Wake vs. UNC Forum

[ThisTown23]

I have ties to the VA and NC Currently Accepted to: UNC - Half Scholarship, Wake Forest - 3/4s Scholarship, GMU - 3/4s Scholarship, Richmond - About 3/4s Scholarship

Still waiting to hear back from: Duke, UVA, Georgetown

Denied: UPenn, Harvard

Undergrad at George Mason. Currently working Lower Management at a Mid - Size Government Contract firm. Live in NOVA - Va Residency

164/3.6 Strong Softs

[The Dark Shepard]

You need to retake. Even assuming you want to end up in Virgina or North Carolina, a few LSAT points make Duke and UVA real options, and these two schools should be free

[Rigo]

Can you give us the cost of attendance for each school, including both tuition and other expenses totaled for the three years?

[butlerraider1]

Can you give us the cost of attendance for each school, including both tuition and other expenses totaled for the three years?

Yeah the scholarship numbers are pretty useless without knowing what the COA would be for each school.

[ThisTown23]

Wake Forest - Tuition 42,738 - Scholarships 35,000 - Estimated Other costs 21,412 --- COA 29,776

UNC - Tuition 39,192 - Scholarship 19,00 - Estimated Other costs 24,910 --- COA 45,102

George Mason - Tuition (In State) 25,350 - Scholarship 20,00 - Estimated Other costs 23,384
--- COA 28,734

I will be able to pay tuition out of pocket and my fiancee will help off set my cost of living.

[Rigo]

Would you rather stay in NOVA for school and practice in Virginia or go to North Carolina and practice there?

You should definitely negotiate and try to get all the prices down.

Also, what are your career goals?

[ThisTown23]

Would you rather stay in NOVA for school and practice in Virginia or go to North Carolina and practice there?

You should definitely negotiate and try to get all the prices down.

Also, what are your career goals?

I love DC. I'm not a fan of the Traffic or the cost of living inside the beltway. It would be nice to move out to a smaller city. But I am okay with either place.

Agreed on the negotiation I think there is room for these schools to move down.

My career goals are I would like to work in a mid/large corporate practice and/or mid/large business general counsels office. I have had a number of demanding jobs and understand the rigors of 70+ hours a week in a high stress environment. I am going to law school because I really like the challenge legal work provides and I want to be busy. I like fast paced work.

[Rigo]

My career goals are I would like to work in a mid/large corporate practice and/or mid/large business general counsels office. I have had a number of demanding jobs and understand the rigors of 70+ hours a week in a high stress environment. I am going to law school because I really like the challenge legal work provides and I want to be busy. I like fast paced work.

Unfortunately, biglaw isn't likely out of any of the schools you've been admitted to.

[Nomo]

Mid/large corporate practice and mid/large business general counsels office are pretty unlikely out of either school. I don't think you should go to law school at this time if these are your goals. Maybe if you can get a better LSAT, or if the applicant pool continues to shrink these options will make more sense.

[romothesavior]

My career goals are I would like to work in a mid/large corporate practice and/or mid/large business general counsels office. I have had a number of demanding jobs and understand the rigors of 70+ hours a week in a high stress environment. I am going to law school because I really like the challenge legal work provides and I want to be busy. I like fast paced work.

Unfortunately, biglaw isn't likely out of any of the schools you've been admitted to.

+1. You probably need to adjust your goals and be okay with smaller firm work, or retake for a higher ranked school.

Also, have you tried negotiating those scholarships?

[Dr. Review]

Wake Forest - Tuition 42,738 - Scholarships 35,000 - Estimated Other costs 21,412 --- COA 29,776

UNC - Tuition 39,192 - Scholarship 19,00 - Estimated Other costs 24,910 --- COA 45,102

George Mason - Tuition (In State) 25,350 - Scholarship 20,00 - Estimated Other costs 23,384
--- COA 28,734

I will be able to pay tuition out of pocket and my fiancee will help off set my cost of living.

If you are looking at paying 30-45k PER YEAR for either of UNC or Wake, I would strongly reconsider. I wouldn't go to George Mason if they paid me. Even NC midlaw firms (firms outside the AmLaw 100 but inside the NLJ 250/350) don't dip much below top 5-10%, if they even go that low. You'll want to be able to service your debt on lower than 100k/yr income.

[AT9]

Wake student here. I would go to whichever of UNC/Wake is cheaper generally. I think Wake might place a little better outside of NC and UNC may place better within NC, but some of that may be self selection.

However, I wouldn't go to either for the $90-100k+ you'll be racking up in debt for either school. Hopefully you can negotiate them down to 60-80 total COA, but that's the max I'd consider.

[BigZuck]

You want to work big law in a moderate sized city?

I'm not sure what you want exists and if it does it would be very hard to get from these schools

If you want big law, go to a T14. That's what they are there for.

[Dr. Review]

You want to work big law in a moderate sized city?

I'm not sure what you want exists and if it does it would be very hard to get from these schools

If you want big law, go to a T14. That's what they are there for.

There are biglaw offices in Raleigh, Charlotte and Winston-Salem, they're just going to be tough to get into from UNC/Wake outside of the top 5-10%.

[BigZuck]

You want to work big law in a moderate sized city?

I'm not sure what you want exists and if it does it would be very hard to get from these schools

If you want big law, go to a T14. That's what they are there for.

There are biglaw offices in Raleigh, Charlotte and Winston-Salem, they're just going to be tough to get into from UNC/Wake outside of the top 5-10%.

Right

Wasn't sure if he wanted "small city" or "smaller than DC."

Also most of these unless you, like, bink a Dechert or something, won't be the big ass big law bucks (although obviously still good for the COL in the area).

But yeah, agreed, main point being its tough to finish top 10% and even that might not do it.

[FlamingDragon]

Agree with above re: biglaw placement - don't go to UNC or wake without full scholarship if that is your end goal. The top firms in Charlotte and Atlanta will really require top 5% at either with law review to be seriously considered, given strong competition from Duke and UVA, as well as other Top T14s and Vandy coming into these smaller markets. Biglaw classes in Charlotte and Raleigh are great opportunities but are quite small, ranging from 2 or 3 up to 8 or 9 at the bigger places in Charlotte and Raleigh, so those spots (more offers than spots of course go out) dry up very quickly.

[lawschoolbound94]

I would go with whichever is cheaper. Unless you are set on Duke, or one of the others, then retake might be your option.

Another thing that matters is where you want to work. VA or NC?

[irish921]

I would go with whichever is cheaper. Unless you are set on Duke, or one of the others, then retake might be your option.

Another thing that matters is where you want to work. VA or NC?

TCR