now, the cost of total tuition is roughly equal: 88k for Wisconsin, 85k for Iowa...PLUS I don't have to do 10hrs/wk of work at Wisconsin, and the tuition is guaranteed...however I would be making and saving more than this at Iowa b/c of hourly wages and reduced health insurance costs (to the tune of about 4k/yr)

I'm very confused...input between the two schools' job prospects? location? national reach? Which financial deal is better?

Hey, would you mind posting or PM'ing me your numbers? Thanks!

PMed

[Regionality]

If not Chicago, then Wisco = Wisconsin/Minnesota/non-Chicago Illinois.
If not Chicago, then Iowa = Iowa/Nebraska/non-Chicago Illinois/marginal shot at Arizona.

Well, I don't want to BE in Iowa, Nebraska or Arizona (wtf?)
I wouldn't mind Wisconsin...and I've never been to Minnesota, though it sounds like an even colder version of Wisconsin.

So yea, I'm leaning Wisconsin.

[traehekat]

If not Chicago, then Iowa = Iowa/Nebraska/non-Chicago Illinois/marginal shot at Arizona.

I think that kind of understates Iowa's placement. Usually about 2/3 of the graduating class find work outside of Iowa in a lot of different Midwest cities - Chicago, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Omaha, etc. Iowa graduates are kind of all over the Midwest because I think Iowa students actually come from all over the Midwest and then return to their home markets. Even in this economy, I don't think graduates are limited to just Iowa, Nebraska, or non-Chicago Illinois. Obviously, Wisconsin is going to out place Iowa in Milwaukee, Madison, Minnesota, and perhaps Chicago (and if that is where you want to practice, Regionality, then Wisconsin is clearly your best bet), but I think you have a few more options as an Iowa graduate. I will admit the one thing that has always worried me about Iowa is the lack of a relatively big home market, but from what I have been told it is nothing to worry about, and if you really want a "fall back" market, then Omaha is the place because they love Iowa graduates.

[Regionality]

If not Chicago, then Iowa = Iowa/Nebraska/non-Chicago Illinois/marginal shot at Arizona.

I think that kind of understates Iowa's placement. Usually about 2/3 of the graduating class find work outside of Iowa in a lot of different Midwest cities - Chicago, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Omaha, etc. Iowa graduates are kind of all over the Midwest because I think Iowa students actually come from all over the Midwest and then return to their home markets. Even in this economy, I don't think graduates are limited to just Iowa, Nebraska, or non-Chicago Illinois. Obviously, Wisconsin is going to out place Iowa in Milwaukee, Madison, Minnesota, and perhaps Chicago (and if that is where you want to practice, Regionality, then Wisconsin is clearly your best bet), but I think you have a few more options as an Iowa graduate. I will admit the one thing that has always worried me about Iowa is the lack of a relatively big home market, but from what I have been told it is nothing to worry about, and if you really want a "fall back" market, then Omaha is the place because they love Iowa graduates.

I really appreciate this and everyone in this thread chiming in with what I can expect from each school. I think in the end, given that the costs are the same, I'm leaning Wisconsin. I like its home market better, I would love to get into Chicago (big law is not a concern...just a job in the city is cool), Madison sounds amazing, and I wouldn't be forced to work 10 hrs/wk to get the tuition reduction.

No longer a coin toss! Both sides have a big badger on them!

[Regionality]

haha...I think I'll give Iowa a call today and see what they say. If I am forced to work in the state of my law school because the economy is so bad that getting a job out of the state is impossible, I would rather work in Wisconsin for 2 reasons: 1) Wisconsin > Iowa in terms of interesting places (Madison, Milwaukee, and I love Door County...haha)...2) Wisconsin grads don't need to pass the Wisconsin bar...HELLO party-time 3L!

I have definitely heard that Wisconsin's law school is a bit run down...but that the law library is fantastic-- a beautiful 3 story windowed building overlooking the central "hill" on campus? That sounds like a nice place to study during a winter blizzard.

How much more is COL in Madison than Iowa City?

+1 on the first part.

Having visited both Iowa and Wisconsin in the past year, neither is more rundown than the other. I preferred Wisconsin's law building actually. The library is pretty fantastic. So are their clinics from what I could gather.

I think Iowa's COL is slightly cheaper than Madison's. With Iowa you can get a little closer to the law building for the price compared to Madison. If you can find a place on a bus route though, Madison won't be too bad. I wouldn't recommend walking too far in a Wisconsin winter unless you've grown up in cold weather though. Also, Madison is beautiful and has great character.

(FWIW, I looked seriously at both schools. I accepted at Wisconsin last cycle, deferred matriculation for a year and then withdrew this past October to apply elsewhere. I just didn't feel like Wisconsin offered the career prospects I wanted for the price (no scholarships despite being above the 75th percentile). I applied to Iowa this cycle and ultimately turned Iowa down for the same reason.)

So where are you headed? Also, do Wisconsin law students get to park near the law school if they have a car (and are willing to pay for a parking permit? How much is it?)

Parking is expensive and nonexistent. That being said it won’t matter. Madison has a great public transportation system that you’ll never need to utilize. More than likely you will end up living within a close enough proximity that walking, riding a bike, or taking a dog sled in the winter will more than suffice.

Oh, and I prefer cross-country ski's to dog sleds...I'd feel guilty leaving the dogs outside while I'm studying until 2am at the library.

[Regionality]

Does anyone know what the difference in IBR is between Iowa and Wisconsin? Where can I find this info?

[webbylu87]

Does anyone know what the difference in IBR is between Iowa and Wisconsin? Where can I find this info?

?

[Regionality]

Does anyone know what the difference in IBR is between Iowa and Wisconsin? Where can I find this info?

?

Income Based Repayment...why am I confusing?

[webbylu87]

Does anyone know what the difference in IBR is between Iowa and Wisconsin? Where can I find this info?

?

Income Based Repayment...why am I confusing?

Sorry, I guess I should've elaborated. I'm not sure of the question. IBR is a federal program so it doesn't depend on the school at all.

[Regionality]

Does anyone know what the difference in IBR is between Iowa and Wisconsin? Where can I find this info?

?

Income Based Repayment...why am I confusing?

Sorry, I guess I should've elaborated. I'm not sure of the question. IBR is a federal program so it doesn't depend on the school at all.

I guess I meant IBR and the schools' equivalents...people are always comparing and contrasting different schools public-interest loan repayment assistance programs. Aren't there differences in execution, amount, requirements, etc?