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With comparable scholarships for both schools and location not an issue for either (I'm closer to Seattle but Santa Clara is closer than most schools I'm considering.) Which would you pick? I know Santa Clara has a strong IP program but i wont be pursuing that. Any input would be much appreciated.

I chose Seattle because I think the whole Silicon Valley area is really boring. Great place to raise a family/have a career and a dog, but school? I'd prefer the city life.

+1 for Seattle
Less competition compared to the Bay Area.

quickquestionthanks wrote:I chose Seattle because I think the whole Silicon Valley area is really boring. Great place to raise a family/have a career and a dog, but school? I'd prefer the city life.

I may be biased since I'm considering going to SCU, but the family/career/dog situation happens after going to school in that area.

It may not be the craziest party place, but there are certainly younger crowds out in San Jose.

Ah i was thinking the no competition thing in seattle is nice except UW could kill the chances of a seattle grad. Competition Wise Santa Clara seems to have more competition than Seattle but also a bigger market. So for all the santa clara voters is it just quality of life that is the big thing or is there something you're not telling me?

ddav87 wrote:Ah i was thinking the no competition thing in seattle is nice except UW could kill the chances of a seattle grad. Competition Wise Santa Clara seems to have more competition than Seattle but also a bigger market. So for all the santa clara voters is it just quality of life that is the big thing or is there something you're not telling me?

There is a lot of competition in the Bay Area, but San Francisco is a big legal market. I don't think all Boalt, much less Stanford, graduates stay in SF or the Bay Area (granted, some will).

Still above SCU is Hastings and Davis. However, the majority of Hastings grads seek work in San Francisco, and Davis, I believe, I similar with the addition of Sacramento. This is not to say that all of the graduates go to one place, but it is the self-selection of a goos portion of the class that has them seeking work in the area.

SCU doesn't feed, from what I understand, into the San Francisco market. SCU feeds into the Silicon Valley and South Bay (San Jose). This is a secondary, smaller market, and doesn't seem to get the attention from the San Francisco schools (since they feed the large, SF market).

I lived about 10-15 minutes north of SCU for about 6 months, and although I didn't like the quaintness while working (not much of a social life where I worked), I loved the beautiful area, the weather, and the suburb more than I have other places I've lived.

San Jose has a downtown, and there are pretty nice downtowns for a lot of the surrounding cities/suburbs. It's not going to be San Francisco, but you can make it there in about an hour from SCU.

I went to an ASD for SCU and the students all seemed to like it, and many had experience working with judges in the summers - which, from what I understand, is a beneficial resume point. I think SCU being the only school, aside from Stanford, on the peninsula/south bay, gives them a lot of opportunity to seek out placements (granted, networking was a big point at the ASD - as in, you need to do it).


I can't speak to Seattle, but people seem to think highly of it. I think this may be another case of schools be equitable enough (where any small percentage differences in placement/stats are negated by individual variance and preference). If you want to live and work in Seattle, go there. If you think you might want to live in the South Bay, go to SCU.

Great Satchmo wrote:

quickquestionthanks wrote:I chose Seattle because I think the whole Silicon Valley area is really boring. Great place to raise a family/have a career and a dog, but school? I'd prefer the city life.

I may be biased since I'm considering going to SCU, but the family/career/dog situation happens after going to school in that area.

It may not be the craziest party place, but there are certainly younger crowds out in San Jose.

This is true. But the surrounding areas of Seattle are quite nice. So with the city life, waterfront, and suburbs, it's overall a more diverse place. My professional interests lie in high tech, so personally, SCU will be in my top 2-3 if I am accepted.

For what it's worth, the bar passage rate of SCU is surprisingly low. True, that California's exam is difficult, but perhaps this is evidence that Santa Clara is a bit too relaxing.

After reading all your comments it seems to come down to preference in where i want to live. Well I'm from about an hour from Seattle and much more familiar with the city and area so unless anyone has any other things to throw in i think I'll withdraw from Santa Clara by Friday.

ddav87 wrote:After reading all your comments it seems to come down to preference in where i want to live. Well I'm from about an hour from Seattle and much more familiar with the city and area so unless anyone has any other things to throw in i think I'll withdraw from Santa Clara by Friday.

Yeah, trust your instincts. It's worth it to visit, if you haven't, and decide where you would rather spend the next 3 years.

ddav87 wrote:After reading all your comments it seems to come down to preference in where i want to live. Well I'm from about an hour from Seattle and much more familiar with the city and area so unless anyone has any other things to throw in i think I'll withdraw from Santa Clara by Friday.

And ya know, that's probably as sure as it'll get in this situation.

Unless you have some drive to try living in a new place versus a place you know that you like, it just doesn't seem like a great idea to pick up and move.