Mich vs Vandy $$ vs UF $$$ Forum

[flcath]

so what makes it so prestigious?

Partly academic selectivity (does it seem hypocritical to you that a school like this still relies--heavily, it seems--on the SAT?),

partly for just being eccentric (I think the latter is a bad/neutral thing when a school isn't selective, but becomes really posh when it is),

and partly because of the inordinate number of kids who forgo Ivy League acceptances to go there (PR claimed a figure of 40% back in 04/05, and I, for one, knew a kid from my conservative boarding school in TN who turned down Princeton to go there).

Edit: and I'm not claiming the school's Oxford or anything, I'm just saying everyone that knows of both thinks that New is the better school. I doubt anyone at UF really cares, as the school is renown for being bizarre.

New College was rated by Princeton review as the pot-smokingest school a couple years ago. I guess that's because that and other drugs are the only things to do in Sarasota, FL hah.

This is totally uniformed. If you like old people there are literally hundreds of thousands of things to do in Sarasota, FL (municipal tagline: "America's elephant graveyard").

[Grizz]

This is totally uniformed. If you like old people there are literally hundreds of thousands of things to do in Sarasota, FL (municipal tagline: "America's elephant graveyard").

I suppose one could go to Selby Botanical Gardens, Ringling Museum, and the Car Museum over and over haha.

I went out in Sarasota once, and there were scads of old folks, as you point out.

[CyLaw]

who's the first?

New College

Edit: the place makes Berkeley look like a Sarah Palin rally, though.

Man. I have been out of Florida a long time if New College is prestigious now.

I remember being at USF when New College separated from USF.

[keg411]

I went to school in FL and I heard of New College (mostly from people in the arts; knew one girl who tranferred from there and was like a junior at 17).

Taking the full ride is tempting, but from what I've heard is that UF, while underrated nationally, is overrated in Florida and UF/FSU/UM are really more peers than UF would have you think (I get where you're coming with the football rivalries... HATE those Gators!). The only way you should go to UF is if you definitely want to stay in Florida. If you think you don't (and want mobility) and want to give something like BigLaw a try, you should go to Mich. Vandy is interesting, and I wouldn't necessarily toss it out of consideration, but I'd think the debt for Michigan is overall more worth it than the debt for Vandy just because the big $$$ opportunities are there.

Have you visited all three schools? You can always wait until after the ASW's to make your decision.

[rockchalk86]

Florida is a definite no. If you get serious $$ at Vandy and not Michigan , go with Vandy. If you don't, Michigan is the clear choice. Michigan has one of the most portable degrees of all the T14 considering so few people actually work in Michigan. Plus... who wouldn't want to go to Michigan?

[JMBrown32]

While I'm considering UF myself, you would be crazy to take UF over Vandy. I live in the south now and I know quite a few college students/recent grads who literally think Vandy is an Ivy league school.. That school has a ton of prestige in the south, probably more than even Mich.

[The Zeppelin]

Why would you apply to UF if you hate it so much?

[JMBrown32]

Why would you apply to UF if you hate it so much?

Is that question directed at me? If so, because I'm a Florida resident and I want to practice tax law, possibly in the state of Florida, and with my numbers, UF is my best bet if I decide to live in Florida (which I'm leaning against at this point).

Also, I don't hate UF at all; I just understand that Vandy has a WAY better rep and way more mobility.

[FlightoftheEarls]

While I'm considering UF myself, you would be crazy to take UF over Vandy. I live in the south now and I know quite a few college students/recent grads who literally think Vandy is an Ivy league school.. That school has a ton of prestige in the south, probably more than even Mich.

Lay prestige means very little when you're trying to land a firm job. Or pretty much any legal job. I agree with your point though - I'd take Vandy with a small scholarship over UF full ride myself unless I had no intention of leaving Florida, but I'd also choose Michigan out of the three. And I'm also biased.