UF vs. FSU: 36 hours to decide Forum

[Burgstaller04]

I realize that most states don't have the luxury of having two, almost equally rated, state schools. Is there any noticable difference between the 2 except for an alumni bias?

[98234872348]

UF. for sure. Although, I may be a bit biased since I did part of my undergrad there

In all seriousness, it sounds like your rent is the only thing really tying you to FSU. If you want to be a Gator, and you have free rent in G-ville, I say go with your dream. You won't wonder "what if" for the rest of your life. Plus, a UF degree does (if ever so slightly) go farther in Florida. Good luck!

I think it really only "goes farther" in the sense that you will have a marginally larger alumni network to access. Other than that the schools are on par on almost every level (there are obvious QOL and other minutia that will affect the individual's decision; but in terms of job prospects, UF and FSU are virtually identical).

[MJMD]

I realize that most states don't have the luxury of having two, almost equally rated, state schools. Is there any noticable difference between the 2 except for an alumni bias?

I know about the UF even up here in Canada because of their amazing LL.M. in Tax Law. Although I've been told that that doesn't necessarily confer an advantage at the J.D. level, being internationally reknowned for something can't hurt.

[Mitch McDeere]

I realize that most states don't have the luxury of having two, almost equally rated, state schools. Is there any noticable difference between the 2 except for an alumni bias?

Aside from the alumni base, from what I gather, the only meaningful differences are in terms of some smaller factors and intangibles. Things like:

Location- To me FSU has the edge, being in the capital and with a relatively large number of firms in the city. I'll concede that some parts of the city seem a little rough, but for the most part it's a pretty nice place. Neither school is in a "major" city.

School atmosphere- FSU wins again. You will be hard pressed to find someone who has anything but great things to say about the atmosphere/people at fsu law. I haven't really heard anything bad about UF, but I haven't talked to or heard of anyone at UF as enthusiastic about their time there as the vast majority of people at FSU (this includes everyone from students to professors to administrators). Most of the people that I know who ended up choosing FSU over UF cited this as the main reason.

"Type" of school- If biglaw is your goal, UF is miles ahead of FSU. However, biglaw in the traditional sense is gonna be hard to come by from either school. FSU seems to attract more people interested in public interest and government work than UF, but most people from both schools end up in the private sector. FSU is known for Environmental law, UF for Tax. Also, UF has much larger class sizes.

Campus- people are probably gonna have differing opinions, but I like FSU better. UF wins when it comes to the library, FSU wins when it comes to court building (they will have the First DCA building ready for moot court/mock trial by next year, I think). Architecture in general is nicer at Florida State IMO.

Name recognition- UF wins, largely due to their alumni base and sports teams. Hopefully that changes this year.....

I'd say, when deciding between these two schools, it really comes down to personal preference. There's really no wrong choice no matter what your goals. If you have no personal preference, I would probably say pick UF.

[Grizz]

If you must, go to UF law. However, I highly reccomend retaking and reapplying. The schools are just ok (barely above average).

not for people who want to practice in fl

Yea its fine, especially since he has free rent, but its not that great. If you go to a t14, then you will have a better shot at landing a good job in Florida because of the national reach

If you're biglaw or bust, then yes, go to T20ish, but if not, go to UF for cheap.

[98234872348]

If you must, go to UF law. However, I highly reccomend retaking and reapplying. The schools are just ok (barely above average).

not for people who want to practice in fl

Yea its fine, especially since he has free rent, but its not that great. If you go to a t14, then you will have a better shot at landing a good job in Florida because of the national reach

If you're biglaw or bust, then yes, go to T2010ish, but if not, go to UF for cheap.

ftfy.

[Barbie]

I realize that most states don't have the luxury of having two, almost equally rated, state schools. Is there any noticable difference between the 2 except for an alumni bias?

Aside from the alumni base, from what I gather, the only meaningful differences are in terms of some smaller factors and intangibles. Things like:

Location- To me FSU has the edge, being in the capital and with a relatively large number of firms in the city. I'll concede that some parts of the city seem a little rough, but for the most part it's a pretty nice place. Neither school is in a "major" city.

School atmosphere- FSU wins again. You will be hard pressed to find someone who has anything but great things to say about the atmosphere/people at fsu law. I haven't really heard anything bad about UF, but I haven't talked to or heard of anyone at UF as enthusiastic about their time there as the vast majority of people at FSU (this includes everyone from students to professors to administrators). Most of the people that I know who ended up choosing FSU over UF cited this as the main reason.

"Type" of school- If biglaw is your goal, UF is miles ahead of FSU. However, biglaw in the traditional sense is gonna be hard to come by from either school. FSU seems to attract more people interested in public interest and government work than UF, but most people from both schools end up in the private sector. FSU is known for Environmental law, UF for Tax. Also, UF has much larger class sizes.

Campus- people are probably gonna have differing opinions, but I like FSU better. UF wins when it comes to the library, FSU wins when it comes to court building (they will have the First DCA building ready for moot court/mock trial by next year, I think). Architecture in general is nicer at Florida State IMO.

Name recognition- UF wins, largely due to their alumni base and sports teams. Hopefully that changes this year.....

