Harvard (sticker), NU ($$$$), Cornell ($$$$), Michigan ($$$), or UVA ($$$) Forum

[glitterypurple]

Edit: Removed. Thanks everyone for your input!

[UVAIce]

OP, I have prepared a complex and sophisticated grid to help you:

I even added some NPV calculations for you so you can see what kind of value you're looking at from at least one sense.

What all this leads back to is where we started. This is all about personal preference. If you really like Michigan, then get thee to Ann Arbor.

I'm not entirely sure that Michigan or UVA would really help the OP avoid NYC. OP is from the midwest, and presumably should be able to get home from any of these schools. I would assume that Northwestern would open up Chicago as an option, so that's something worth thinking about.

But what markets is UVA going to open up? I can confidently say that she would have a very tough time selling herself to Richmond firms. I would think that the same would hold true for other markets in the south (i.e. Atlanta). It seems like some people seem to think UVA has an advantage in DC, but I question the validity of that, as I'd be willing to bet that self-selection is a huge factor there. DC is very grade-selective from any non HYS school. If she really wanted DC I would tell her to go to HLS.

I'm not sure about Michigan either. Presumably Michigan's main advantage would be opening up the midwest, but OP already has strong ties there. I was under the impression that Chicago firms were pretty ties sensitive for non NW/Chicago students, but I could be wrong about this? It could be that Chicago firms are still willing to hire Michigan students without Chicago specific ties?

Edit: That being said, if OP prefers small towns, then I suppose that's a solid reason to choose Michigan or UVA. Preference for where you'll spend 3 years shouldn't be the biggest consideration when picking schools, but it is certainly worth something.

That's not really 100% true. The large firms in Richmond, which account for something like 80% of the summer class there, don't care that much that you're not from the South (or Virginia in particular). They do, however, care about grades and it can be difficult to get an offer without something bordering on top 1/4 of the class grades.

And UVA does place well into DC. Some of that is certainly self-selection, but a 1/4 of the class is going to DC and they're not just students in the top 1/4 of the class.

In the end it makes sense to weigh your debt aversion against job prospects with some weighting to preferred region going into the job prospects analysis. It's tough to beat "free" at a T-14 school (even GULC). Having no or little debt really gives you freedom in both picking where you want to start your career and how your career will progress. Yes, you'll never get to drop the H bomb on people, but some things are more important than that. But don't just pick "free" over virtually debt free.

[existentialcrisis]

OP, I have prepared a complex and sophisticated grid to help you:

I even added some NPV calculations for you so you can see what kind of value you're looking at from at least one sense.

What all this leads back to is where we started. This is all about personal preference. If you really like Michigan, then get thee to Ann Arbor.

I'm not entirely sure that Michigan or UVA would really help the OP avoid NYC. OP is from the midwest, and presumably should be able to get home from any of these schools. I would assume that Northwestern would open up Chicago as an option, so that's something worth thinking about.

But what markets is UVA going to open up? I can confidently say that she would have a very tough time selling herself to Richmond firms. I would think that the same would hold true for other markets in the south (i.e. Atlanta). It seems like some people seem to think UVA has an advantage in DC, but I question the validity of that, as I'd be willing to bet that self-selection is a huge factor there. DC is very grade-selective from any non HYS school. If she really wanted DC I would tell her to go to HLS.

I'm not sure about Michigan either. Presumably Michigan's main advantage would be opening up the midwest, but OP already has strong ties there. I was under the impression that Chicago firms were pretty ties sensitive for non NW/Chicago students, but I could be wrong about this? It could be that Chicago firms are still willing to hire Michigan students without Chicago specific ties?

Edit: That being said, if OP prefers small towns, then I suppose that's a solid reason to choose Michigan or UVA. Preference for where you'll spend 3 years shouldn't be the biggest consideration when picking schools, but it is certainly worth something.

That's not really 100% true. The large firms in Richmond, which account for something like 80% of the summer class there, don't care that much that you're not from the South (or Virginia in particular). They do, however, care about grades and it can be difficult to get an offer without something bordering on top 1/4 of the class grades.

And UVA does place well into DC. Some of that is certainly self-selection, but a 1/4 of the class is going to DC and they're not just students in the top 1/4 of the class.

In the end it makes sense to weigh your debt aversion against job prospects with some weighting to preferred region going into the job prospects analysis. It's tough to beat "free" at a T-14 school (even GULC). Having no or little debt really gives you freedom in both picking where you want to start your career and how your career will progress. Yes, you'll never get to drop the H bomb on people, but some things are more important than that. But don't just pick "free" over virtually debt free.

Did you interview in RVA? To a certain extent I'm prepared to take your word for it as a UVA student. However, I am from Virginia and go to a different T14 and got absolutely hammered about my ties at my callback interview. It may be the case that going to school ~1 hour away is enough for them.

With regards to DC, I guess I wasn't trying to say that you need to have absolutely top grades to land a DC SA. But you do need them to feel great about your chances there. Do you really think DC firms are willing to dig deeper into UVA's class than at peer schools?