Helpppp!! Forum

[arm06k]

Any advice would be much appreciated!

1. Tennessee
2. GA State
3. full ride to Mercer

[Grizz]

What do you want to do, where do you want to do it, and where are you from. No one can even begin to give you an answer without that information.

[arm06k]

I am originally from Florida. I don't know where I will want to start my career once I graduate law school, but I'm sure I'll want to stay in the southeast. I know it's pretty easy to pay in - state tuition for my 2nd and 3rd years at GA state (although I'll have to look more into this). I'm just not sure that GA state is worth the extra money compared to Mercer for free. I haven't had time to visit these schools yet.

I'm worried about career prospects if I choose Mercer. Would career prospects be that much better at GA state or Tenn... enough to justify turning down full tuition at Mercer?

I don't really want to live in Macon, but I can get over that. Ultimately, my goal is to be in law school - I can adjust to whatever city.

I've been given all sorts of advice from recent grads in Boston. I'm also hearing that unless I go to a TOP school - ranking really don't mean anything. Thoughts?

[Grizz]

I am originally from Florida. I don't know where I will want to start my career once I graduate law school, but I'm sure I'll want to stay in the southeast. I know it's pretty easy to pay in - state tuition for my 2nd and 3rd years at GA state (although I'll have to look more into this). I'm just not sure that GA state is worth the extra money compared to Mercer for free. I haven't had time to visit these schools yet.

I'm worried about career prospects if I choose Mercer. Would career prospects be that much better at GA state or Tenn... enough to justify turning down full tuition at Mercer?

I don't really want to live in Macon, but I can get over that. Ultimately, my goal is to be in law school - I can adjust to whatever city.

I've been given all sorts of advice from recent grads in Boston. I'm also hearing that unless I go to a TOP school - ranking really don't mean anything. Thoughts?

I wouldn't go to any of these schools. The market is terrible, and job outlook from these places is not awesome (see Law School Transparency). Also, it's not smart to go to a regional school in a region you're not from, especially parochial places like GA and TN.

The problem is legal hiring is regional, and regional ties are important. There are not a ton of jobs out there, and especially in places like Macon, Augusta, Knoxville, etc. (where you will be looking for jobs in the likely event you don't get ATL, Nashville, Chattanooga, etc., because the market is so bad). Hypothetically, consider Johnny Hayseed, just a county boy who has dreamed of working as a personal injury attorney in Resaca, GA since high school. You also apply for jobs in Resaca. Sure you may have much better grades than Johnny Hayseed. But Johnny Hayseed is a down home bro. He and the hiring partner's lil brother played on the Resaca High Fighting Sharecroppers together (State Champs '06 wooo!!11!). When Johnny wants to go fishing, he goes to the same crawfish hole as the managing partner. You didn't, and it shows; your resume gets binned.

When you try to go back to FL, where you ARE from, you're gonna get some awkward questions about why you didn't go to UF or FSU. That UTK or GA State degree is not really turning heads around here. So go to UF or FSU, retake if necessary. Get in-state tuition. But don't go to any of these schools.

[arm06k]

I was accepted to UF and also received a scholarship from Miami. I really don't want to be at either of those schools and don't plan on settling down in FL after school - I'll stay in either GA or TN.

UTK and Mercer both have the good and the bad. I just want to hear more opinions on whether going into debt at UTK or GA state would actually be worth it in the long run... when I could still graduate with a good education for free at Mercer.

[Grizz]

I was accepted to UF and also received a scholarship from Miami. I really don't want to be at either of those schools and don't plan on settling down in FL after school - I'll stay in either GA or TN.

Go to UF bro. It's not easy to just "stay in either GA or TN." Law school is NOT the time to try to relocate.

But if you're really serious about trying to work as a lawyer in GA or TN, defer for a year, move to one of those states, get a job, get in-state tuition, and you will come off as a lot more committed.

[arm06k]

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate your time!

Anyone else? I'd be interested to hear from recent grads or even 3L's who could relate.

[Guchster]

I was accepted to UF and also received a scholarship from Miami. I really don't want to be at either of those schools and don't plan on settling down in FL after school - I'll stay in either GA or TN.

Go to UF bro. It's not easy to just "stay in either GA or TN." Law school is NOT the time to try to relocate.

But if you're really serious about trying to work as a lawyer in GA or TN, defer for a year, move to one of those states, get a job, get in-state tuition, and you will come off as a lot more committed.

[YourCaptain]

read the oci threads and discover for yourself just how good of an idea this is.

GA and TN were bloodbaths and hired primarily from t14 schools where the students had strong local ties.

emory, the "strongest" school in ga, had awful placement this year even when its peers improved.

[arm06k]

oci threads?

i appreciate the advice to wait a year so that i can get in state tuition - so i guess you would vote ga state or utk over mercer. however, i wouldn't wait a year so i'd be going into debt.

utk is a great school, i would just be graduating with so much in student loans.
ga state is much more affordable and while i would still have the loans, it's not as bad as utk.
mercer isnt considered as highly as the other two - but i am still interested in it and think i could be happy there.