I'd say, when deciding between these two schools, it really comes down to personal preference. There's really no wrong choice no matter what your goals. If you have no personal preference, I would probably say pick UF.

solid lay out!! this even helps me get a clear image of it all. all of your opinions are the same ones i have too

[northwood]

Live your dream! Go to UF. Sublet your apartment, find another one this weekend, and get some friends to help you pack and move! The only reason that I could see staying would be for scholarship reasons. Congrats and best of luck!

[ram jam]

The obvious choice is UF.

[pkpop]

I'm surprised nobody asked OP if he has any scholarship to FSU. I think the decision would be really simple if both schools are sticker. But $$$ at FSU might make things more competitive.

I say dream school + relatively cheap COL (free rent?) + stronger program all points to UF.

[useruseruser]

A couple of additional tidbits:

There is no way I'll be able to arrange for a sublet (just take my word for it).

I've got no $$$ @ FSU

I've lived in Gainesville all my life and could see my pre-law school habits/friends as a detriment to my studies and networking.

I most likely will not be able to live rent free past this year.

[Barbie]

A couple of additional tidbits:

There is no way I'll be able to arrange for a sublet (just take my word for it).

I've got no $$$ @ FSU

I've lived in Gainesville all my life and could see my pre-law school habits/friends as a detriment to my studies and networking.

I most likely will not be able to live rent free past this year.

using the lay out above, what do you think? the social aspects of FSU law are what draws me there, but if you fear habits/friends as detrimental then idk if that perk applies. do you feel good while your there? does it feel right? i think thats what you need ot think about. and, will you regret it if you dont jump at the chance to go to UF?

[skoobily doobily]

A couple of additional tidbits:

There is no way I'll be able to arrange for a sublet (just take my word for it).

I've got no $$$ @ FSU

I've lived in Gainesville all my life and could see my pre-law school habits/friends as a detriment to my studies and networking.

I most likely will not be able to live rent free past this year.

If you think that staying in Gainesville is going to be a detriment from your studying, then by all means go to FSU. I feel like a passed some classes in UG at FSU just because I loved laying around on landis field so much.

Both are great schools, pretty much all of the advice in this thread is credited. If it's your dream school then I don't see any reason to go to FSU instead.

[lawschool2014]

What was your LSAT score? Did you apply to any t14s?

[Grizz]

What was your LSAT score? Did you apply to any t14s?

I agree with you generally, but stop saying T14 as if it's the be-all and end-all.

[Barbie]

What was your LSAT score? Did you apply to any t14s?

uuuuuuughhhhhh stfu

[98234872348]

What was your LSAT score? Did you apply to any t14s?

uuuuuuughhhhhh stfu

As much as I am sure it sounds better to ignore this, it is credited advice. Better schools give you a substantially better chance of landing a solid job out of school. Period.

[lawschool2014]

What was your LSAT score? Did you apply to any t14s?

uuuuuuughhhhhh stfu

Barbie

What's the deal? It's a legit question.

[Barbie]

What was your LSAT score? Did you apply to any t14s?

uuuuuuughhhhhh stfu

Barbie

What's the deal? It's a legit question.

the OP is obviously about to enroll.. like, now. he HAS an apt. he just got a seat offer off of a waitlist. its between 2 schools and only 2 schools. there is nooo pt. in talking about the t14s.

[skoobily doobily]

What was your LSAT score? Did you apply to any t14s?

uuuuuuughhhhhh stfu

Barbie

What's the deal? It's a legit question.

the OP is obviously about to enroll.. like, now. he HAS an apt. he just got a seat offer off of a waitlist. its between 2 schools and only 2 schools. there is nooo pt. in talking about the t14s.

the value of prestige is certainly not something to be taken lightly. but itt it's time for lawschool2014 to just stop posting.

[useruseruser]

What was your LSAT score? Did you apply to any t14s?

For Christ's sake dude, I'm not going to a T14. I'll either be enrolled at UF or FSU in a few hours. Get off it.

[Burgstaller04]

For Christ's sake dude, I'm not going to a T14. I'll either be enrolled at UF or FSU in a few hours. Get off it.

assuming that you've made your decision by now...where are you going?

P.S. if it's not too late, I vote FSU

[Skyhook]

Hope this isn't too late.
For what it's worth, I was very impressed with UF when I went to visit, I liked the atmosphere, facilities, location, campus & city.

I'd be a little concerned about what you've said about pre-law habits/friends.
Remember, you are going to law school for a reason and if you really feel these issues would hinder your goals then that's got to be a major factor.
Tallahassee is 150 miles from Gainesville, so it's not like you'd be abandoning your Gainesville friends completely.
Broadening your experience may be the best avenue.

Let us know what you decide.

[rundoxierun]

Ok I bet you all are going to crush me for saying this.. But the guy wants to live/work in FLORIDA. The marginal value of a T14 degree in Florida is fairly small. On the margin, given his goals, taking out 40k+ in loans per year for a T14 would be a waste.

[eros]

Tallahassee sucks. It really, really sucks. I spent my undergrad at FSU and I couldn't wait to get out of Tallahassee. Florida is also very much a "gator nation" as well. Go to UF.

Maybe so, but one would be hard pressed to claim that Gainesville is preferable in any sense as far as Tally vs. Gville goes...