CU Boulder or UT Knoxville Forum

[CanadianWolf]

Boulder/Denver area is significantly different than the Knoxville/Smoky Mtns. area. The educational level in Boulder/Denver is high & incomes should also be substantially higher than in Eastern Tennessee.
An apt comparison might be the differences between skiing in the Rockies (Telluride, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, etc.) to skiing in the Smokies. Like night & day. Tennessee is humid, Colorado is quite comfortable.
Colorado dropped in the USNews ranking to 47th due to what I suspect is honest jobs reporting. Colorado was without a law school dean which may have impacted recruiting & reporting.
I have spent a great deal of time in the North Georgia, Western North Carolina & Eastern Tennessee region---it is a different world than the Boulder/Denver/Rocky Mtn. region.

[Nightsideclipse]

First hand knowledge:

(1) UTK - Great school for the money. Excellent professors, educational quality, and good class mates.

However, Tennessee in general is *insanely* conservative and destroys the autonomy of anyone that deviates from southern norms. Jobs are hard to come by and go to those with substantial "good ole' southern" connections. Regionalism and elitism are terrible throughout the state.

The region lacks cultural events for the most part, and people are -painfully- religious. If you're one of those, "oh, I just want to raise a family, and enjoy running and going to church, blah blah blah," types - you may not have a problem with Tennessee. But for people who walk against the grain, in any way, Tennessee can be a very isolating and depressing place.

Not to mention the weather sucks -- the heat and humidity are insufferable.

I can't speak to Boulder, but having lived on the west coast now, I can say that the quality of life outside the south is A BILLION TIMES BETTER IN EVERY CONCEIVABLE WAY; it's like living in a different and completely superior country.

If you pick Tennessee, understand that there are --very-- powerful southern, religious, and conservative norms that will contextualize and dominate how you live. If you are fine with abiding by these norms, UTK would be a great school.

In sum: great school; horrible region and quality of life for some people.

[Bildungsroman]

Colorado is an overrated state.

Impossible.

[ozarkhack]

CU.

I grew up in the Knoxville area. Went to undergrad there. Nice area. Don't know that I'll ever go back, though, even though all my family is there. I got in to CU Law, and would've gone there probably in a heartbeat but for my fiancee's preference to get to the West Coast. Never considered UT.

Colorado's weather is better (i.e., no humidity, or at least none relative to Knoxville's). The mountains are cooler, though the southern Appalachians have their own charm. And there's far more interesting things to do in Denver/Boulder than in Knoxville/Oak Ridge/Maryville.

And if you're truly interested in natural resources law, then this isn't a choice at all. I guess there is some NR practice in Tennessee. But it surely pales in comparison to all the work out west.

Good luck to you. I'd be happy to answer any Qs about Knoxville and area if you want to know more.

[tspence13]

I cannot speak to UT, but having grown up in Boulder my entire life and spent the past 3 years of undergrad at CU, I cannot recommend it more highly.

Boulder is considered by some estimates the most well educated city in the United States. Although it is very expensive to live here, it is worth it. People here are very liberal, open minded, and active. Probably we are less warm and friendly than those in the South, but we are also mostly unburdened by oppressive cultural norms and enjoy a much higher standard of living. The weather here is very dry, but it is also fairly mild and sunny all year long.

The University of Colorado is an amazing school, which has (IMO) mostly taken a dip in the rankings (not just for law school, but also for UG) because of a lack of funding on the behalf of the state. Tuition has increased and money spent per student has decreased. That being said, the quality of education is still top notch in the west, and if you want to do Natural Resource Law, Indian Law, International Law, or just work West of the Mississippi, the choice is obvious that CU is the school to choose.