Post
by 1800calturk » Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:52 am
So I am VERY heavily leaning towards USC at this point, here's why...
- EMPLOYMENT. USC has a proven track record in terms of employment at the kind of prestigious firms I aspire to be at. Although UCI has a lot of OC buzz and a reputable faculty pulling for each student's employment, I feel that when the rubber hits the road, firms will go for the known quantity - especially if a healthy portion of their current employees are from the same school you are from. Every job I've ever gotten has been at least partly attributed to networking and my personal connections with people. I believe USC can't be beat in this regard.
- ENVIRONMENT. I am getting more and more excited about living in LA. It's one of the world's great cities, and it offers not only glitz glamor, but unlimited opportunities. You're around the entertainment industry, and the city just feels so alive. The USC campus is GORGEOUS, as are the people on it. Movies and TV shows are shot there on a regular basis. The UCI area may be cleaner and more relaxed, LA seems like the place to be for the young and ambitious.
-MOBILITY. As someone said, if you want hopes of transferring, UCI may have some problems. Also, UCI doesn't have abroad programs, which I'm not sure if I'll be interested, but at UCI it's not even an option. Further, USC is more mobile in the sense that it is more recognized in other parts of the country. Whether or not the degree carries to employment, USC Law is heard of everywhere. I also believe a USC grad will have an easier time finding work in OC, rather than a UCI grad in LA.
- OPPORTUNITY. At UCI, a big draw for me was being one of the founding classes and getting to shape the program. The problem with that is that you're personal influence is debatable, and further, you are shaping the program for future generations of UCI student. I'd like to have the opportunity to join established student groups with established connections and networks, established abroad programs and journals, which I will have the opportunity to explore and join. It's easier to influence the direction of something existing by shaping it, rather than having to create what you can from the resources available. I can still be a leader in the school's available institutions, and having all of USC's time-tested resources at my finger tips can translate to more freedom than if I was restricted by what's made available by a greenhorn institution.
- PRESTIGE. Getting into USC was a huge deal for me and my friends and family. I will readily admit that what others think of me is a factor in my ambitions, and while not my primary motivation, it just feels good when people are impressed with what you are doing with your life. UCI still has the "huh? they have a law school?" response, and since the undergrad is nothing special by UC standards, the lay-prestige is not really there. I'm also worried about the long term prestige of the school, when UCI finally hits its 300 student class sizes, standard UC scholarship practices, and loses the hype of being the new kid. Would I be bummed that the degree hanging on my wall 10 years from now isn't from USC?
Everything else - the awesomeness of professors, the friendliness of students, the collegial atmosphere and small class sizes - is pretty comparable. Obviously UCI's class sizes are tiny and you'll get a lot more personal face time with the profs, so if that is a huge factor, UCI takes the cake. However, USC's class sizes are small by most standards anyway and will stay that way. UCI is the clear winner in the $ department.
THE BOTTOM LINE
UCI is still the friendly cute one who seems very down to earth and that I'd enjoy taking strolls in the park with. UCI dotes on me and gives me a lot of good reasons to go that way. But USC is the smokin' hottie I can't believe I actually have a chance with, and also genuinely seems interested in me, although admittedly doesn't pay me as much attention. I've only just met both of them, so it's hard to judge how well I'd vibe with either for the long haul, but as of now it looks like I'll have to ask UCI if we can just be friends. I mean sure I like it, but do I like like it?