Law schools in great family places Forum

[sophia.olive]

I vote Michigan, cornell, UVA, UT,

[03121202698008]

I vote Michigan, cornell, UVA, UT,

I think those would all be fine even though I argue for Michigan. A lot will depend on your kids. There isn't nearly as much to do at Cornell for example.

[Remnantofisrael]

I LOVE austin, however I have been told that it is basically impossible to get into UT without being a texan unless you have LSAT over 175 (which is possible) AND GPA over 3.5. Is this not true?

[Danteshek]

Pasadena, California, is my favourite family-friendly city. Also South Pasadena and San Marino. You could easily take a train to Loyola every morning. You could probably get significant money from Loyola if you are considering higher ranked schools. The cost of living in Pasadena is significantly lower than in Malibu.

[Slimpee]

Minneapolis is pretty sick. Big city amenities w/out being too big.

I would love to raise kids in South Minneapolis. Also, the schools are pretty good.

Eden Prairie (a 'burb) was just voted by such-and-such as the best place to live in America...(note: It was CNN Money)

[PKSebben]

I vote Michigan, cornell, UVA, UT,

I think those would all be fine even though I argue for Michigan. A lot will depend on your kids. There isn't nearly as much to do at Cornell for example.

Agree with that. I've spent time in both cities and Ithaca doesn't have as much to do. Syracuse (shudder) and Binghamton (double shutter) are pretty far. All four of these choices sound pretty solid and I considered all of them for law school.

[03121202698008]

I vote Michigan, cornell, UVA, UT,

I think those would all be fine even though I argue for Michigan. A lot will depend on your kids. There isn't nearly as much to do at Cornell for example.

Agree with that. I've spent time in both cities and Ithaca doesn't have as much to do. Syracuse (shudder) and Binghamton (double shutter) are pretty far. All four of these choices sound pretty solid and I considered all of them for law school.

I spent a summer in Binghamton when I was 16. More like (triple shudder).

[czelede]

I spent my childhood in AA when my father was completing his PH.D, I absolutely loved it and all the family friends I know there can attest that it's a great place for children - very family friendly, comfortable, and quaint. The neighborhoods are great and a lot of the people are fairly academic oriented. And it's really not that cold. I personally love AA and don't feel you could go wrong there.

If you're willing to commute a little though, I would actually toss my vote to Northwestern/Chicago. There are some really great suburbs around Chicago (I spent my Jr.High/HS in the west/northwest suburbs) with amazing and well ranked (primary/secondary) schools that are anywhere between a 25min-1 hr train ride away. My stepmother currently works for Northwestern Medical and commutes from the suburbs daily. The benefit of this option is that if you choose to work in Chicago after graduation, you won't have to uproot your family again. The north/northwest suburbs in particular (Deerfield, Highland Park, Buffalo Grove, Lincolnshire) are very friendly to Jewish families, as there are many synagogues and Jewish communities in the area, so if you were interested in that sort of culture it would always be available to you.

[DarkwingDick]

Pasadena, California, is my favourite family-friendly city. Also South Pasadena and San Marino. You could easily take a train to Loyola every morning. You could probably get significant money from Loyola if you are considering higher ranked schools. The cost of living in Pasadena is significantly lower than in Malibu.

Lol, this is the first time I've ever heard anyone cite Pasadena as their fave city!

[czelede]

Also wanted to add: BusinessWeek's "Best Places to Raise Kids" #1 for this year and last were both Chicago suburb cities (Tinley Park in 2010, Mt. Prospect in 2009)

[gymboree]

I have done some searching in the forum and can't really find anything- if there already is a post like this, please point me that way so I won't waste anyone's time.

A current concern I have been focusing on lately is finding the correct law school not just from a personal wants/needs perspective, but one in a place that is good for my family as well. Let me give some very basic details- I am 27 with two children and a wife who stays home. My LSAT in June was 170+ and my GPA is low but old (3.2) and covered up a bit by years of business success, a job and marriage while in college, etc. etc. Money isn't a huge problem as I've been able to put away enough money to take care of three years out of the money-making world on top of tuition.

