Wake Forest($$$$) vs. W&M($$) vs. Notre Dame($$) Forum

[labballin24]

So I'm getting a full tuition offer from Wake Forest, and I'm getting comparable offers from W&M(15K) and ND(18K). I have no strong preferences to where I want to work after graduating. I am pretty poor with $22,000 in undergrad debt and that's why at the moment I'm leaning towards WF, but of course its not as highly ranked as the other 2. I am still currently waiting on decisions from UCLA, UNC, and WashU but if I do get accepted I won't even consider any of those three unless they at least match the 15K W&M is offering(which I doubt).

My main question is whether the difference in rank is significant enough that I should consider the other two offers more?

Edit:I'm not exactly sure what kind of law I want practice, but I am most interested in Criminal Law.
I am a Louisiana resident but I do not want to go back there to work.

[mez06]

1. Where are you from? Are you a Virginia Resident?
2. Where do you have a PREFERENCE for working?

Without knowing those things, I'd say WF.

[CanadianWolf]

If you visit all three law schools while in session, then your decision should be much easier. Wash & Lee and Notre Dame offer very distinctive cultures, in my opinion, with Wake Forest being a reasonable middle. Congratulations ! No wrong decision to be made here.

[ndirish2010]

Since you don't have any specific region you want, W&M should be out since ND places better and the costs will be pretty equal. I might be inclined to say Wake if you're very debt averse as it seems that you are, but I think ND for about half tuition is a pretty solid deal considering we do well compared with Wake. However, I'm a 1L at ND so take that for what it's worth. Your decision should come down to those two though...I would try to get some extra money out of ND, usually people with those 18K offers can get a 2K or so bump.

[ndirish2010]

If you visit all three law schools while in session, then your decision should be much easier. Wash & Lee and Notre Dame offer very distinctive cultures, in my opinion, with Wake Forest being a reasonable middle. Congratulations ! No wrong decision to be made here.

It's W&M, not W&L...though OP would probably get a full ride or close to it at W&L.

[rebexness]

[BarbellDreams]

If you can see yourself practicing in NC then go to Wake, otherwise I take ND.

[labballin24]

If you visit all three law schools while in session, then your decision should be much easier. Wash & Lee and Notre Dame offer very distinctive cultures, in my opinion, with Wake Forest being a reasonable middle. Congratulations ! No wrong decision to be made here.

It's W&M, not W&L...though OP would probably get a full ride or close to it at W&L.

You would think so right. I got absolutely $0 from W&L. I am in the process now of bargaining with ND and W&M, I'm at least expecting W&M to match ND's. And geography isn't a big problem. I don't really have strong ties anywhere. I attend ND for undergrad, but I'm not attached to the Midwest at all. I'm from Louisiana, but have no desire to live there. I would not mind working in either VA or NC.