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So I am down to my final three options:
1. BC 120-150 COA (late admit, should hear back from fin. aid next week but this is assuming nothing in terms of help)
2. UGA 55-60 COA
3. Wait a year and reapply early (least favorable option, really trying to go back to school this year)

So what do I want? Well, I'm not set on Big Law but would like to have it as an option or the option of what I consider a well paying position, >80,000, coming out of school at a private firm or I would accept an obviously lower salary working in public sector. I know the obvious answer is BC for higher pay but knowing how competitive law school is and the inability to have a clue in estimating class rank I'm apprehensive in taking on such debt. So I am wondering if there are any recommendations. How deep into the class could you graduate at each school and still be competitive for such a salary (>80,000)? It would be less of a concern at UGA because of the low amount of debt but in the long run would the career prosepects offered by BC be worth the additional debt? These are the questions and concerns floating around in my mind and I would appreciate input from fellow TLSers

Do you want to live in the South or the North?

Fred_McGriff wrote:Do you want to live in the South or the North?

This is the main issue. A UGA degree will have relatively little mobility whereas a BU degree will have a little more, but with both of these schools, you should be comfortable living and working in the surrounding area. BU will obviously give you better access to higher paying jobs because of proximity, but obviously there is more competition there than in Atlanta. I would say a BU degree is better than a UGA degree, but without knowing your regional preference, I can't say if its 60K better.

I'd go to UGA. It is cheaper, the weather is warmer, the city and the state are growing rapidly, and even though you can get a higher paying job coming out from BC, you should also consider the COL of the northeast vs Atlanta. Home prices in Atlanta, and the south in general, are very cheap. With low debt and a decent job, you can live in Atlanta like a king.

scammedhard wrote:I'd go to UGA. It is cheaper, the weather is warmer, the city and the state are growing rapidly, and even though you can get a higher paying job coming out from BC, you should also consider the COL of the northeast vs Atlanta. Home prices in Atlanta, and the south in general, are very cheap. With low debt and a decent job, you can live in Atlanta like a king.

Hope prices in the ATL burbs are cheap if you're down with horrendous commutes. Property in a non-shitty neighborhood in ATL is actually fairly expensive.

Wouldn't BC be nearing 180k with no $?

Porbably closer to 150 than 120, just because I could have some help from my parents with living expenses but nothing else substantial. I do not have a preference in location which provides flexibility in where I ultimately practice. I would go to UGA but I am still skeptical of the opportunity for people who graduate outside of the top 25%. I obviously feel capable of placing in this top category but with law school it is a crapshoot what grades you get. Anyone want to try and convinvce me that there is more opportunity (in the southeast) coming out of Georgia than I currently htink?

Anyone who has experience in the southeast or Atlanta markets have any recommendations?

If you're comparing quality of life, I'd say the South wins in general, but that's entirely a personal preference, your mileage may vary.

Keep in mind also that UGA places well in other parts of the South, the degree doesn't pigeonhole you to a single city.

Atlanta real estate prices are very reasonable since high end homes are a bit overbuilt & suffer from a large number of foreclosures. Home prices have been in a steady decline for several years now & were quite reasonable before the real estate market crash. Even in a robust economy, Atlanta real estate was quite reasonable due to the highly competitive residential building industry & abundance of land. The best deals on homes tend to be in the most upscale neighborhoods in the northern suburbs.
Georgia is still experiencing bank foreclosures due to declining real estate values. Atlanta housing prices are cheap compared to New England & the West. Residential real estate around Emory & UGA has fared much better than the rest of the extended Atlanta region due to rising demand from students who want short commutes to each university.

Fred_McGriff wrote: Keep in mind also that UGA places well in other parts of the South, the degree doesn't pigeonhole you to a single city.

You mean like Macon, Warner-Robins, Valdosta, and Augusta?

UGA ain't gonna open up other Southern areas without ties.

Yeap, throughout Georgia and the immediate vicinity. I also know a UGA grad who has a good job in Birmingham and one in South Carolina who's doing well. Out of the 3 or 4 people I know who went to UGA, they all seem to be settled and employed in the South, obviously not a good sample size, but it's all I've got.

Fred_McGriff wrote:Yeap, throughout Georgia and the immediate vicinity. I also know a UGA grad who has a good job in Birmingham and one in South Carolina who's doing well. Out of the 3 or 4 people I know who went to UGA, they all seem to be settled and employed in the South, obviously not a good sample size, but it's all I've got.

I was being semi-facetious, but if you're not from the South, I wouldn't count on UGA to try to get into some of the very parochial markets down here.

If I did attend UGA, with the understanding that I would most likely end up in the Southeast, I would be most interested in entering a larger market upon graduation (minus those in florida). So basically Atlanta, maybe Charlotte and Memphis.

Memphis ? That's a rough city. Somewhat dangerous due to a high crime rate. Savannah might be a better third choice, in my opinion.

I just threw it out there when I was trying to list off cities. Honestly, after I wrote Charlotte and Atlanta it took me a couple minutes to think of another