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Going into my eighth semester of undergrad, 3.66/166. I'm a VA resident and have been offered significant deals at both schools. The finances are not currently 100% finished yet, but it's looking like either one would be a steal as far as law school goes. My question is this: all other things being equal, which one would you prefer to go to?

overkillhsc wrote:Going into my eighth semester of undergrad, 3.66/166. I'm a VA resident and have been offered significant deals at both schools. The finances are not currently 100% finished yet, but it's looking like either one would be a steal as far as law school goes. My question is this: all other things being equal, which one would you prefer to go to?

W&L

I liked William and Mary better. Lexington is in the middle of nowhere way more than Williamsburg and W&M is more widely known

(Full disclosure: I never visited W&L for law school but I visited VMI for undergrad and thought that the Rat Line for 9 months wouldn't suck that bad because it's not like the town looks a lot better)

I like W&M more but I think you should visit and see where you feel more comfortable.

I'd flip a coin. I seriously would. Of course, I wouldn't mind being in the middle of nowhere (Roanoke has most of the amenities of a big city and isn't too far away). But, I really like Williamsburg. Ugg...This would be a tough decision all things being equal, and there is a good chance I'll have to make the same one next year. However, if there were little-to-no scholarships for either, I'd have to go with William and Mary.

In my opinion, the choice should be easy due to the different campus environments. Visit both & you are likely to prefer one over the other.

Whatever's cheaper

CanadianWolf wrote:In my opinion, the choice should be easy due to the different campus environments. Visit both & you are likely to prefer one over the other.

There could be reasons to like both. Both have relatively small class sizes (W&L has a major advantage on that one, though) and are surrounded by history. William and Mary has an advantage if you are averse to living in a small town, and Washington and Lee has an advantage if you like being in the middle-of-nowhere. Also, W&L is more conservative than W&M, but both have their fair share of liberals and conservatives. I can see where someone would be comfortable going to either.

If they are the same price, I'd say W & M. If W and L is much cheaper, do that. I believe W & M has slightly better placement and more reach to DC .

Any comments on w & L's 3L program? Honestly neither one has a markedly better environment as far as I'm concerned. The one thing I really don't want is a highly urban setting, but Williamsburg isn't too big for my taste.

W&L for lay prestige ( at least in the south )

If you're in-state, shouldn't W&M be cheaper? If so, that's what I'd go with.

cinephile wrote:If you're in-state, shouldn't W&M be cheaper? If so, that's what I'd go with.

Actually no, at least, not as things stand. They start out at 52 w & m, 62 w & l. Knock 10 off of w & m's figure for in-state tuition, and then another 10 because of an academic award, and you're down to 32 a year. W & L, meanwhile, has offered a 40k/year academic award, which takes the cost down to about 22 a year. Now, w & m DOES offer need-based grants, and w & l does not, so because I can't fill out the FAFSA yet I don't know what kind of extra money w & m will pony up in need-based aid. But as things stand, w & l is 10 grand a year cheaper.

overkillhsc wrote:

cinephile wrote:If you're in-state, shouldn't W&M be cheaper? If so, that's what I'd go with.

Actually no, at least, not as things stand. They start out at 52 w & m, 62 w & l. Knock 10 off of w & m's figure for in-state tuition, and then another 10 because of an academic award, and you're down to 32 a year. W & L, meanwhile, has offered a 40k/year academic award, which takes the cost down to about 22 a year. Now, w & m DOES offer need-based grants, and w & l does not, so because I can't fill out the FAFSA yet I don't know what kind of extra money w & m will pony up in need-based aid. But as things stand, w & l is 10 grand a year cheaper.

The difference isn't huge, so really it could come down to which you like better. You should visit both.

overkillhsc wrote:

cinephile wrote:If you're in-state, shouldn't W&M be cheaper? If so, that's what I'd go with.

Actually no, at least, not as things stand. They start out at 52 w & m, 62 w & l. Knock 10 off of w & m's figure for in-state tuition, and then another 10 because of an academic award, and you're down to 32 a year. W & L, meanwhile, has offered a 40k/year academic award, which takes the cost down to about 22 a year. Now, w & m DOES offer need-based grants, and w & l does not, so because I can't fill out the FAFSA yet I don't know what kind of extra money w & m will pony up in need-based aid. But as things stand, w & l is 10 grand a year cheaper.

I think at some point you need to try and negotiate aid with W&M as well, given the 40k/year award at W&L.

overkillhsc wrote:

cinephile wrote:If you're in-state, shouldn't W&M be cheaper? If so, that's what I'd go with.

Actually no, at least, not as things stand. They start out at 52 w & m, 62 w & l. Knock 10 off of w & m's figure for in-state tuition, and then another 10 because of an academic award, and you're down to 32 a year. W & L, meanwhile, has offered a 40k/year academic award, which takes the cost down to about 22 a year. Now, w & m DOES offer need-based grants, and w & l does not, so because I can't fill out the FAFSA yet I don't know what kind of extra money w & m will pony up in need-based aid. But as things stand, w & l is 10 grand a year cheaper.

What about stipulations? W&L had the most stringent award stipulations of any scholarships I was offered last year (median GPA, as opposed to "good academic standing" for the others). That's something worth considering as well.

Congrats on great offers from two very good schools!

Considering asking for stips to be removed from your offers. W&L GPA stips are typically higher IIRC and W&M scholarships often come with the "fellowship" program where you'd have to work for them 8 hours/week. HTH.

Cornelius: I have a friend with, I suspect, a fair amount of ability to put his shoulder to the wheel for me at w & m, and I am informing him that w & l has currently extended the better offer. I don't want to seem to blase about what is, in effect, expecting still more money.

Lwoods: The expectation is a 3.25. However, looking at their GPA statistics, that expectation would simply mean I have to stay above the bottom 20% of a given class--very few people get under that. They also provide the total number of people who have had their scholarships reduced or revoked in the last three years and (if I recall correctly) the aggregate number of both together is still under 10.