Updated: So I need some info on U of Tennessee, lawyers still welcome!

[WVUforREDSKINS]

Problem with WVU is it's not as recommended for the DC/NOVA jobs.

Maybe so. But my lawyer happens to be a WVU grad and lives very comfortable in Springfield.

[Mr. S]

Maybe so. But my lawyer happens to be a WVU grad and lives very comfortable in Springfield.

that is VERY comforting to know :laugh: thanks!

[SkinsLover]

My niece is starting at WVU in the fall, and my best friend earned one of her bachelor's degree's there...and she just finished her PhD...

So the Mountaineers are my new favorite college team - cant wait for those football games!

[Diggs]

Since many of you all are huge WVU homers, tell me what are some positives about Morgantown and WVU.

[cjcdaman]

:mmm:

[jps36]

As a lawyer, I can tell you that school prestige is a huge factor in the future opporunities available to you. This may not be fair, but it is reality. So my answer is no - it is not worth it to pass up on better rated law schools.

This does not mean that you have to go to school #37 over school #39 on the US News list. Law Schools are basically ranked in tiers - go to one of the schools in the highest tier in which you have been accepted.

Is it true that you have to go to a t14 law school to get into corporate law and work for all those big firms? I am interested in all of that stuff, but I don't think I can get into Harvard or any other of those t14 schools.

Some people have told me that your application goes straight to the trash can if you didn't go to a t14 school. Is that true?

[iheartskins]

Best of luck Mr. S.

[Mr. S]

Some people have told me that your application goes straight to the trash can if you didn't go to a t14 school. Is that true?

for the top firms, you do need a strong background, either a top ranking at a lower school, or to graduate from a top end school. Also, there is pretty much no difference between the top 30 or so "ranked" school, maybe even the best 40. After that, there isnot much of a difference between the next 70-80 schools either, and some of those aren't too hard to get into.

Alumni networks and career services factor in heavily too.

[Predicto]

Is it true that you have to go to a t14 law school to get into corporate law and work for all those big firms? I am interested in all of that stuff, but I don't think I can get into Harvard or any other of those t14 schools.

Some people have told me that your application goes straight to the trash can if you didn't go to a t14 school. Is that true?

Almost. The top tier school grads can get an interview almost anywhere. When I was in Law School, over 700 law firms came to interview and give offers at the school, and we only had 350 students to choose from. However, if you make law review and graduate top in your class at a tier two or three school, the same doors will still be open to you.

The difference is numbers. My year, the firm I was at hired about 35 grads of top tier schools, and maybe 5 or 6 from all of the other schools (and they were the very top of their class).

[Veretax]

Congrats!

Positives about Morgantown - in no particular order.

1.) Fun active social scene.

2.) Still a small town feel.

3.) Cheap to live.

4.) Good sporting program (if you like that stuff).

Negatives

1.) Dreary in the Winter. Good amount of snow and it turns black pretty fast.

2.) Good social scene is going to mess up studying for Law school.

3.) Closest "major" city is 1 and 1/2 hours away - and its debateable if Pittsburgh is a major city.

4.) Hope you like walking up hills. To and from class.

I went to WVU and and I only remember a total of like three snow storms that ever impacted my commute to class. Their crew does a good job of keeping the sidewalks clear if you live on campus so I wouldn't worry TOO much about that. Besides, I think they get much more snow in NY, though I also Imagine the subway isn't effected by that.

The PRT is heated so it doesn't have the clearing problems if memory serves but its been about 6 years since I've been there

Depends on what you mean about Major City.

[Mr. S]

as mentioned, I'm sure the alumni networks from WVU are larger in this area than up North, which could factor in a lot. Still too much competition though having soo many top schools in this state and DC, and then the other mid-tier schools in DC.

What about the city of Morgantown, are there lots of bars/clubs down there? Are the people nice/friendly?

[The Evil Genius]

What about the city of Morgantown, are there lots of bars/clubs down there? Are the people nice/friendly?

Yes, lots of bars (for underclassmen and grads)...and the people are generally friendly.

Don't ever root for Pitt or VPI - and you will be fine.

[chomerics]

I disagreed with Predicto in an earlier discussion about prestige and undergrad programs, but I think that prestige matters a lot for grad school, and especially for professional school, where the ultimate goal isn't really intellectual (despite what your professors might say) but to get a job.

I could not agree with you more Dj. People could care less if you have an undergrad from the back of a cereal box, it is the professional degree that matters. For example, a BS from Harvard, and a MS from U-Mass is far FAR below a BS from U-Mass and a MS from Harvard. Prestige is so much a part of not only where you will work, but also what your starting salary will be out of college. It is just a fact of life right or wrong.

In Mr. S's case though, I am not really sure if the difference between a tier 3 and 4 school matters that much. If the choice were between an Ivy League school, and a state school, it would be a no brainer, but in this case, I think WVU may be a better choice just due to name recognition. . . especially if he is not going to work in NYC. I mean the law firms in DC may have heard of Quinnepec, but they will have all heard of WVU, and the name recognition may offset the US News reports.

