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

[speedtracer]

I'm currently #1 at UF and on law review. Last year was one of the best years of my life. In addition to discovering that I enjoy law, I made incredible friends and great connections. I also think that I may want to practice in Florida.

However, as a result of my grades, I decided to try to apply to Harvard and Stanford. I haven't heard back from Stanford yet (which may be the better school anyway, as I want to do IP), but I have until tomorrow (!!) to decide on Harvard. I've bounced back and forth on this all week, going from nearly submitting my acceptance to Harvard to declining it. Currently I'm leaning towards staying. I have a decent, though not full, scholarship to Florida. I really love it here. On one hand, it seems strange to give all that up, incur $100k in debt, and go to Harvard, particularly since I'd probably return to Florida after, and I wouldn't be on law review at Harvard. On the other hand, it seems strange to turn down Harvard, particularly since one attractive career path to me is teaching, which I know is impractical at Florida.

Every single person I've spoken to about this thinks it'd be crazy to stay. As of today, though, my gut instinct is to stay at UF. That could just be crazytalk, fear of the unknown, or something else, though. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

[rad lulz]

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[arklaw13]

Tell UF you will transfer unless they give you a full scholarship. If they don't, then transfer.

If they do, probably transfer anyway unless you are 100% sure you want to be in FL immediately after graduation.

[Gotallanswers]

Trace, you're needed at UF.

[heavoldgotjuice]

Tell UF you will transfer unless they give you a full scholarship. If they don't, then transfer.

I agree with this ...

You can travel with a Harvard degree ... can't travel w/ a FL one ... decision is yours, but not many people are ever accepted to Harvard whereas a lot of people are accepted to UF. Don't make a choice you'll eventually regret though

[ilikebaseball]

Congrats on your status man! you are in a very envious position

[transferror]

If you just want to clerk in fl or do ip work at a fl bigfirm then stay

Teaching is unrealistic out of Harvard too, just fyi

+1, I can't imagine your options in FL from H would be much different than as #1 at UF, other than slightly better odds at Miami firms from H

[toothbrush]

surprised no one linked this here:

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/07/former-b ... amaze-you/

this could be you.

[Michael Ju]

Hi, I'm the co-president of the HLS Transfer Organization. Feel free to PM me.

[speedtracer]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I know myself well enough to know that I will regret the decision either way. I still regret leaving math to go to law school sometimes.

Unfortunately UF is totally broke, so they couldn't offer me anything else to stay. That sucks, but I'd rather pay $8k than $60k if the difference is all the same.

Toothbrush, that link was hilarious!

Michael, I'll go ahead and PM you

[arklaw13]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I know myself well enough to know that I will regret the decision either way. I still regret leaving math to go to law school sometimes.

Unfortunately UF is totally broke, so they couldn't offer me anything else to stay. That sucks, but I'd rather pay $8k than $60k if the difference is all the same.

Toothbrush, that link was hilarious!

Michael, I'll go ahead and PM you

They're lying liars. They can just give less $$$ to people being admitted off the waitlist this cycle.

[speedtracer]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I know myself well enough to know that I will regret the decision either way. I still regret leaving math to go to law school sometimes.

Unfortunately UF is totally broke, so they couldn't offer me anything else to stay. That sucks, but I'd rather pay $8k than $60k if the difference is all the same.

Toothbrush, that link was hilarious!

Michael, I'll go ahead and PM you

They're lying liars. They can just give less $$$ to people being admitted off the waitlist this cycle.

I've heard from several different sources that we have less money now than we thought we did due to a tuition increase not being improved. Even if they're lying, I still can't get any more money out of them

[unclepete]

I am failing to see how you can possibly turn down Harvard.

[rad lulz]

.

[Cicero76]

If they can't find a few dollars to throw at their #1 to keep him from transferring, then UF law's administration is even more incompetent than I thought. Which is saying something.

Id transfer

PM me if you want to chat about FL legal market btw

[speedtracer]

I am failing to see how you can possibly turn down Harvard.

