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I am trying to decide between two T14 schools ranked about 4-5 spaces apart. I prefer the location of the lower-ranked school, but I also find that I am heavily influenced by the fact that I know people at the school and in the city already. I also have a friend who is moving there (not a law student), whom I've lived with before, and would like to live with in this city. We have a great room mate relationship and it would lower my cost of living significantly. She is a working professional and would pay the bulk of our rent to have the slightly larger room in a 2BR apartment. I am borrowing the full COA at both schools, so this helps a lot. I am a very social person, and while I wouldn't want to live with a stranger, I know that I'll be less stressed and have better grades if I can get away from law school and have my social network there to support me. The higher-ranked school is much further from anyone I know, and a plane ride away from home, as opposed to the short train ride from the lower-ranked school.

Any thoughts?

WhyBother? wrote:I am trying to decide between two T14 schools ranked about 4-5 spaces apart. I prefer the location of the lower-ranked school, but I also find that I am heavily influenced by the fact that I know people at the school and in the city already. I also have a friend who is moving there (not a law student), whom I've lived with before, and would like to live with in this city. We have a great room mate relationship and it would lower my cost of living significantly. She is a working professional and would pay the bulk of our rent to have the slightly larger room in a 2BR apartment. I am borrowing the full COA at both schools, so this helps a lot. I am a very social person, and while I wouldn't want to live with a stranger, I know that I'll be less stressed and have better grades if I can get away from law school and have my social network there to support me. The higher-ranked school is much further from anyone I know, and a plane ride away from home, as opposed to the short train ride from the lower-ranked school.

Any thoughts?

It sounds like you want someone to reassure you that you should go to the lower ranked school where you will have an established support network. If that's truly what you want, then I say go for it. Rankings matter, but you're not talking about Penn vs Penn State. If you want to go to a lower ranked T14 in a city you like with people you can count on and, as you state, will likely be happier and more likely to succeed (although this last point is a bit of a gamble) then do it. Also, if you're debating between Yale and NYU, please let us know.

Knowing the schools you are deciding between would be helpful. If the savings at the lower ranked school isn't that significant then go to the higher ranked school.

Billy Blanks wrote:

WhyBother? wrote:I am trying to decide between two T14 schools ranked about 4-5 spaces apart. I prefer the location of the lower-ranked school, but I also find that I am heavily influenced by the fact that I know people at the school and in the city already. I also have a friend who is moving there (not a law student), whom I've lived with before, and would like to live with in this city. We have a great room mate relationship and it would lower my cost of living significantly. She is a working professional and would pay the bulk of our rent to have the slightly larger room in a 2BR apartment. I am borrowing the full COA at both schools, so this helps a lot. I am a very social person, and while I wouldn't want to live with a stranger, I know that I'll be less stressed and have better grades if I can get away from law school and have my social network there to support me. The higher-ranked school is much further from anyone I know, and a plane ride away from home, as opposed to the short train ride from the lower-ranked school.

Any thoughts?

It sounds like you want someone to reassure you that you should go to the lower ranked school where you will have an established support network. If that's truly what you want, then I say go for it. Rankings matter, but you're not talking about Penn vs Penn State. If you want to go to a lower ranked T14 in a city you like with people you can count on and, as you state, will likely be happier and more likely to succeed (although this last point is a bit of a gamble) then do it. Also, if you're debating between Yale and NYU, please let us know.

It's not Yale/NYU. It's the difference between a T10 and a T14, though. And I would prefer honest opinions to just reassuring me, although I guess you picked up that I am nervous to move very far away.

Which two schools?

Penn vs Duke, no big deal.

Stanford vs Penn, big deal.

If the schools are peers, not only do I not see a problem with considering comfort factors, I highly recommend it. You can definitely put a price on the happiness of three years of your life (and potentially beyond, depends on your plans after school). Not to mention the effect happiness can have on your productivity.

Of course, the "if the schools are peers" is a pretty big caveat. If they aren't, which your post indicates might be the case, things get a little dicey.

Deleted.

just go to GULC if you like it that much.

Thanks, FMC.

Would you let platonic relationships influence your choice?

Um...no?

In your previous posts, you say the Gtown offer is for part time. If this is UVA or Michigan versus Georgetown part-time, I can't think of any situation in which I would choose Georgetown part-time.

It's not part-time.

holydonkey wrote:In your previous posts, you say the Gtown offer is for part time. If this is UVA or Michigan versus Georgetown part-time, I can't think of any situation in which I would choose Georgetown part-time.

