wester0 wrote:bow11 wrote:Has anyone else decided they're definitely going to Wake? If so, what was the biggest thing that helped you make that decision? I'm asking here because there's not a Wake Class of 2014 thread yet. Wake is definitely in my top three right now, and it's the only one I haven't visited yet. So I'm hoping this weekend will help me decide.
I'm not positive I'll be attending but I'm definitely leaning towards it. I like the small student body (approximately 7,000), 1/3 of which is grad students. Sections are limited to 4x40 and the writing sections are only 20. Wake is well ranked, seems to be well-respected and was very generous with $$$. Job prospects seem to be pretty good in the Southeast. The admissions people I've met with were very friendly and the students I talked to seemed positive about the school and employment. They didn't promise that everyone who graduated would make $200,000 right out or anything like that. They made it clear that it would take hard work during school and after to secure lucrative employment. However, they seemed optimistic that if you did well you could find work during the summer and after graduation. We met people who were proof of this during the campus tour. The guy that showed us campus was at the bottom of his class and managed to have summer work and a job lined up after graduation. He made sure that we knew that he was the exception rather than the rule and that his success was due to networking and not his academics. There also seemed to be a ton of opportunities with things like moot court and journals. From what I've gathered there is always something to do if you want to get involved. The campus was very nice and Winstom-Salem is cheap and looks to be a pretty decent town. The school has been adding clinics very quickly (they had 2 a few years ago and now they're up to 6) and just recently added a DC externship.
If I think of anything else I'll post it but I think that's a decent start.
I'm not positive I'll be going, but I visited this past Friday and I'm pretty sure Wake is where I'm headed. There aren't a whole lot of schools that are ranked where Wake is and have their class sizes, opportunities with clinical offerings, degree mobility, name recognition, and cost of living.
You do have to sacrifice the alumni network that you might get at a larger state school like UNC, UGA, or UF, but that isn't nearly as big a deal as people like to make it out to be.
The big selling point is the opportunities to get involved, as that is where you will make your worthwhile contacts, gain vital experience, and add discussion points to your resume. Where you went to school will only really matter for that first job, after that it's on you, and that is where the experience you've accumulated will come into play.
One last thing, there are people who try to say that nobody has heard of Wake outside of NC, but that's a bunch of BS. The actual decision makers in plenty of firms and companies know Wake is a good school, both for it's undergrad program and for law school.
you better believe i'm wearing flats, especially if there's going to be a walking tour!
Well at least it's not making your decision any harder than it already is..