Bc he's #1 at uf and wants to work in fl

Plus I'm so, so happy here and have a ton of good connections in Florida

If they can't find a few dollars to throw at their #1 to keep him from transferring, then UF law's administration is even more incompetent than I thought. Which is saying something.

Id transfer

PM me if you want to chat about FL legal market btw

This is a great point, though, and one that makes me sad

[toothbrush]

Plus I'm so, so happy here and have a ton of good connections in Florida

this says a lot. like, really. feel free to PM me about "happiness and law school" but I think you know how important that is, and how some people aren't so lucky.

i'm not advocating 100% for you but as others have said staying at UF would not be a bad idea.

this isn't an easy call

[ph14]

If you're really happy there, then I would stay. And that's coming from someone who went to HLS and really liked it.

[unclepete]

I am failing to see how you can possibly turn down Harvard.

Bc he's #1 at uf and wants to work in fl

Plus I'm so, so happy here and have a ton of good connections in Florida

If they can't find a few dollars to throw at their #1 to keep him from transferring, then UF law's administration is even more incompetent than I thought. Which is saying something.

Id transfer

PM me if you want to chat about FL legal market btw

This is a great point, though, and one that makes me sad

Yeah, that is understandable. And I didn't mean to come off so crass. I just tend to think that even if you think you know exactly what you want to do for the entirety of your career, there is such a real chance that changes. To have an HLS degree would basically support any career/location change you wanted to make at any point in your career.

I would probably weigh that over the happiness for the next 2 years at UF. Of course, there's a chance you're miserable in Cambridge, in which case the happiness at UF would carry a lot of weight.

[rpupkin]

Yeah, that is understandable. And I didn't mean to come off so crass. I just tend to think that even if you think you know exactly what you want to do for the entirety of your career, there is such a real chance that changes. To have an HLS degree would basically support any career/location change you wanted to make at any point in your career.

I agree that a HLS degree could offer some medium-term advantages for the OP in the event that he wants to leave Florida, but I think you're overstating things.

[brorepresentation1]

You will live a life of regret if you do not go to Harvard.

[rpupkin]

You will live a life of regret if you do not go to Harvard.

This sounds like a message in a fortune cookie.

[speedtracer]

I am failing to see how you can possibly turn down Harvard.

Bc he's #1 at uf and wants to work in fl

Plus I'm so, so happy here and have a ton of good connections in Florida

If they can't find a few dollars to throw at their #1 to keep him from transferring, then UF law's administration is even more incompetent than I thought. Which is saying something.

Id transfer

PM me if you want to chat about FL legal market btw

This is a great point, though, and one that makes me sad

Yeah, that is understandable. And I didn't mean to come off so crass. I just tend to think that even if you think you know exactly what you want to do for the entirety of your career, there is such a real chance that changes. To have an HLS degree would basically support any career/location change you wanted to make at any point in your career.

I would probably weigh that over the happiness for the next 2 years at UF. Of course, there's a chance you're miserable in Cambridge, in which case the happiness at UF would carry a lot of weight.

The happiness and the financial situation (I'd go an extra $120k in debt, on top of the $60k I already have). Additionally, I'd be giving up connections with professors here, I wouldn't be on law review, and if I stay here, I can finish out an undergrad degree that I was one class away from (in physics, which may help with IP jobs).

So there's more to give up than just happiness, though that's still not necessarily determinative

[unclepete]

Yeah, that is understandable. And I didn't mean to come off so crass. I just tend to think that even if you think you know exactly what you want to do for the entirety of your career, there is such a real chance that changes. To have an HLS degree would basically support any career/location change you wanted to make at any point in your career.

I agree that a HLS degree could offer some medium-term advantages for the OP in the event that he wants to leave Florida, but I think you're overstating things.

I don't think it's an overstatement to say that you will always have a leg up when your resume says Harvard instead of UF. I`m not saying it will make OP a shoe-in everywhere they ever go. But it will always be a leg up.

[igo2northwestern]

Go to Harvard. 2 years is a lot of uncertainty, and I think you might regret not going.

Are you trying to clerk in FL? What are the various benefits of those professor relationships, which you would leave behind? Feels weird asking that question, but you get what I mean.