What I am looking for is perspective on what certain law school towns/cities have to offer as far as quality elementary education and family life in general. For example, if it is known that Ithaca, NY has lots of things for kids to do (pools, parks, great schools, etc.) and is fun for young parents, that would be great to know. Or if Northwestern is a great option because while Chicago isn't a great place for little kids, just outside in X-town there are great schools, good cost of living, and an easy train right to campus.

ANY insight would be MOST appreciated, especially between, say, Michigan and Pepperdine as far as school quality is concerned.

My family and their three years is very important to me and while I fully understand that three years of time investment in a lesser area pays off in the long run, it is still something I need to be considering.

Thanks!

A lot of this is going to depend on what you want to do/where you want to practice, but here are a few of my favorites (and I had a similar set of criterion for a school/geographic area).

UC Irvine - Orange County is a fantastic place for families. Great schools, lots to do.
Berkeley - the range of things to do here is impressive, not just for kids but adults, too.
DC is a very family friendly area (Northern Virginia) and there are tons of good schools good for your range
William & Mary is in a beautiful area with lots to do.
UNC - Chapel Hill has fantastic schools and the reasonable cost of living goes a long way to increase your QOL.
From the research I did, Univ. of Indiana, Univ. of Iowa, U. of Minnesota are all great for families. Not sure about the employment prospects. But if the midwest is your thing, these are all good options.

[CanadianWolf]

Eugene, Oregon. Gainesville, Florida.

[03121202698008]

I have done some searching in the forum and can't really find anything- if there already is a post like this, please point me that way so I won't waste anyone's time.

A current concern I have been focusing on lately is finding the correct law school not just from a personal wants/needs perspective, but one in a place that is good for my family as well. Let me give some very basic details- I am 27 with two children and a wife who stays home. My LSAT in June was 170+ and my GPA is low but old (3.2) and covered up a bit by years of business success, a job and marriage while in college, etc. etc. Money isn't a huge problem as I've been able to put away enough money to take care of three years out of the money-making world on top of tuition.

What I am looking for is perspective on what certain law school towns/cities have to offer as far as quality elementary education and family life in general. For example, if it is known that Ithaca, NY has lots of things for kids to do (pools, parks, great schools, etc.) and is fun for young parents, that would be great to know. Or if Northwestern is a great option because while Chicago isn't a great place for little kids, just outside in X-town there are great schools, good cost of living, and an easy train right to campus.

ANY insight would be MOST appreciated, especially between, say, Michigan and Pepperdine as far as school quality is concerned.

My family and their three years is very important to me and while I fully understand that three years of time investment in a lesser area pays off in the long run, it is still something I need to be considering.

Thanks!

A lot of this is going to depend on what you want to do/where you want to practice, but here are a few of my favorites (and I had a similar set of criterion for a school/geographic area).

UC Irvine - Orange County is a fantastic place for families. Great schools, lots to do.
Berkeley - the range of things to do here is impressive, not just for kids but adults, too.
DC is a very family friendly area (Northern Virginia) and there are tons of good schools good for your range
William & Mary is in a beautiful area with lots to do.
UNC - Chapel Hill has fantastic schools and the reasonable cost of living goes a long way to increase your QOL.
From the research I did, Univ. of Indiana, Univ. of Iowa, U. of Minnesota are all great for families. Not sure about the employment prospects. But if the midwest is your thing, these are all good options.

I assume you are talking about commuting into DC. Do you know how shitty the DC K-12 schools are? Highest per capita cost per student and lowest standardized test scores in the entire US. Unless OP is putting his kids through private schools on student loans.

Edit: OP, don't forget the whole T14 thing. A lot of the schools in cities quoted have shitty employment prospects. (Not just in this post but in general.)

[jks289]

I'd give UT a shot with your numbers (apply early). Austin is a really wonderful pace to have kids (warm, affordable, ideologically diverse, with lots of parks, etc). I've never been but my husband was born in Ann Arbor and describes it as a sort of paradise for little kids. Apparently Michigan has a very close knit graduate student community (or did, back in the day) that doesn't solve the winter issues. Many Chicago suburbs are very nice, but you'll need significant resources to live well there.