Also said the other school was a plane ride away from home which should put at least UVA out of the equation.

missvik218 wrote:

holydonkey wrote:In your previous posts, you say the Gtown offer is for part time. If this is UVA or Michigan versus Georgetown part-time, I can't think of any situation in which I would choose Georgetown part-time.

Also said the other school was a plane ride away from home which should put at least UVA out of the equation.

So Mich full-time vs. Gtown full-time. Meh, if you know you want to work in DC, I could see picking Gtown. If you might want NYC, Chicago or Cali, I'd pick Michigan. Georgetown's not a bad choice though.

You really need to make this decision based on what you want to do after law school. If you want to go to Government/DC Biglaw, GULC is fantastic, and I would maybe pick this over Virginia in your situation. If you want to go to NYC Biglaw, you can't do much better than Cornell. If you want to work in California, you need to go to GULC/Virginia/Michigan if you didn't get into Berkeley and you don't want to go to UCLA. For Chicago, you need to go to Northwestern/Michigan if you didn't get into UofC, Harvard or Yale. Basically, you need to make this decision based on where you see yourself after you graduate. If the two schools are equal for what you want to do, then definitely take the lower-ranking school if it means you will be happier.

Thanks, everyone!

A built in support network is not trivial and might be the most important thing in the world. Given that you're not sacrificing a significant amount of prestige in taking the lower ranked school, my thoughts are you should trust your gut.

Anecdotally, I chose an absolutely, totally awesome job far away from where I grew up, where all of my friends were gravitating toward and where my girlfriend at that time was heading. Two years later, life where I moved to is incredibly lonely compared to the few weekends that I manage to visit home.

I'll be sacrificing a lot, including prestige and a boatload of money, to move back home in a few months. It's the right move for me, and might be the right move for you. Happiness is paramount.

edited to clarify: for 1.5 of the last 2 years only the platonic relationships at home remain, and with the girlfriend out of the equation it's still where I want and need to be living.

If you are still staying in the T14, I see no reason you shouldn't go where you think you'd be happiest. I'd assume that the further away school wouldn't be so terrible, you'd probably meet people. I went sort of far away and couldn't visit home often and knew no one, but wound up liking it. Ironically though, I'm staying there for similar reasons + money. If kowing people having a definite way to save money (in my case, knowing I already have a pt job lined up for spending money) eases any stress at all, then it is worth it. Like I've said before, a few spots in the rankings don't mean all that much, no matter how much people here seem to think it does.

WhyBother? wrote:I am trying to decide between two T14 schools ranked about 4-5 spaces apart. I prefer the location of the lower-ranked school, but I also find that I am heavily influenced by the fact that I know people at the school and in the city already. I also have a friend who is moving there (not a law student), whom I've lived with before, and would like to live with in this city. We have a great room mate relationship and it would lower my cost of living significantly. She is a working professional and would pay the bulk of our rent to have the slightly larger room in a 2BR apartment. I am borrowing the full COA at both schools, so this helps a lot. I am a very social person, and while I wouldn't want to live with a stranger, I know that I'll be less stressed and have better grades if I can get away from law school and have my social network there to support me. The higher-ranked school is much further from anyone I know, and a plane ride away from home, as opposed to the short train ride from the lower-ranked school.

Any thoughts?

friends and family do matter in life, don't let some dumbass tell you otherwise

The only question I would have is if your friend might "distract" you; especially since that person is not in school. They may want to go out and tempt you when you want to stay in to study.

I agree with all the posters saying take the relatively local t14 over the t10. It sounds like you'll be happier and therefore more likely to do well while in school. Since you already have a social network there, it might also help you in meeting people for law-related work. Like a poster above me, I've moved (very) far away for some prestigious opportunities and found that my own work sometimes suffered because of the challenges of moving to a new place.

keg411 wrote:The only question I would have is if your friend might "distract" you; especially since that person is not in school. They may want to go out and tempt you when you want to stay in to study.

this... i actually chose a lower ranked school on a full ride compared to another school ranked higher because all my friends in the city are 20 somethings making 60k+ and I didnt want to tempt not studying my ass off

missvik218 wrote:

holydonkey wrote:In your previous posts, you say the Gtown offer is for part time. If this is UVA or Michigan versus Georgetown part-time, I can't think of any situation in which I would choose Georgetown part-time.

Also said the other school was a plane ride away from home which should put at least UVA out of the equation.

Well you can fly from Newark to Laguardia and that's still a plane ride away....lol