Wake Forest vs Arizona State Forum

[vikspeed]

Okay...I am choosing between Wake Forest University and Arizona State University. My first thought is to go to Wake Forest. However, I did live in Arizona in '99 and '00 and enjoyed it (not sure if I still will, but I at least think I will; also still have some friends/acquaintances there). I've always considered moving there, but I am originally from TN. North Carolina is very similar, and I don't think I would have any problem living in NC. To me, Wake Forest seems like the better school, even with ASU's recent jump in the ratings. Yet, if ASU does in fact allow me to become a resident for years 2 and 3 (as they advertise in the pamphlet they sent me), it would be quite a bargain. Regardless, I feel like I am leaning Wake Forest (gut)--despite my ties to and past enjoyment of Arizona. Obviously, I want to consider return on investment as well (which school will provide the best opportunities for me). I prefer a smaller class size, and they both offer that. I did go to a private school in undergrad and had a great time. I loved the diversity that private schools seem to have. I have never attended a state university.

Wake Forest Tuition: $36,514 - $20,000
Arizona State Tuition: $32,619 Out-of-State
$19,225 In-State

Wake Forest Tuition (3 Yrs): $49,542 + lower COL
Arizona State Tuition (3 Yrs): $26,069 (assuming in-state status acquired) + higher COL

Thoughts?

[DerrickRose]

One thing I would say about Arizona State, make sure they wouldn't pro-rate your scholarship when you go in-state. U of A told me they would do that, which wasn't a smart move by them because I might well be in Tucson right now if they hadn't. That would add to the ASU costs.

Oh, and another thing I would mention about Arizona State:
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[moandersen]

I loved the diversity that private schools seem to have. I have never attended a state university.

I went to a couple private schools for ug - maybe we are thinking of 'diversity' in different terms. Look at the wake 2010 thread, we have discussed (the lack of) diversity a little.

[vikspeed]

I guess my undergrad was more diverse than most, then.

[vikspeed]

Only 7 votes?

[kalvano]

Wake. Because I wouldn't want to live in Arizona.

[Luis Gomez]

Wake

[vikspeed]

For those who say Wake, reasoning?
For those who say ASU, reasoning?
(...and please, other than b/c the girls are hot; while that might be nice, that would not be why I chose to go to law school [and I prefer mature adults {I'm not talking 40 yr olds either} rather than the young party scene {you know, just turned 21 or 18 and away from home crap}])

[vikspeed]

? 50/50 ?

[MentalGopher]

I actually voted for Arizona State. Before I explain to you why, you might want to know that you're going to have a hell of a time getting in-state status if you're coming from another state. I'm an alumna of their undergrad program who had to go through enough flaming hoops to last Ringling Brothers for at least a decade. But with a lot of yelling, multiple utterances of the word 'lawsuit,' and doing a lot of the stuff that most states require for residency, I did it and ended up being the only one of my friends without any debt when I graduated. (Actually, they were paying me to go to school there by sophomore year of UG.)

That said, Arizona State is the better school for a lot of their programs. Plus, they're constantly going up in rankings and if you want to practice in Phoenix or in most of the Southwest, it's a pretty good school for it.
Also, if you look really hard, you can probably pull off a cost-of-living equal to what you'd have in Wake Forest.

The one major con I can think of about ASU is the distance you'll probably have to live from the campus in order to get a lower cost of living. The cheapest housing is usually in the west suburbs of Phoenix (Glendale, Peoria, Surprise). The law school is in Tempe, which is a pretty good distance from the west side. Mass transit out here is a joke unless you're lucky enough to live on or around one of the major arteries of the city (Scottsdale/Rural Road being the best for direct access to ASU).

But, I don't know what type of law you're looking to practice. Wake Forest would probably be better for some types, including what I'm going into. From what I could tell, if you're planning on corporate law or taxation, you'd most likely be better off at Wake Forest. But if you're going into something involving more science (biotechnology, health care, environmental), then ASU's the better school for you.

[Favor2010]

Wake is a great school overall.
In-state status is rarely guaranteed. There is,also, the likelihood that your scholarship to ASU would decrease, if you were granted in-state tuition.
IMO you should go with your gut and Go to Wake. Good luck making a decision.

[MentalGopher]

Wake is a great school overall.
In-state status is rarely guaranteed. There is,also, the likelihood that your scholarship to ASU would decrease, if you were granted in-state tuition.
IMO you should go with your gut and Go to Wake. Good luck making a decision.

Being the tightwads that they are with granting in-state status, they're actually really good about not lowering their scholarships for people who end up getting it. (At least, that was what their undergrad was like. SDO might be a little bit different.) Just thought I should tell you that.

[vikspeed]

Thanks for the help. Can't believe the poll has stayed 50/50, though.

[fwaam]

I voted for Wake because you say that's what your gut is telling you. It's not a huge price difference (especially if you don't get in-state in AR as soon as you think you will; how would the costs come out in that case?), so I'd say go with the school you like better.

[vikspeed]

Yeah, my gut says Wake, but my head says Arizona. I loved living there, albeit 10 yrs ago.