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I just put down my seat deposit at Georgia State, but I just found out that I got in to UGA. I think that living in Atlanta is more convenient for internships and networking, but I know that UGA has a better reputation. Am I crazy to choose GSU (ranked #54) over UGA (ranked #33)?

wordnerd725 wrote:I just put down my seat deposit at Georgia State, but I just found out that I got in to UGA. I think that living in Atlanta is more convenient for internships and networking, but I know that UGA has a better reputation. Am I crazy to choose GSU (ranked #54) over UGA (ranked #33)?

Cost of attendance for each?

wordnerd725 wrote:I just put down my seat deposit at Georgia State, but I just found out that I got in to UGA. I think that living in Atlanta is more convenient for internships and networking, but I know that UGA has a better reputation. Am I crazy to choose GSU (ranked #54) over UGA (ranked #33)?

Rank isn't the point. Getting a job is the point.

Info from Law School Transparency, c/o 2012.
'Large firm score' (that's % working at firms with 101+ lawyers)
GSU 9%
UGA: 16.6%

Federal Clerkship Rate
GSU: 2.5%
UGA: 7.4%

Total
GSU: 11.5%
UGA: 24%

You have to decide if the extra few k a year (assuming in-state for both) are worth an almost 13% chance at a better job. I think it is, easily, but I go to UGA.

Almost as an aside, but it's telling:
State and local clerkships (this is really less useful, because there are possible not-as-useful outcomes here, but still interesting)
GSU: 0.5%
UGA: 6.1%

in a somewhat similar situation.
are you mostly concerned with proximity to atlanta?

The difference in COA is negligible. I do have a one time $2k scholarship at gsu this year. But Atlanta col is way higher than Athens. UGA would be about $15k more at the end of my three years.

I went to uga for undergrad and have been working in atl this year living with my SO. Proximity to atl is a big deal because my SO is going to gsu, but he will graduate at the end of next year. We could live in between but commuting sounds pretty unreasonable and stressful. Has anyone tried it?

I also like Atlanta better than Athens because I feel like I have grown out of Athens after living there for four years. I am getting involved in the atl community which I feel has so much more to offer than Athens. In a similar fashion the GSU student body is much more diverse than the football/frat feel of uga which I feel permeates the law school even more than undergrad. I like the idea of being in class with a more diverse student body. and of course think I would be happier living with my SO in the city where i attend law school, and therefore have better grades. I also like the idea of not having to commute to atl for internships. BUT...

I am afraid that going to GSU will sacrifice opportunities that uga could provide since it has a better reputation in the area. Uga is comparable to Emory and gsu just does not have that status. The lawyer I interned for in Athens says uga hands down (but he went there and practices there). Lawyers in atl have told me to go to gsu (not in comparison to uga, but just when I mention that I will be attending law school).

In summary:
Has anyone tried commuting?
Is a higher class rank at GSU better than lower at UGA?
Would love to hear details from others in similar situation:-)

Pm'ed you!

wordnerd725 wrote:The difference in COA is negligible. I do have a one time $2k scholarship at gsu this year. But Atlanta col is way higher than Athens. UGA would be about $15k more at the end of my three years.

I went to uga for undergrad and have been working in atl this year living with my SO. Proximity to atl is a big deal because my SO is going to gsu, but he will graduate at the end of next year. We could live in between but commuting sounds pretty unreasonable and stressful. Has anyone tried it?

I also like Atlanta better than Athens because I feel like I have grown out of Athens after living there for four years. I am getting involved in the atl community which I feel has so much more to offer than Athens. In a similar fashion the GSU student body is much more diverse than the football/frat feel of uga which I feel permeates the law school even more than undergrad. I like the idea of being in class with a more diverse student body. and of course think I would be happier living with my SO in the city where i attend law school, and therefore have better grades. I also like the idea of not having to commute to atl for internships. BUT...

I am afraid that going to GSU will sacrifice opportunities that uga could provide since it has a better reputation in the area. Uga is comparable to Emory and gsu just does not have that status. The lawyer I interned for in Athens says uga hands down (but he went there and practices there). Lawyers in atl have told me to go to gsu (not in comparison to uga, but just when I mention that I will be attending law school).

In summary:
Has anyone tried commuting?
Is a higher class rank at GSU better than lower at UGA?
Would love to hear details from others in similar situation:-)

Sounds like you want UGA, so go UGA. Not saying 15K isn't a good chunk of change to pay back, but in overall terms of career goals 15k in probably manageable.

