Standard "Please help me choose where I should go" Thread. Forum

[llachans]

Career goal: Eventually work for a DA/SA office.

Option 1:
MSU
Pros:
I will only pay 9k/year for tuition. I will also have to pay cost of living.
They have really strong clinical programs.
Their career services seems dedicated to students.
I'd be fine living in Michigan (although three years in East Lansing is...meh.)
I'm moving with a gf who is finishing undergrad. MSU seems like a good fit for her as well.
Fantastic facilities


Cons:
As I said above, three years in East Lansing is meh.
I'm gay, with a girlfriend who I plan to eventually marry, and Michigan LGBT laws are among the worst in the country.
I'm moving with my gf. I'm not sure she'll get a job in the area.

Option 2:
Drake
Pros:
I will only pay 10k/year for tuition. I will also have to pay cost of living.
Des Moines is home to federal and state courts. I'd have plenty of opportunity to network.
They also have a really strong clinical program.
Des Moines is a big enough city that I could be happy in it. Also, my gf could find a job there.
One of the biggest pros is that Iowa has very generous LGBT laws, including same-sex marriage and adoption rights.
Everyone I met was ridiculously friendly.

Cons:
I realize these are both regional schools. However if years down the road, I wished to switch jobs, I realize Drake is virtually unrecognizable outside of the state of Iowa.
I don't think my gf could afford Drake.
Although they boast 90% employment at 9 months, their stats are FAR less transparent than MSU.
Their facilities are meh.

In short: If gay marriage wasn't an issue, I'd go with MSU even though three years of living in East Lansing seems pretty rough. If employment wasn't pretty risky (and extremely limited) at Drake, I'd without a doubt go Drake.
Please disregard Drake's ranking. I know law schools outside of the top 100 are shunned on here, but Drake seems to be one of the few that actually have good placement. (at least in Des Moines)

What should I do?

[llachans]

Also, if you could leave your reasoning (I see the votes are split right now), that would be very helpful.

Thanks!

[HeavenWood]

Please disregard Drake's ranking. I know law schools outside of the top 100 are shunned on here, but Drake seems to be one of the few that actually have good placement. (at least in Des Moines)

This guy went to Drake.
Obviously he's a hyperbolic dickwad, but there's a lot of reason to his rantings.

Is a retake out of the question?

[NoleinNY]

Beyond the LGBT laws, Drake makes it easier for your future wife to get a job.

A better option would be retake and go to University of Iowa.

[llachans]

Beyond the LGBT laws, Drake makes it easier for your future wife to get a job.

A better option would be retake and go to University of Iowa.

I agree. I got accepted, but without money. Iowa is actually plummeting because a bunch of their highly ranked professors have been leaving. Outside of that, they don't have a back-drop like Des Moines to connect grads with DAs and also don't have as much of a clinical approach. Lastly, I don't feel that comfortable with their scholarship stips.

[llachans]

[url=http://T14%20Paradise.blogspot.com/]This guy went to Drake.[/url]
Obviously he's a hyperbolic dickwad, but there's a lot of reason to his rantings.

Is a retake out of the question?

It won't let me open the link.
I'd rather not re-take. I actually think MSU is a pretty good deal considering my scholarship. I'm just not sure how to weigh LGBT laws since they may very well change.

[HeavenWood]

[url=http://T14%20Paradise.blogspot.com/]This guy went to Drake.[/url]
Obviously he's a hyperbolic dickwad, but there's a lot of reason to his rantings.

Is a retake out of the question?

It won't let me open the link.
I'd rather not re-take. I actually think MSU is a pretty good deal considering my scholarship. I'm just not sure how to weigh LGBT laws since they may very well change.

th1rdtierreality .blogspot.com/ (replace the first "1" with i"... I guess the April Fool's text still hasn't been taken down for everything)

Anyway, LGBT laws or not, neither are very good options. I suppose if you "have" to go, Drake is better given your preferences.