Mich vs Vandy $$ vs UF $$$ Forum

[Alexandria]

You should talk to PKSebben re: Florida vs. Michigan, since he transferred from the former to the latter.

Re: southern firms, I really wouldn't worry about what they think of Michigan. Granted, my only experience was Atlanta, but I thought being a southerner who goes to Michigan made me extremely marketable. They understand why you want to interview with them and believe that you want to live/work there, and they're happy to have someone from a T14 they don't usually get a lot of interest from.

[flcath]

I say UMich over Vandy. If we were talking about GULC/Cornell at sticker vs. Vandy at half, it'd be a no-brainer the other way, but UMich is a level above Vandy (in reality, not just on TLS) and is seems to traditionally (pre-ITE statistics) be among the more national schools in the T14.

I'm a FL guy too, and I don't think UF-Levin belongs in the equation. It's a solid, underrated school, but it's well known to be the worst college at UF and in fact gets out-placed by UM for Biglaw and FSU for gov't jobs.

The weather will suck, though. Those who say otherwise are applying a standard too lenient to be of use to FL people.

[98234872348]

UM for Biglaw and FSU for gov't jobs.

The first statistic is flawed because UM has a larger class and a matter of 2-3 percent is not a reason to spend an extra 100k dollars on a college education; the latter is flawed because, what government jobs? The state of Florida has been on a hiring freeze for almost two years...

[beesknees]

.

[beesknees]

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[98234872348]

IIRC, UF doesn't really give out full $$$ (or if they do, it is very limited). So this may not be as much of an issue.

TITCR.

Although his numbers might merit one.

I got my UF offer. So that one is a definite. They do give out full instate. My 1L friend leveraged her other schollys to get full + small stipend. They are available, tho I'm not sure for out-of-staters.

Oh, and I'm a girl. I know my tar automatically makes me seem like a boy; I just love Arrested Development and all of their wittiness. Bob Loblaw, still cracks me up every time.

Oh, my apologies.

[flcath]

UM for Biglaw and FSU for gov't jobs.

The first statistic is flawed because UM has a larger class and a matter of 2-3 percent is not a reason to spend an extra 100k dollars on a college education; the latter is flawed because, what government jobs? The state of Florida has been on a hiring freeze for almost two years...

What I meant to say for the first part was "highest-quality" Biglaw jobs, which would admittedly be referring to an even smaller portion of grads; also, I wasn't suggesting that UM was a preferable (or even viable) alternative, just offering a counterpoint to the idea that UF gets all the premo FL jobs. Biglaw from any FL LS is highly questionable, obv., but this *is* TLS, and Biglaw is the post-LS goal of most of us.

The second claim was addressed *at* a Levin open house (or whatever) for prelaws last year, not by dismissing the truth of the claim, but by assigning alternate reasons (self-selection, poor Biglaw placement at FSU freeing up top grads for gov't jobs, etc.) to the trend. Though I can't actually back it up myself, it seems like Levin would have a disincentive to do that if it weren't both true and undeniable.

And yes, the Gator UGs are under the impression that they are the new UVA/UCLA/UNC.

[98234872348]

The second claim was addressed *at* a Levin open house (or whatever) for prelaws last year, not by dismissing the truth of the claim, but by assigning alternate reasons (self-selection, poor Biglaw placement at FSU freeing up top grads for gov't jobs, etc.) to the trend. Though I can't actually back it up myself, it seems like Levin would have a disincentive to do that if it weren't both true and undeniable.

I concede that the claim is true generally speaking; but, at the moment, it is of questionable merit.

The claim about high quality Big Law jobs might be true, but, anyone going to either of those schools seeking a big law job is probably going to wind up disappointed.

[GATORTIM]

And yes, the Gator UGs are under the impression that they are the new UVA/UCLA/UNC.

This statistic is flawed too

[flcath]

And yes, the Gator UGs are under the impression that they are the new UVA/UCLA/UNC.

This statistic is flawed too

Not credited. UF is a singularly delusional school when it comes to their place in the academic world. Though I definitely admit that they're a fine school, and without a doubt the 2nd most prestigious public university in the state of Florida.

[awesomepossum]

who's the first?

[GATORTIM]

who's the first?

[flcath]

who's the first?

New College

Edit: the place makes Berkeley look like a Sarah Palin rally, though.

[awesomepossum]

Never heard of it.

[flcath]

Never heard of it.

