UMiami vs. Temple Forum

[Agentsoapbox]

So I got into both Temple and UMiami, and I just can't decide between the both of them.

On the one hand, Temple's tuition is 35k a year. I recieved the Beasley scholarship for 30k a year contingent on my placing in the top two-thirds of the class. This is a pretty generous scholarship which is almost a full ride really.

I also got into UMiami with 30k a year contingent on being in the top half of the class. UMiami's tuition is about 42k a year.

Here's the deal: I would really like to work in DC. I'm hoping that Temple has legs just long enough to get me to DC. It's only about 2 hours away. I know the numbers don't show that but then again, I don't know that people who go to Temple want to work in DC. So I don't know if the low numbers is for lack of interest or lack of opportunity.

On the other hand, if I had to choose between living in Miami and Philadelphia for the rest of my life, I'd pick Miami. I have my family down here and I already have an awesome group of friends, a church and an awesome apartment in an amazing neighborhood just a stone's throw from UM.

Then again, everyone tells me I should broaden my horizons and go away for school. That since I've lived my whole life in Miami and even did my undergrad here, I should go do my graduate school somewhere else. I'm just so scared that I'm going to be miserable up in philadelphia. Miami is such an awesome place. Then again, it could be underwater in a few years.


Please make your best arguments for each option

[TheSpanishMain]

Temple doesn't provide a meaningful chance of DC. DC does not suffer from a lack of interest. There are a LOT of lawyers who want to work there.

If you have roots in Miami and like it, you should probably stay there and negotiate with Miami to try to wring as much money as possible out of them. If you really, really want DC you should probably sit out and retake.

[deadpanic]

Neither are good options for DC.

Temple is not bad if you are from there or have some other ties there, but seeing as how you don't, I wouldn't consider it. Law school is not the place to just just go away and experience new places. That shit is for undergrad when you can study abroad or something. Most law schools essentially lock you into that region for the foreseeable future.

Since you have ties to Miami and a decent scholarship, I would pick the U, but drop out if you lose the scholarship. Isn't Miami notorious for section stacking and having a bunch lose their schollies? Might want to look into that.

Miami seems like a clear winner in your case if you want to be in Miami. If you want to be in DC, retake for T14.

[North]

There are plenty of people at T14s who want DC and aren't going to get it. You won't be getting DC out of these schools. Negotiate that stip off of Miami's offer, then negotiate for more money, then go to UM. I wouldn't go if they don't drop the stip. 50% chance of paying sticker at UM? Bad, bad idea. Retake if that ends up being the case. Don't got to a random school in Pennsylvania because it's close to DC. That's crazy. Withdraw from there ASAP. Regional school for free where you have ties is TCR. That's Miami for you, but it's not quite free yet. Get it there and you're good to go.

ETA: Just want to be clear that, if you were to go to UM, it would be to work in Miami. If you actually want DC, then it's time to retake for a 170+.

[radikal_eyes]

There is a possibility of working in DC from UM, albeit a non-significant one. That being said, TCR is to either re-take or to negotiate for a larger scholly with no stipulations at UM.

Temple is a non-starter.

[californiauser]

even for free these are really bad options for your goal

[tampadave]

I am a practicing lawyer in Washington, DC.

My daughter will be attending The University of Miami School of Law.

I've met more Temple grads than Miami grads in DC. Ivy League grads dominate the DC landscape, but you obviously get a lot of Georgetown and GW grads who stay in town after graduation. Miami seems to be more of a regional school by reputation, at least in DC. My daughter wants to stay in south Florida, so her choice of Miami was easy. If you want DC, however, you might give more thought to Temple. There are quite a few people here who attended Temple in their undergraduate years. Many work with the feds.

If you can squeeze into Georgetown or GW, do it. Catholic has an okay reputation here, but American less so. George Mason does well in the DC area, most notably in Northern Virginia. Something must be said about the money differential. Your deal at Temple sounds pretty decent compared to Miami. All told, if Miami and Temple are your only choices with your mind set on DC, Temple makes more sense. Always remember, neither school is comparable to Georgetown, GW, Ivy League, etc.

[Agentsoapbox]

Hey, thanks for the reply.

I applied to GW and Catholic as well. Also UMaryland.

