Emory ($$$) or UVA ($$)- read whole post Forum

[rhaspody18]

Please read the whole post

Good scholarship money from each school:
Emory -total COA - 40K or less
Virginia - total COA - 60K

My SO has a job offer in both Charlottesville and ATL, so there will be no COL and we will be able to pay down a good deal of the tuition while I am in school, so the actual COA may be less at both schools. It will, however, always cost 20K more to attend UVA.

Now, ATL is my target market. We have friends and family in the area. I'd be okay with some other southern cities (Nashville, Chattanooga, Charlotte, etc.) as well.

I have a great offer at Emory which will offer me both a guaranteed legal job during law school that won't specifically guarantee me a job post-graduation but will offer me great connections and networking in the ATL market.

My career goals are mid/big law then a jump over into something like in house/non-profit/government. I do fully intend to start in a mid/big law firm, however.

The question is, do I pass up a good school in my exact target market for the opportunities available at UVA? I love the potential the UVA degree gives me, but will in place any better in my target market? and is this worth the extra 20k? plus the intangibles of being near friends/family, the connections, and likely not having to live elsewhere for my 2L summer away from my SO?
More money from Emory would clinch it, but I doubt that's going to happen...

[kaspar]

What kind of job are you talking about? If it's not a game-changer, UVA is tcr beyond a doubt. UVA is king of the Southern legal market. This coming from an Emory student.

[cholza00]

I'm also interested in this question. Is UVA good enough to outperform a T25 school and connections in your target city's market?

[FiveSermon]

I'm also interested in this question. Is UVA good enough to outperform a T25 school and connections in your target city's market?

Yes to all.

[Aberzombie1892]

I'm also interested in this question. Is UVA good enough to outperform a T25 school and connections in your target city's market?

Yes to all.

(assuming one has ties to the city)

Yes to big law. Mid law could really go either way (depends on the firm - you would be surprised).

If OP wants big law (or fed gov/prestigious PI/high profile boutique), UVA. If the OP could settle for anything else, Emory.

[Rock Chalk]

.

[FiveSermon]

Didn't something like 60% of Emory students find any form of employment? While something like 45% of UVA students got Biglaw?