Top Law Schools

-University of Georgia in Athens, GA vs Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC
-UGA COA= in state tuition (around $20,000) + living expenses (around $20,000)
-WF COA= no tuition + living expenses (around $20,000)
-COA above do NOT include interest & are merely guesses based on scholarships offered
-Will be financing solely through scholarships & loans. Boyfriend & family may help some with living expenses, but I will take on the majority of that burden.
-I'm from South Carolina. No ties in NC. Strong ties in both SC & GA. I want to stay in the south east, preferably in Georgia. Atlanta would be great, though I know it is not the easiest market to crack. However, I have strong ties in the Georgia legal field.
-Interested in criminal law (prosecution) at the moment but have also been toying with the idea of targeting big firms (Atlanta)
-I've taken the LSAT the max number of times; no retake available, so I don't think that information is relevant


Basically, I had my heart set on UGA. I visited for their ASD & fell in love. I immediately began planning my stay in Athens, a summer legal internship in GA, & plans after leaving law school. It really makes sense with my goals & connections. However, I have not received any scholarship money from UGA, and I was notified yesterday that I have been bumped up to a full tuition scholarship at Wake. Obviously, Wake has thrown a wrench in my plans with this very generous offer. I am not as familiar with WF or Winston-Salem (I've never visited the campus or city), and I do not particularly want to work in NC.

WOULD I BE CRAZY TO PAY MORE TO ATTEND UGA SIMPLY BECAUSE I WANT TO STAY IN GEORGIA/LIVE IN ATHENS WHEN WF WOULD GREATLY REDUCE MY DEBT AFTER GRADUATION???? HELP!

Just to be clear, UGA cost=$40k per year, and WF cost=$20k per year?
Also, have you tried negotiating with UGA?

UGA has cult status in ATL. If you want to work in ATL and go anywhere other than UGA or Emory, you're really not doing yourself any favors.

Neither are very good options for your ties and goals

UGA is too much debt at 120k+

WF isn't great if you want to work in GA.

Negotiate with UGA

Decide where you want to work, and go there.

Also, you might not need the max amount of living expense loan - Athens can be pretty cheap.

I have spoken with UGA & they said that they do not currently have funds, but will be happy to reconsider after their seat deposit deadline (the 15th). I'm hoping that this scholarship from Wake, along with several other scholarships, may be persuasive. I obviously do not expect them to match this offer, but I am hopeful that they can alleviate some of the debt.

The only thing that is somewhat shitty is that Wake's deposit deadline is tomorrow (so freaking early). It's hard for me to turn down wf's offer without any response from UGA financially, plus I think holding this offer may help when that March 15th deadline at Georgia arrives. The scholarship increase has been expressed verbally via phone, so I know I really need to solidify it in writing in order to pass along to UGA for negotiation. So, it looks like I will end up biting this $500 fee, which sucks.

If you want big law then retake and aim higher

deadpanic wrote:Neither are very good options for your ties and goals

UGA is too much debt at 120k+

WF isn't great if you want to work in GA.

This

Also neither are good for big law

I personally think UGA is fine for your goals (though obviously T14s would be much better for biglaw). It's just that it's too much...I'm surprised you didn't get more $. I got a near full tuiton at Wake and got in-state plus more money at UGA. Anyway, I'd deposit at both and try to negotiate with UGA to something more reasonable.

I'm at Wake, btw. There are quite a few GA/SC kids here and it's certainly possible to get jobs in those states, but it'll be an uphill battle against students from UGA, Emory, and S. Carolina. I'd only do Wake here if lower debt is a much greater priority than location, but that doesn't seem to be the case for you.

Will wake let you do an externship in Atlanta? If so, I would do both summers in Atlanta and do an externship there either 2L spring or 3L fall. That, plus your connections, should help close the gap on the UGA and Emory students. I also think you'll be able to live cheaper in Winston-Salem than you would in Athens.