*"Narrative evaluations" are used in lieu of traditional grades. Students have no numerical or letter grades or GPA.
*There are no majors. At the start of each semester, students negotiate a contract with their faculty adviser, specifying their courses of study and expectations for the semester. At the completion of the term, the academic adviser compares the student's performance with the requirements defined in the contract, and determines whether the student has "passed" the contract, or not. Among other requirements, completing seven contracts is a prerequisite to graduation.
*The month of January is reserved for independent projects at New College, when no traditional courses are held. Students are required to complete three independent study projects prior to being graduated.
*School Motto: 'There is more to running a starship than answering a bunch of damn fool questions"
*School Mission: "That the natural state of the human spirit is ecstatic wonder! That we should not settle for less!"


Fuckin' ridiculous.

[awesomepossum]

so what makes it so prestigious?

[flcath]

so what makes it so prestigious?

Partly academic selectivity (does it seem hypocritical to you that a school like this still relies--heavily, it seems--on the SAT?),

partly for just being eccentric (I think the latter is a bad/neutral thing when a school isn't selective, but becomes really posh when it is),

and partly because of the inordinate number of kids who forgo Ivy League acceptances to go there (PR claimed a figure of 40% back in 04/05, and I, for one, knew a kid from my conservative boarding school in TN who turned down Princeton to go there).

Edit: and I'm not claiming the school's Oxford or anything, I'm just saying everyone that knows of both thinks that New is the better school. I doubt anyone at UF really cares, as the school is renown for being bizarre.

[Sky'stheLimit]

Ive lived in FL for 18 years and have never heard of New College. Must be FL's best kept secret LOL.

[thickfreakness]

I'd take Vanderbilt with around half off if your goal is to work in the South. It's going to be easier to network during your summers and OCI with a greater number of southern firms. If your goal is BigLaw, there are really only a few firms that fit that category in the south anyhow. And even still, I doubt that Michigan would give you an appreciable lift over Vanderbilt in the region.

[Sky'stheLimit]

Jerjon, I applied to Duke, but haven't heard back from them yet. If I get in, I assume it will be at sticker (even if I got a small scholly, like 10k/year, it is still almost like paying sticker in terms of repayment). Did not apply to UVA.

And mistergoft, I wish I could have that type of $. If I got 2/3 scholly to Vandy, it'd be almost a no brainer. But after reviewing LSN, I don't think that will be the case. In all likelihood, I'll have to take out substantial debt anyway at Vandy, so its a much harder decision to make. So its whether taking out incredible debt at a T10 is worth taking over big (but not incredibly big) debt at Vandy.

Half tuition at Vandy is roughly 60k over three years. So Vandy, total would cost about 100k. Michigan or Duke at sticker would cost somewhere in the ballpark of 170k over three year. These numbers start to get so huge, that the difference of 50 grand starts to seem small.

You cant think about it that though. $50,000 is a tremendous amount of money.

[flcath]

Ive lived in FL for 18 years and have never heard of New College. Must be FL's best kept secret LOL.

Like under a thousand people go there, very few from FL. Check out the wiki on it though, the place is nuts.

[goreman]

Isn't it a little premature to answer this? As far as I know, Michigan hasn't sent out any scholarship information other than a few Darrow invites. So OP could still be getting some money from them. Maybe not half-tuition, but possibly enough to make the decision that much harder.

[Grizz]

so what makes it so prestigious?

Partly academic selectivity (does it seem hypocritical to you that a school like this still relies--heavily, it seems--on the SAT?),

partly for just being eccentric (I think the latter is a bad/neutral thing when a school isn't selective, but becomes really posh when it is),

and partly because of the inordinate number of kids who forgo Ivy League acceptances to go there (PR claimed a figure of 40% back in 04/05, and I, for one, knew a kid from my conservative boarding school in TN who turned down Princeton to go there).

Edit: and I'm not claiming the school's Oxford or anything, I'm just saying everyone that knows of both thinks that New is the better school. I doubt anyone at UF really cares, as the school is renown for being bizarre.

New College was rated by Princeton review as the pot-smokingest school a couple years ago. I guess that's because that and other drugs are the only things to do in Sarasota, FL hah.

[Grizz]

I'd take Vanderbilt with around half off if your goal is to work in the South. It's going to be easier to network during your summers and OCI with a greater number of southern firms. If your goal is BigLaw, there are really only a few firms that fit that category in the south anyhow. And even still, I doubt that Michigan would give you an appreciable lift over Vanderbilt in the region.

+1

I don't think some of the T14 or bust people get this at all.

[Grizz]

"Narrative evaluations" are used in lieu of traditional grades. Students have no numerical or letter grades or GPA.

For what it's worth, professors often write brutal evaluations of their kids. Whether anyone who doesn't go to New College cares to read them, however, is another issue.