Am I crazy for considering staying? UF vs. Harvard Forum

[InRemington]

If its IP you want then UF is not the place.

How so? They don't invent new things in Florida anymore?

Yup, oranges already invented brah.

[JCougar]

I know people that turned down a UF acceptance and left the state to go to a more prestigious school that wish they would have just stayed in FL. FL is full of UF alumni at every Biglaw firm and probably a plurality (if not outright majority) of judges on the bench.

How much more prestigious are we talking here? T25? T14? Or was it HYS? Because I can see someone regretting T25, maybe even T14, but I'd be surprised if someone regretted an HYS transfer after the fact.

The people I was thinking about in particular went to two different T25 (but not T14) schools, so no, it was not Harvard.

But the point is that the UF alumni network in FL is very, very strong, and it trumps at least a non-negligible amount of national "prestige." Obviously, Harvard is a special case in this regard, and OP is in a situation where he can't really lose either way. But the question was "is he crazy for wanting to stay at UF," and the answer is clearly that he wouldn't be crazy if that's what he really wanted to do.

[JCougar]

I mean that some law schools offer merit-based scholarships in order to buy your LSAT and uGPA numbers. After that, they don't care if you drop out a week later.

This is so true.

Law school administrations care about two things: 1) maximizing revenues and 2) moving up in US News. Once you make it past something like October 1 at your law school, your scores count toward the school's medians. After that, goal #2 is accomplished, and it drops out of the picture. They then focus on #1, and they mostly don't give a flying fuck if you transfer out, because there's always fresh meat from one of Florida's many Tier 5 schools willing to transfer in and pay full price--and possibly even better for them, a transfer from out of state.

One of the best reasons to actually transfer is the possibility that you don't retain your #1 status over the next two years. At this point, transferring to Harvard is in a way like cashing out your chips while you are ahead. Even if you get only decent grades from there on out, you still have banked the Harvard name on your resume, whereas #1 at Florida is not guaranteed to be true two years from now.

[transferror]

At this point, transferring to Harvard is in a way like cashing out your chips while you are ahead. Even if you get only decent grades from there on out, you still have banked the Harvard name on your resume, whereas #1 at Florida is not guaranteed to be true two years from now.

That's ridiculous, everyone knows law school is tournament style. OP is chip leader and needs to ride it out till s/he's in the money.

[NYSprague]

The thing is that for your second job, no one will care that you were number one at UF after your 1L year. They will care what you were ranked when you graduate. In skimming resumes, it is not uncommon to put some into the harder look file by school alone, and others only if the person has tip-top honors. Coasting at UF for the next two years is not an option, while OP could probably coast at Harvard.

If you look at my post history, I'm not a huge fan of taking out debt even for HYS. In this case, though I would lean toward transferring. OP does not have a full ride and is at a school with very spotty employment outcomes. Staying at number one is far from given and there are a lot of scenarios where OP could wind up in a bad spot. Harvard would significantly reduce the chance for a terrible outcome, for a price.

OP, make sure you aren't confusing comfort for happiness. Moving and starting a new social network is intimidating when you have successfully carved out a space you like. But do you really think you will be happier staying at UF than going to Harvard, or are you just not seeing past the next few months that will probably suck. In other words, does your analysis compare UF today with Harvard in the first few weeks, or do you really think you can't carve out a life that could be just as, if not more, enjoyable than the one you have now.

I don't think either decision is bad, but I would probably cash in on Harvard now rather than risk falling down in class rankings and maybe put into a bad spot come 3L or later.

This.

[Jchance]

HLS degree for $100K extra is a bargain, I'd transfer.

[CoffeeIsLife]

HLS degree for $100K extra is a bargain, I'd transfer.

In what world is $100K of pre-interest debt a bargain? I'm not saying he should stay or go but I don't see how that much money is a bargain.

[chizzy]

The thing is that for your second job, no one will care that you were number one at UF after your 1L year. They will care what you were ranked when you graduate. In skimming resumes, it is not uncommon to put some into the harder look file by school alone, and others only if the person has tip-top honors. Coasting at UF for the next two years is not an option, while OP could probably coast at Harvard.

If you look at my post history, I'm not a huge fan of taking out debt even for HYS. In this case, though I would lean toward transferring. OP does not have a full ride and is at a school with very spotty employment outcomes. Staying at number one is far from given and there are a lot of scenarios where OP could wind up in a bad spot. Harvard would significantly reduce the chance for a terrible outcome, for a price.