On a side note, when applying for grad school, I had an interview with the admissions department at MIT. I graduated from U-Mass at the top of my class, and tried to get into MIT for graduate school. Well, one of the questions the admissions interviewer asked was "You went to a state school, what makes you think you can handle the demands and the rigors of the MIT curriculum?" To which I replied. . . "just because you cross the Charles does not mean the laws of physics change"

Needless to say I did not get in :laugh:. . . but I got the last laugh, my employer allows me to go there (and Harvard) for free now

[skinsngibbs4life]

I got into WVU, but opted not to go there because I didn't really like the way the campus was set up. Personally, I like cmapuses that arn't so spread, and are somewhat clsoe together, wo WVU wasn't exactly the right fit FOR ME in that aspect.

as for night life, the WVU scene is supposed to be great. However, I out of all of the colleges I have visted, I havn't really seen a difference in the night. I think it has more to do with what you make of it. If you want to go out and have a good time, you can pretty much do that wherever.

just my $.02

[Air Force Cane]

If there is one rule about law schools it is this:

go to the BEST ONE you get into.

In the last 11 years since I graduated from Gdub law I have never met another attorney in DC who went to WVU. But I have met hundreds who went to GW, Georgetown, AU, Harvard, Yale, Penn, etc.

If you want to live your entire life in West Virginia maybe it is not that important. But very few bigtime firms are going to hire someone from WVU when there are literally thousands applying from better law schools.

deciding on where to go to for law school based on football teams or social life is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of- when making a 100,000 dollar decision :laugh:

[LeesburgSkinFan]

However, I out of all of the colleges I have visted, I havn't really seen a difference in the night. I think it has more to do with what you make of it. If you want to go out and have a good time, you can pretty much do that wherever.

just my $.02

That's true...I used to be a field secretary for my fraternity and I hit up a ton of college towns. Most college nightlife is the same at any large campus. Although, Morgantown is the ONLY place I've ever seen a visibly drunk guy stagger out of a bar and drive off in his car in full view of a cop...and the cop didn't even care! He just let him go. :laugh:

[PleaseBlitz]

That's true...I used to be a field secretary for my fraternity and I hit up a ton of college towns. Most college nightlife is the same at any large campus. Although, Morgantown is the ONLY place I've ever seen a visibly drunk guy stagger out of a bar and drive off in his car in full view of a cop...and the cop didn't even care! He just let him go. :laugh:

I staggered out of a WVU bar once HOLDING A BEER and walked right into a cop. He told me to take it back inside and finish it. :laugh:

So i did.

[Prosperity]

If there is one rule about law schools it is this:

go to the BEST ONE you get into.

In the last 11 years since I graduated from Gdub law I have never met another attorney in DC who went to WVU. But I have met hundreds who went to GW, Georgetown, AU, Harvard, Yale, Penn, etc.

If you want to live your entire life in West Virginia maybe it is not that important. But very few bigtime firms are going to hire someone from WVU when there are literally thousands applying from better law schools.

deciding on where to go to for law school based on football teams or social life is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of- when making a 100,000 dollar decision :laugh:

yeah, and AFC turned out OK didn't he?

[EersSkins05]

WVU law grad here.

I can't speak to the ability of WVU law grads to find work in the DC area except to say that one of my friends did so without much of a problem. (Not much of a sample size, I know.)

Here's what I can tell you. For the price of tuition, WVU law is a bargain. A healthy percentage of the class is made up of out-of-state students for this reason. I would imagine that it would be particularly cost-efficient when compared to NYC area law schools of approximately the same pedigree, but likewise requiring out-of-state tuition.

As for the educational aspect, you can get as much or as little out of the classload as you want. I went pretty much full-on until my last year, when I eased up and took some more entertaining classes like Sports Law and Worker's Comp. (Which is only entertaining to those that have had the good fortune of attending that particular professor's lectures.)

I found the faculty to be amazingly approachable and friendly (same as the administration), found the classes and coursework to be very similar to those of friends that went to other, more accredited law schools (such as UVA and W&L), and didn't get the cutthroat vibe from the students that you receive in many other law school environments.

Now here's the fun part.

The bar scene is great. You have a variety of clubs/bars/party scenes to choose from, almost all of which are in one centralized location.

The athletics are entertaining as hell, with nationally recognized coaches and teams in the two major revenue sports. Unlike many such schools, your tickets are included in your tuition, so they are essentially of no extra cost to you. Attend all the basketball games you want, and because you'll be a grad student, you'll have priority on football game tickets (which typically don't sell out in the student section anyway.)

You CAN be that student that spends all day and night at the library studying away, but I didn't. I was content w/ graduating in the top 1/3 of my class, having a blast, and going on to a good job in the eastern panhandle of WV. I mean, I seriously lived it up in Morgantown and enjoyed myself immensely.

Overall, it was an extraordinarily positive experience mixing both the professional training that I needed as well as a really, really fun time in my life. I would recommend it to anyone.

Feel free PM me if you have any further questions.

[Mr. S]

*bump* read first post about acceptance into UT Law!