GW doesn't look likely.

Catholic is very likely but I don't think the $$$ will be as good as Temple. Not to mention that I'm LGBT and I don't know that Catholic will be the most hospitable environment.

I'm still waiting to hear back from UMaryland. But again, I don't expect aid to be as generous.

Best of luck to your daughter!

[Mack.Hambleton]

You really need to retake that 161

[goldenboy514]

While I think that temple with a beasley isn't a bad deal at all, I think you have to be ok with doing small/midsize work in Philly if you go there.
As for Miami, Im not exactly sure how the Florida market is, but from what I've gathered, it is oversaturated and has a plethora of comparable schools vying for jobs. That being said, if you are adamant about working in DC, I would retake that 161 and get it up to a 165 at least. Then, you could get a nice scholly from GW or GULC. That opens up alot more doors and give you a better shot at DC.

Edit: get a nice scholly from gw or get into gulc

[CanadianWolf]

Family, friends & a great living environment versus a better scholarship, living in Philadelphia & a slightly better chance for getting a position in DC. Have you visited Temple, North Philly or Philadelphia ? If not, rest assured that it is not made up of beautiful beaches & sunshine.

[Agentsoapbox]

While I think that temple with a beasley isn't a bad deal at all, I think you have to be ok with doing small/midsize work in Philly if you go there.
As for Miami, Im not exactly sure how the Florida market is, but from what I've gathered, it is oversaturated and has a plethora of comparable schools vying for jobs. \

If you consider BigLaw as being firms with over 100 lawyers, then Temple has slightly higher numbers. However, UM has more students getting jobs at 500+ lawyer firms like Greenberg Taurig.

Over saturated? I don't know that the NYC-DC corridor is any less saturated especially with the competition of schools like Cornell, GW, Gtown, NYU, Columbia, Penn and UVA in the area. There are probably more law schools in that little area than there are in the rest of the country. Here in Fl we have FSU, UF which are the heavy hitters, and then UM which is a big one in Miami. FIU (my undergrad) has a promising law school in Miami but it's a newer school. But then we have Stetson. And Barry and Fl Coastal and Ave Maria which are jokes!

Sure Miami has great schools to the north like UF and FSU... but since we're IN miami we're the ones that will have jobs during 2l or 3l at local firms or interning with ADAs in the spring of 3L and such. I didn't even bother applying to UF though I might have had a chance at getting in.

UMiami is in ATL's list of top 50 schools. Temple is not. But Temple's aid is much much nicer.

[TheSpanishMain]

Catholic is very likely but I don't think the $$$ will be as good as Temple. Not to mention that I'm LGBT and I don't know that Catholic will be the most hospitable environment.

I'm still waiting to hear back from UMaryland. But again, I don't expect aid to be as generous.

Don't worry about Catholic from an LGBT standpoint. Worry about it from a jobs standpoint.

[goldenboy514]

While I think that temple with a beasley isn't a bad deal at all, I think you have to be ok with doing small/midsize work in Philly if you go there.
As for Miami, Im not exactly sure how the Florida market is, but from what I've gathered, it is oversaturated and has a plethora of comparable schools vying for jobs. \

Over saturated? I don't know that the NYC-DC corridor is any less saturated especially with the competition of schools like Cornell, GW, Gtown, NYU, Columbia, Penn and UVA in the area. There are probably more law schools in that little area than there are in the rest of the country. Here in Fl we have FSU, UF which are the heavy hitters, and then UM which is a big one in Miami. FIU (my undergrad) has a promising law school in Miami but it's a newer school. But then we have Stetson. And Barry and Fl Coastal and Ave Maria which are jokes!

Don't compare NYC/DC job markets to florida, there not even close. Students flock to those areas and that is where the majority of business is in the country. Florida has the 3rd largest amount of students graduating in the country, and the majority of students from all of the fla schools aren't going to DC and NYC. The FLA degrees don't transport well, and that huge class of students from Florida are fighting for jobs in Florida. Also, the jobs in the DC/NYC market are sought after jobs that many students across the whole nation want. The Florida jobs are not high paying glorious jobs.

All one has to do is drive through Jacksonville and take note how every other billboard is for a medmal lawyer or a PI (not the good kind of PI) lawyer advertisement.