UGA v UF v Wake Forum

[wvfan14]

I am a frequent visitor of these forums but this is my first post as I have had a tough time narrowing down my school list. I am currently down to these three schools with the last month remaining before seat deposits are due. Here is the situation:

4.0/160 specs
Want to practice/live in the south
Not big law or bust, but would pursue if successful enough
Lean towards corporate law (business degree undergrad) but open to most other areas of interest

I am having a tough time because I am from GA (didn't attend undergrad in the state) and initially felt UGA was at home for me but I am beginning to lean more even between the three. I have been hearing basically that UGA and UF are tremendous regional schools but Wake has a stronger national presence and name. I feel that I would have a great opportunity at any of the three but which degree would carry more weight? So I would appreciate answers based on these two scenarios:

1) Which would you choose if cost was equal based on all the other information I provided?
2) Which would you choose if UF cost $20K for full degree and UGA & Wake cost $50K?

Thanks!

[unsweetened]

If you want to live and work in Georgia, go to UGA. If you want to live and work in Florida, go to UF. If you want to live and work in North Carolina, go to UNC. Wake Forest doesn't have any more national appeal than either of the others.

Many will tell you to retake and not waste your incredible GPA. A couple points higher on the LSAT and you could attend any of those three schools on a full ride or better.

It's VASTLY easier to bring up your LSAT score a few points than it is to finish in the top 20% of your class, which is what you will need if you want BL.

[landshoes]

Yeah, if you want biglaw, you should do better on the LSAT.

[Tls2016]

Do you have a 160? What is "specs"?
You need to study and take or retake the LSAT. Your GPA makes you eligible for consideration at any law school in the country. You could easily get a full ride to your local state school.

You can get biglaw out of state schools but it is much harder because of grade requirements and because the market is much smaller.

[Jags_904]

Definitely retake. When you say $20k for full degree do you mean you will take out $20k in loans total or per year? I have a much worse GPA than you and a much better LSAT and am looking at close to a full ride at UF with an acceptance to 3 T-14s. If you score a 170+ on the LSAT combined with your GPA, you're looking at full rides to some of the T-14s with shots at Yale, Harvard and Stanford. Sit out this cycle, work and save some money, put in significant prep work and crush the LSAT.

[AT9]

Definitely retake.

If not, or if not much improvement, I'd go UGA. Take advantage of your home-state ties.

(I go to Wake btw and looked at all three schools - feel free to PM)

[wvfan14]

Alright so I'm leaning towards doing a retake in June just for grins. I plan on committing to one of these schools at the end of the month and paying deposit. Let's say that I jump to 165-170ish and feel confident that I could pull considerable offers from Vandy, Duke, etc etc. How would the process move from there if I wanted to move forward with that new June score? I would presumably have to back out on my commitment so wouldn't that be looked upon negatively to that particular school? I'd probably spend the off year trying to work in a law-related capacity so how would that be viewed for my year off from school? And how would the application process go for the second time around to some of these schools, like would I have to have all new LORs, personal statements, etc etc? Basically what would I be looking at if I got that higher score and decided to apply next cycle for the more prestigious schools?

[bdb90]

Alright so I'm leaning towards doing a retake in June just for grins. I plan on committing to one of these schools at the end of the month and paying deposit. Let's say that I jump to 165-170ish and feel confident that I could pull considerable offers from Vandy, Duke, etc etc. How would the process move from there if I wanted to move forward with that new June score? I would presumably have to back out on my commitment so wouldn't that be looked upon negatively to that particular school? I'd probably spend the off year trying to work in a law-related capacity so how would that be viewed for my year off from school? And how would the application process go for the second time around to some of these schools, like would I have to have all new LORs, personal statements, etc etc? Basically what would I be looking at if I got that higher score and decided to apply next cycle for the more prestigious schools?

As long as you notify the school that you will not be attending in a respectful way, there will really be no negative impact. That being said, with a 4.0 if you did retake in June and score a 170, why would you care what Wake Forest, UGA, or Florida thought? You will be getting offers and scholarships from UVA, Duke, Vanderbilt, Michigan, etc.