I just moved to Ithaca, so I can't yet vouch for its kid friendliness (school systems, etc) but it does seems like a manageable and safe town. Another thing to consider it that if you go somewhere affordable to live, or to a school that will give you a significant scholarship you will have the money to make things better. For example if she hates the winters, affording extra child care or vacations. Being able to live in a bigger house and not feeling the impact of you leaving the work place as much, could go a long way in making Ithaca (or a similar) region far more livable.


ETA: We live in a very nice area in LA. If we didn't want kids, I might never leave. But this is just no place to raise a family. It's expensive, and busy, and the kids we see around here dress and act like 25 years olds. It is a very difficult place to have control over your children's values and what they are exposed to.

[Knock]

I'd give UT a shot with your numbers (apply early). Austin is a really wonderful pace to have kids (warm, affordable, ideologically diverse, with lots of parks, etc). I've never been but my husband was born in Ann Arbor and describes it as a sort of paradise for little kids. Apparently Michigan has a very close knit graduate student community (or did, back in the day) that doesn't solve the winter issues. Many Chicago suburbs are very nice, but you'll need significant resources to live well there.

I just moved to Ithaca, so I can't yet vouch for its kid friendliness (school systems, etc) but it does seems like a manageable and safe town. Another thing to consider it that if you go somewhere affordable to live, or to a school that will give you a significant scholarship you will have the money to make things better. For example if she hates the winters, affording extra child care or vacations. Being able to live in a bigger house and not feeling the impact of you leaving the work place as much, could go a long way in making Ithaca (or a similar) region far more livable.


ETA: We live in a very nice area in LA. If we didn't want kids, I might never leave. But this is just no place to raise a family. It's expensive, and busy, and the kids we see around here dress and act like 25 years olds. It is a very difficult place to have control over your children's values and what they are exposed to.

I think that's quite the over-generalization to make. It comes down to parental involvement and responsibility. It's hard to "control" your children's values and what they are exposed to no matter where you live. I don't think you can just blame that on LA. Like anything, it depends on personal responsibility. Not to mention LA is huge, and while there are definitely places where I don't think I'd want to raise children, there are plenty of very nice areas that would be great to grow up in.

Also, just so the OP knows, TLS definitely has an East-coast bias, just so you are aware.

A lot of this is going to depend on what you want to do/where you want to practice, but here are a few of my favorites (and I had a similar set of criterion for a school/geographic area).

UC Irvine - Orange County is a fantastic place for families. Great schools, lots to do.
Berkeley - the range of things to do here is impressive, not just for kids but adults, too.
DC is a very family friendly area (Northern Virginia) and there are tons of good schools good for your range
William & Mary is in a beautiful area with lots to do.
UNC - Chapel Hill has fantastic schools and the reasonable cost of living goes a long way to increase your QOL.
From the research I did, Univ. of Indiana, Univ. of Iowa, U. of Minnesota are all great for families. Not sure about the employment prospects. But if the midwest is your thing, these are all good options.


Report this post

I think this is a good post. UC Irvine might be a great fit. Orange County is definitely a nice place. I would also expand on Berkeley, and include the whole Bay Area (select places that is), there are some amazing places to live there, although it can be expensive.

[PKSebben]

And it's really not that cold. I personally love AA and don't feel you could go wrong there.

Compared to where? The North Pole? The last winter was pretty brutal, but the townies say it's not this bad all the time. I seriously love AA. Diverse, academically focused, decent but not great food, good schools, lots of local bands that are solid. Those smaller towns outside of AA are pretty neat, too. Dexter, Saline, etc.

Edit: I forgot the mention that the people are pretty great here too. Neighbors brought by cookies when we moved in, everyone helps each other shovel, block parties with bouncy castles for the kids. Down the street there are kids running a lemonade racket. I'm thinking about bilking them for protection money. 15% of their profits or I kick down their stand during the night.

