2012 UVA vs. Texas Throwdown (And I don't even like orange) Forum

[Tom Joad]

1. Total cost (how many loans you will have to take)
2. LSAT/GPA
3. Where you are from and other regional ties
4. What you want to do, career wise
5. Where you want to do the thing that you want to do

1. Total costs of each school in the poll.
2. 170/4.08
3. From Nebraska.
4. No specific goals. Happy to have any job that pays the bills. BIGLAW or midlaw would be nice.
5. This is what makes my choice so tough. I could really see myself working in a major market in Texas. Otherwise I would be happy coming back to Omaha where I have ties. I think conventional wisdom screams to go to UVA, but I think going to Texas would give me the best chance to break into Dallas or Houston. Advice from any current Texas students would be super appreciated. Do Texas students wish they got into the T10 or are they happy because median at Texas is safe for some employment? I am super torn up because I really like both schools and I was pretty deadset on going to UVA for some time.

Help please! Especially Texas 2Ls and 3Ls!

[bdole2]

If you are 100% sure you want either Houston or Dallas, then Texas. However, it doesn't sound like you are...in which case UVA should give you more options, and UVA should allow you to get Houston or Dallas as well.

[Tom Joad]

If you are 100% sure you want either Houston or Dallas, then Texas. However, it doesn't sound like you are...in which case UVA should give you more options, and UVA should allow you to get Houston or Dallas as well.

Yeah, but I don't have ties to the area other than going to South Padre for spring break my sophomore year. Thoughts on that?

[flem]

UVA brah. More portable.

[flem]

If you are 100% sure you want either Houston or Dallas, then Texas. However, it doesn't sound like you are...in which case UVA should give you more options, and UVA should allow you to get Houston or Dallas as well.

Yeah, but I don't have ties to the area other than going to South Padre for spring break my sophomore year. Thoughts on that?

This should be sufficient. Did you have a one night stand in the area?

[Tom Joad]

If you are 100% sure you want either Houston or Dallas, then Texas. However, it doesn't sound like you are...in which case UVA should give you more options, and UVA should allow you to get Houston or Dallas as well.

Yeah, but I don't have ties to the area other than going to South Padre for spring break my sophomore year. Thoughts on that?

This should be sufficient. Did you have a one night stand in the area?

No, shared a room with a bunch of girls and kind of had to play the protective dad role. But I did make out with a pretty hot girl who went to UT, so I know there are honiez there.

[enzo66]

I'm at a 2L at UVA. Everyone I know that wanted a job in Texas for this summer has one. Most of those are with great firms. Several are with smaller firms or government agencies/public interest (still great options).

I voted for UVA. If you decide mid-1L that you'd rather go to DC or NY (or anywhere else for that matter), you'll have a much better opportunity to do so.

[Tom Joad]

If you are 100% sure you want either Houston or Dallas, then Texas. However, it doesn't sound like you are...in which case UVA should give you more options, and UVA should allow you to get Houston or Dallas as well.

Yeah, but I don't have ties to the area other than going to South Padre for spring break my sophomore year. Thoughts on that?

This should be sufficient. Did you have a one night stand in the area?

No, shared a room with a bunch of girls and kind of had to play the protective dad role. But I did make out with a pretty hot girl who went to UT, so I know there are honiez there.

UVA brah. More portable.

But I really have no intention of ever working in NYC or Chicago or other places Texas doesn't place in. I am dying right now.

[gaud]

UVA brah. More portable.

I'd go with UVA as well. Their placement justifies the extra cash, IMHO.

[flem]

But I really have no intention of ever working in NYC or Chicago or other places Texas doesn't place in. I am dying right now.

Even if you wanted to move home, UVA has more lay preftige

[AreJay711]

Ties to Texas are overrated. They think they are the shit and don't don't take much convincing to buy that you do too. Because of that, the portability of UVA is worth the extra $.