[fliptrip]

Alright so I'm leaning towards doing a retake in June just for grins. I plan on committing to one of these schools at the end of the month and paying deposit. Let's say that I jump to 165-170ish and feel confident that I could pull considerable offers from Vandy, Duke, etc etc. How would the process move from there if I wanted to move forward with that new June score? I would presumably have to back out on my commitment so wouldn't that be looked upon negatively to that particular school? I'd probably spend the off year trying to work in a law-related capacity so how would that be viewed for my year off from school? And how would the application process go for the second time around to some of these schools, like would I have to have all new LORs, personal statements, etc etc? Basically what would I be looking at if I got that higher score and decided to apply next cycle for the more prestigious schools?

As long as you notify the school that you will not be attending in a respectful way, there will really be no negative impact. That being said, with a 4.0 if you did retake in June and score a 170, why would you care what Wake Forest, UGA, or Florida thought? You will be getting offers and scholarships from UVA, Duke, Vanderbilt, Michigan, etc.

If you deposit and bail on a school and don't have some kind of medical or other reason for it (these people do not appreciate "oh hey, I have a better LSAT. I'm outta here!"), consider it a burned bridge at that school. Not that it matters, but the severity of the burn depends on how deep into the summer you bail out. Regardless, you should not consider the school you do that to an option for you going forward. Of course, you shouldn't care because you'll have better options on re-application. This is also not to say that what you're doing is wrong or rare, it's just that schools quite reasonably don't appreciate being left at the altar.

[bdb90]

Alright so I'm leaning towards doing a retake in June just for grins. I plan on committing to one of these schools at the end of the month and paying deposit. Let's say that I jump to 165-170ish and feel confident that I could pull considerable offers from Vandy, Duke, etc etc. How would the process move from there if I wanted to move forward with that new June score? I would presumably have to back out on my commitment so wouldn't that be looked upon negatively to that particular school? I'd probably spend the off year trying to work in a law-related capacity so how would that be viewed for my year off from school? And how would the application process go for the second time around to some of these schools, like would I have to have all new LORs, personal statements, etc etc? Basically what would I be looking at if I got that higher score and decided to apply next cycle for the more prestigious schools?

As long as you notify the school that you will not be attending in a respectful way, there will really be no negative impact. That being said, with a 4.0 if you did retake in June and score a 170, why would you care what Wake Forest, UGA, or Florida thought? You will be getting offers and scholarships from UVA, Duke, Vanderbilt, Michigan, etc.

If you deposit and bail on a school and don't have some kind of medical or other reason for it (these people do not appreciate "oh hey, I have a better LSAT. I'm outta here!"), consider it a burned bridge at that school. Not that it matters, but the severity of the burn depends on how deep into the summer you bail out. Regardless, you should not consider the school you do that to an option for you going forward. Of course, you shouldn't care because you'll have better options on re-application. This is also not to say that what you're doing is wrong or rare, it's just that schools quite reasonably don't appreciate being left at the altar.

I think it depends on the school, I notified about three schools that I couldn't attend after retaking the lsat and was accepted to all of them all over again, and with higher scholarships. All of the schools were top 30 also.

[fliptrip]

^^Well I can't debate your experience. I have only my own and the school I did this to wasn't so welcoming the second time around. It was a t-14 so perhaps that changes things.

But anyway, OP, if you get your LSAT up enough you won't be worrying about any of these schools. You'll be on to bigger fish.

[wvfan14]

So I'm assuming my next cycle application would have to be completely new? Like the LORs wouldn't transfer and my personal statements would need to be rewritten?

Thanks for all the help btw.

[oh lawd]

I've literally never told someone to retake the LSAT in my entire life.

Retake the LSAT. Get the full ride scholarship you deserve.

[lavarman84]

So I'm assuming my next cycle application would have to be completely new? Like the LORs wouldn't transfer and my personal statements would need to be rewritten?

Thanks for all the help btw.

I don't see why that would be the case.

[landshoes]

you can use the same letters of recommendation and personal statement if you want to (you might want to rewrite the personal statement if you're applyng to a school you already applied to)