Lots of things here.

wordnerd725 wrote: We could live in between but commuting sounds pretty unreasonable and stressful. Has anyone tried it?

Realize that 1L year is hard. You need the study time. You can't commute an hour and a half. People do it, but it affects everything. I wouldn't recommend it. My wife works and lives in Atlanta, so I have a tiny hole-in-the-wall apt here, and I go back on weekends. This way I study more.

wordnerd725 wrote:I am getting involved in the atl community which I feel has so much more to offer than Athens.

Atl has much more to offer than Athens. That's why you'll work there after school. Everything comes down to 1L - and you won't be spending much time in either 'community' during that year.

wordnerd725 wrote:In a similar fashion the GSU student body is much more diverse than the football/frat feel of uga which I feel permeates the law school even more than undergrad.

I didn't go to a football game my 1L year. I know people that love it, I know people that don't care. I'm certainly not in a frat type atmosphere.

wordnerd725 wrote:and of course think I would be happier living with my SO in the city where i attend law school, and therefore have better grades.

Maybe. Maybe not. As I said, I live apart from my wife during the week - I think I study more for it, and therefore have better grades. We skype every night, so we see each other, but it's while I'm studying.

wordnerd725 wrote:I also like the idea of not having to commute to atl for internships.

Internships are great. But the point of law school is to get a job, and 1L year is where you do that. Get good grades, and no one cares if you have an internship. If it's really important to you, you work in Atl a few days a week, go to school in Athens a few days a week. People do that all the time.

wordnerd725 wrote:I am afraid that going to GSU will sacrifice opportunities that uga could provide since it has a better reputation in the area. Uga is comparable to Emory and gsu just does not have that status.

Yep.

wordnerd725 wrote:The lawyer I interned for in Athens says uga hands down (but he went there and practices there).

People all over the state went to uga, the network is nice to have. He thinks that b/c he went there - so did thousands of other GA lawyers.

wordnerd725 wrote:Lawyers in atl have told me to go to gsu (not in comparison to uga, but just when I mention that I will be attending law school).

Ask them again, and mention UGA.

wordnerd725 wrote: Is a higher class rank at GSU better than lower at UGA?

Too non-specific a question. Top 10% at GSU is better than median at UGA. The opposite is also true. The numbers above show that if you're top 11% or so at GSU, and top 24% or so at UGA, you can get the same jobs. Doesn't mean you will, doesn't mean that one doesn't get a better job. But it's a good shot.

What is total COA at each?

usfvictor wrote:

wordnerd725 wrote:The difference in COA is negligible. I do have a one time $2k scholarship at gsu this year. But Atlanta col is way higher than Athens. UGA would be about $15k more at the end of my three years.

I went to uga for undergrad and have been working in atl this year living with my SO. Proximity to atl is a big deal because my SO is going to gsu, but he will graduate at the end of next year. We could live in between but commuting sounds pretty unreasonable and stressful. Has anyone tried it?

I also like Atlanta better than Athens because I feel like I have grown out of Athens after living there for four years. I am getting involved in the atl community which I feel has so much more to offer than Athens. In a similar fashion the GSU student body is much more diverse than the football/frat feel of uga which I feel permeates the law school even more than undergrad. I like the idea of being in class with a more diverse student body. and of course think I would be happier living with my SO in the city where i attend law school, and therefore have better grades. I also like the idea of not having to commute to atl for internships. BUT...

I am afraid that going to GSU will sacrifice opportunities that uga could provide since it has a better reputation in the area. Uga is comparable to Emory and gsu just does not have that status. The lawyer I interned for in Athens says uga hands down (but he went there and practices there). Lawyers in atl have told me to go to gsu (not in comparison to uga, but just when I mention that I will be attending law school).

In summary:
Has anyone tried commuting?
Is a higher class rank at GSU better than lower at UGA?
Would love to hear details from others in similar situation:-)

Sounds like you want UGA, so go UGA. Not saying 15K isn't a good chunk of change to pay back, but in overall terms of career goals 15k in probably manageable.

Really? From that post I was thinking "You want to go to GSU, so go to GSU" lol! OP prefers Atlanta and the proximity to her SO. Not to mention it is cheaper and they probably already have the Atlanta ties to make a GSU degree worth having.

I also went undergrad for 4 years in UGA and I'm probably going to attend Emory this coming fall. I completely agree with you that Atlanta > Athens in terms of interesting location to live, but it's also much more expensive.

UGA law is a better school than GSU, and better employment aspect within GA so you'd have to be crazy to choose GSU over UGA law. Thank god I don't have to attend another 3 years in Athens lol.