Top Law Schools

Need to figure this out in the next 60 hours or so (while admittedly still waiting to hear from Northwestern)...

In at Berkeley and Michigan (seriously unbelievable)
I basically have said since day 1 that I would go to Michigan over Berkeley but over the past two weeks I have started to commit myself to Berkeley since I hadn't heard from UM. Looking for housing, talking to people, looking at classes, etc. has somewhat made me second guess everything and I want to make as informed decision as possible (and the right one, for me).

Basic info:
[*] I currently go to a Chicago T2, meaning I live in Chicago and work in Chicago this summer. My SO lives in Chicago, all my friends live in Chicago. I want to eventually work here.
[*] I basically want big law, for at least a couple years, just to pay off massive loans.
[*] Academia would be my ideal job but I am realistic when it comes to that.
[*] I dont know anyone that goes to either school, nor have I visited either. Obviously I won't be able to by the deadline Thursday.
[*] Michigan is obviously logistically easier as I wouldn't have to drive my stuff as far, be as far from home, would be able to go and look at housing prior to signing it, etc. etc.
[*] I really have no interest in any certain area of law such as International Law or IP or any other specialty.

Thats about it. As you can tell I am leaning towards Michigan and pretty much have been all along. If not for the 3-4 week period that I was only accepted at Berk, I probably wouldn't make this poll. If any other information would be helpful, let me know and I'll add it. I am legitimately just looking for help to ensure I don't make the completely wrong decision.

Thanks.

both are great schools, so i guess you can't really go wrong. but don't underestimate the value of having family/friends within easy (ish) driving distance. I am guessing since you mentioned it, they are important to you. Michigan is good for Chicago, I think it makes sense, but that's just me. good luck!

i vote Mich. However, you will get into Northwestern.
Have fun at NW.

Sounds like you have numerous ties to the Midwest. I was considering both schools this past spring, and visited both.

Berkeley was pretty fabulous in most respects. CA economy, rising tuition, and high COL in NoCal raised a few red flags, as did the physical space of Boalt, which upon seeing it you will realize why they don't post any useful pics of the place on their website.

Michigan had a great vibe as well. Ann Arbor was reasonably cheap (not as cheap as I had expected though), and is a relatively short drive to Chicago. At UM, the law school really seems to be the crown jewel of the university.

Students I talked to seemed happy at both schools. Both are comparable in terms of employment options, although some say that Berkeley's grading system leaves room for too much ambiguity outside of the top 30-40%. If you're sure you want to return to the Midwest, UM, not question. Both schools place nationally, but you'll find far, far more Michigan grads in the Midwest.

I vote M.

Yea I would say Michigan for sure and hold out for Northwestern. However, I am a bit biased as I went to Michigan undergrad and loved the experience. I really think it will make you happier there and it gives you more time to hear from NW.


Another plus is you can hop on Megabus really easy and get to Chicago if you don't want to drive that trip too much.

I vote Mich too. According to info leaked in the legal employment forum, Michigan is getting about twice as many firm offices at its OCI compared to Boalt. There's also a higher percentage of Chicago offices going to Mich, so bidding should be easier there.

Mich sounds like the right choice for you, based on what you said

Have you thought about contacting NW to tell them they are your No. 1 but that you have deadlines forthcoming?

Go to Boalt. Withdraw from UM so a spot can open up for me to be accepted.
Anyways, sounds like UM would be the better decision of the two for you in all honesty.

thechee wrote:Sounds like you have numerous ties to the Midwest. I was considering both schools this past spring, and visited both.

Berkeley was pretty fabulous in most respects. CA economy, rising tuition, and high COL in NoCal raised a few red flags, as did the physical space of Boalt, which upon seeing it you will realize why they don't post any useful pics of the place on their website.

Michigan had a great vibe as well. Ann Arbor was reasonably cheap (not as cheap as I had expected though), and is a relatively short drive to Chicago. At UM, the law school really seems to be the crown jewel of the university.

Students I talked to seemed happy at both schools. Both are comparable in terms of employment options, although some say that Berkeley's grading system leaves room for too much ambiguity outside of the top 30-40%. If you're sure you want to return to the Midwest, UM, not question. Both schools place nationally, but you'll find far, far more Michigan grads in the Midwest.

I vote M.

I was looking at both these schools this year (as an 0L) and had very similar impressions to thechee (ended up at neither one, but that is a different story). SF and the Bay Area are awesome, but I was definitely underwhelmed by Berkeley and the Boalt Hall facilities. I also had concerns about the CA economy.

Mich was great when I visited. There was a palpable difference in the attitudes of the professors in terms of how much more interested and eager they were to interact with prospective students. I had mixed feelings about Ann Arbor but I think it would be just fine. Definitely when I was looking at nicer apartments it didn't seem nearly as cheap as expected. Mich overall just had a better vibe, and did a much better job of selling themselves.

A genuine thank you to everyone who voted but even more so to those who gave their insight in the comments.

It looks like Michigan is it. I was pretty set on it, but it's a decision always feels better to have some backing behind it, even if it is just an Internet poll.

Anyone else with an opinion, feel free to comment or Pm me. I will be making my final decision in the next 36 hours.

I voted UMich. Just to comment on Ann arbor, it is consistently ranked as one of, if not the best, college towns. In short, it's an amazing place. Second, it is not a cheap place to live unless you are nowhere near the campus or are in the worst house/apartment ever. But, like the previous poster, I am just a bit biased by my own UM experience.