OP, make sure you aren't confusing comfort for happiness. Moving and starting a new social network is intimidating when you have successfully carved out a space you like. But do you really think you will be happier staying at UF than going to Harvard, or are you just not seeing past the next few months that will probably suck. In other words, does your analysis compare UF today with Harvard in the first few weeks, or do you really think you can't carve out a life that could be just as, if not more, enjoyable than the one you have now.

I don't think either decision is bad, but I would probably cash in on Harvard now rather than risk falling down in class rankings and maybe put into a bad spot come 3L or later.

+10000

[hawk5]

I mean that some law schools offer merit-based scholarships in order to buy your LSAT and uGPA numbers. After that, they don't care if you drop out a week later.

This is so true.

Law school administrations care about two things: 1) maximizing revenues and 2) moving up in US News. Once you make it past something like October 1 at your law school, your scores count toward the school's medians. After that, goal #2 is accomplished, and it drops out of the picture. They then focus on #1, and they mostly don't give a flying fuck if you transfer out, because there's always fresh meat from one of Florida's many Tier 5 schools willing to transfer in and pay full price--and possibly even better for them, a transfer from out of state.

Yeah, but are any of those Tier 5 transfers going to be competitive for clerkships? You would think they would also want to improve upon their Biglaw and Clerkship placement numbers. I can't see how losing their #1 student over a few thousand dollars would help that goal at all. I don't doubt their not concerned about this, but they really should be. I guess the logic is that someone new just becomes #1.

[JCougar]

Yeah, but are any of those Tier 5 transfers going to be competitive for clerkships? You would think they would also want to improve upon their Biglaw and Clerkship placement numbers. I can't see how losing their #1 student over a few thousand dollars would help that goal at all. I don't doubt there not concerned out this, but they really should be. I guess the logic is that someone new just becomes #1.

Clerkships don't count for US News, and while they'd probably be okay with their potential clerks staying, no one's really interested in paying you more to do so, especially when replacing you with an inbound transfer means more cross-subsidized tuition that they can use to pay for new merit scholarships to keep their LSAT median up.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

I think it's amazing--in a good way--that this thread is so long. Even a year ago on TLS this would be a one page thread saying "go to Harvard, are you crazy?"

[rad lulz]

.

[heavoldgotjuice]

So OP what did you do

[Cicero76]

So OP what did you do

[FuturePanhandler]

Top of the class at UF opens every single door in the state that Harvard can open.

I don't know what makes you so sure of that.

Bc I am a lawyer here

So you must know everything about "every single door in the state"

[SLS_AMG]

Happiness is worth way more than prestige.

[chizzy]

So OP what did you do

[Sicsofs]

You all know what he did....he sent Harvard that check. He may be CRAZY, but i doubt he is stupid.

[jbagelboy]

You all know what he did....he sent Harvard that check. He may be CRAZY, but i doubt he is stupid.

mayhaps, but this OP seemed to genuinely love UF and he had several fellow students dropping in with testimonials

[northwood]

maybe he decided staying home was better than going to H-landfor a 2 year experience and then returning home.

[rad lulz]

.

[heavoldgotjuice]

I don't know what makes you so sure of that.[/quote]
Bc I am a lawyer here[/quote]


So you must know everything about "every single door in the state"[/quote]
Don't be a retard[/quote]


born, raised, and attending law school in florida as well, i think that being number 1 in UF will open many doors; however, given the market, i wouldn't be surprised to see a #1 UF lose out to a top 1-15%'er from UMiami in Miami due to connections/alumni/"drinks at the bar" shit. also, as pointed out by others, it's not a given that OP will retain #1 status for 2 more years (although it may be plausible).

anyway, still fuckin curious

[jbagelboy]

So you must know everything about "every single door in the state"

Don't be a retard

rad lulz descends from a long line of distinguished Florida door-makers. They came with the Spanish in 1702 and have run a door-making shop, which has grown from a small establishment to a sizeable but just-beneath-the-radar empire, near st augustine since 1710. He has personally overseen the commissioning and installation of over ten thousand doors in the sunshine state, and without a doubt can testify to the number, rate and ease of passage of each harvard and UF grad that has been blessed to walk through them.

what, you didn't know?

I fucking hate the door metaphor so fucking much on this forum

[igo2northwestern]

So OP what did you do

Lol spit it out, OP. We expanded this thread to Six Pages. I've never seen an X or Y Law School thread span this many pages.

[foundingfather]

OP went to Cleveland to play for the Cavs