[BeautifulSW]

For quality of life, I'd go for University of Washington. Very good schools in some areas, unbelievable variety of outdoor activities, mild winters and summers...but at #34 on the Hit Parade, U-Dub might be a little too far down the list for you.

[dougroberts]

Minnesota is easily the best place to raise a family!!


http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag ... 18116.html

[03121202698008]

Minnesota is easily the best place to raise a family!!


http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag ... 18116.html

But one of the worst places to go to law school...

[byunbee]

we have both don and betty draper ITT.

[tamlyric]

Ann Arbor. End thread.

http://www.parenting.com/article/Mom/Wo ... n-Arbor-MI

[jks289]

I'd give UT a shot with your numbers (apply early). Austin is a really wonderful pace to have kids (warm, affordable, ideologically diverse, with lots of parks, etc). I've never been but my husband was born in Ann Arbor and describes it as a sort of paradise for little kids. Apparently Michigan has a very close knit graduate student community (or did, back in the day) that doesn't solve the winter issues. Many Chicago suburbs are very nice, but you'll need significant resources to live well there.

I just moved to Ithaca, so I can't yet vouch for its kid friendliness (school systems, etc) but it does seems like a manageable and safe town. Another thing to consider it that if you go somewhere affordable to live, or to a school that will give you a significant scholarship you will have the money to make things better. For example if she hates the winters, affording extra child care or vacations. Being able to live in a bigger house and not feeling the impact of you leaving the work place as much, could go a long way in making Ithaca (or a similar) region far more livable.


ETA: We live in a very nice area in LA. If we didn't want kids, I might never leave. But this is just no place to raise a family. It's expensive, and busy, and the kids we see around here dress and act like 25 years olds. It is a very difficult place to have control over your children's values and what they are exposed to.

I think that's quite the over-generalization to make. It comes down to parental involvement and responsibility. It's hard to "control" your children's values and what they are exposed to no matter where you live. I don't think you can just blame that on LA. Like anything, it depends on personal responsibility. Not to mention LA is huge, and while there are definitely places where I don't think I'd want to raise children, there are plenty of very nice areas that would be great to grow up in.

Also, just so the OP knows, TLS definitely has an East-coast bias, just so you are aware.

I am from California and have lived in LA for a decade, so there is hardly an East coast bias in my opinion. Saying LA is a nice place is raise kids is insane. The school system is a disaster and unless you are prepared to shell out 40K for private schools you are at the mercy of your school district. LA is indeed huge (and by the way we love living here) but the "family" neighborhoods price out 90% of people (and certainly a law student) and the areas the rest of us live in come with a series of issues that make them decidedly less than family-friendly. Pasadena isn't really LA, and Orange County certainly isn't. Referring to Southern California in general as LA is just incorrect. In terms of values and control, the cultural realities of certain places make it incredibly difficult. Of course parenting matters, but it's crazy to think kids aren't hugely hugely influenced by their surroundings.

[20160810]

Although UCLA is in a good neighborhood, I'd be leery about moving your kids anywhere within the LAUSD area unless you plan to pony up for private schools. Although you might be able to get into a better law school with the 170+, UC Davis would be a really good choice purely on family consideration. Small town, totally safe, low COL, some of the best public schools in the state.

[Danteshek]

I went to Harvard Westlake (the best private school in LA). Tuition is not $40,000.

Tuition $29,200
New Student Fee
$2,000
Bus Service (optional) $1,850*
Other Costs $2,000**

*Middle School service.
Upper School service (subsidized) is $999.

**Books, meals, activities, etc. Typical, but subject to variation.

[03121202698008]

I went to Harvard Westlake (the best private school in LA). Tuition is not $40,000.

Tuition $29,200
New Student Fee
$2,000
Bus Service (optional) $1,850*
Other Costs $2,000**

*Middle School service.
Upper School service (subsidized) is $999.

**Books, meals, activities, etc. Typical, but subject to variation.

$30K a year for K-12? That's insane.