I'm working in Houston this summer as a 1L at U of M having never visited for more than a few days. The big law lawyers I have talked to said that this is more than enough to establish ties as long as you can tell a convincing story about why you want to be there. However, UVA will make smaller markets in TX like San Antonio or Austin much, much harder for you.

[rayiner]

For the $40k difference, UVA all the way. In an insular market like Texas, you can't be sure that just going to the local law school will be enough ties to get firms to take you seriously. Chicago is a lot less insular than Texas and firms here still grill out of state students who attend NU and want to stay in the city. Moreover, UVA just gives you a better overall chance at a job: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=181415

[Tom Joad]

For the $40k difference, UVA all the way. In an insular market like Texas, you can't be sure that just going to the local law school will be enough ties to get firms to take you seriously. Chicago is a lot less insular than Texas and firms here still grill out of state students who attend NU and want to stay in the city. Moreover, UVA just gives you a better overall chance at a job: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=181415

Much thanks!

[de5igual]

UT 2L here.

Choose UVA since it's only 40K more. Yeah, since you don't have ties to TX it might make it harder to crack Dallas/Houston, but it's not like you're TX or bust anyway. Honestly, even if you went to UT, being an out-of-stater going for Texas markets puts you at a slight disadvantage compared to the native Texans. The overall better employment prospects makes UVA worth $40K IMO.

[Tom Joad]

UT 2L here.

Choose UVA since it's only 40K more. Yeah, since you don't have ties to TX it might make it harder to crack Dallas/Houston, but it's not like you're TX or bust anyway. Honestly, even if you went to UT, being an out-of-stater going for Texas markets puts you at a slight disadvantage compared to the native Texans. The overall better employment prospects makes UVA worth $40K IMO.

Awesome info, thanks!

[bobbyh1919]

You got $40K/year to UVA? That's awesome (and gives me hope that I can maybe get more!).

But anyway, UVA here as you already know.

[shoeshine]

Texas.

Because UVA is not as great as TLS would lead you to believe.

[hookem7]

Texas because of your Hank Hill picture. The people of Arlen wouldn't take kindly to seeing on of their own going off to do some fancy pants booklearnin in Virginia

[romothesavior]

UVA, but both are great options at the price.

[HeavenWood]

UVA, but both are great options at the price.

[Tom Joad]

Bump for the night crew. I just want somebody to help me justify wanting to go to Texas.

[HookemHooker]

DELETED

[crit_racer]

UVA has ungraded legal writing. UT is graded.

As a UT 1L who is clawing his eyes out working on his brief right now, I say go to UVA.

[wallflower1987]

Bump for the night crew. I just want somebody to help me justify wanting to go to Texas.

I say Texas... the strongest economy in the country is in Texas because of energy. Houston and Dallas are powerhouses, and I think Austin is right there too. Of course the bulk of TLS people are going to say go to the higher ranked school, because it's what they've been trained to believe. But T14 means the 14 schools a defunct magazine says are best, based on rankings that are utterly indefensible garbage (example: they reward wasteful spending and huge numbers of useless electives, as well as high tuition figures... no joke). So base your decision on placement, and outside of the east coast, I think Texas is at least on par. There is no actual, concrete line. The placement stats are pretty stellar in Texas, and I think their economy is positioned to actually move forward (unlike a lot of areas)... plus, if you have any intention of ever coming back to Nebraska, you're going to hate having accumulated $40,000 extra in debt for a name that carries very little (if any) more weight than Texas in Omaha.

That's my position, anyway. Plus, UVA = Southeast/South Atlantic = Gross. And girls with southern accents are hot (the Texas kind of Southern accent, not the Deliverance, Virginia kind). For whatever that's worth.

I don't know how much my opinion matters, but I guess it probably matters as much and as little as anybody else's on this site!!! Best of luck with your decision, man.

[5ky]

I vote UVA, because there's just no way your total COA would be 90k if you're getting a 120k scholarship.

The cost of living is much, much less than the estimates on the website. I'd take about 6k a year off of the estimates.