UVA vs Berkeley (advice please)

Comments

• 3 Likes

  MissChanandler Alum Member Sage ⭐

  November 2018 3256 karma

  If you want NYC, I'd go to UVA. If you want West Coast, I'd pick Berkeley. Of course the problem with this type of analysis is that the COA will most definitely not be exactly the same at both schools.
• allbygodsgrace Free Trial Member

  November 2018 44 karma

  @MissChanandler said:
  If you want NYC, I'd go to UVA. If you want West Coast, I'd pick Berkeley. Of course the problem with this type of analysis is that the COA will most definitely not be exactly the same at both schools.

  True. I edited my post. But I have no strong preference for NYC over other major cities. It's just my number one choice, but not by much.
• 10000019 Alum Member

  November 2018 3279 karma

  "help me reach my goal"
  You haven't provided enough information to get a meaningful response. All you've told us is that you don't want to work in Texas. Neither of those schools place people in Texas.
• 2 Likes

  MissChanandler Alum Member Sage ⭐

  November 2018 3256 karma

  The difference likely won't be negligible though. Out of state tuition at Berkeley is $53,315. Out of state tuition at UVA is $61,300. Eight thousand dollars per year means that Berkeley is 24,000 dollars cheaper. And this is assuming sticker at both- what about scholarships? Cost of living in both of the cities?

  If you have no preference about where you live/work other than not Texas, and you don't care about the cost difference, and you will be fine on either campus...I really don't know how you'll make the decision.
• allbygodsgrace Free Trial Member

  November 2018 edited November 2018 44 karma

  @MissChanandler said:
  The difference likely won't be negligible though. Out of state tuition at Berkeley is $53,315. Out of state tuition at UVA is $61,300. Eight thousand dollars per year means that Berkeley is 24,000 dollars cheaper. And this is assuming sticker at both- what about scholarships? Cost of living in both of the cities?

  If you have no preference about where you live/work other than not Texas, and you don't care about the cost difference, and you will be fine on either campus...I really don't know how you'll make the decision.

  Basically, which one is more likely to help me reach big law (accounting for factors like self-selection)? I'm pretty new to LST and law school admissions, so I was hoping to gain some input from people who are more familiar with these schools or at least gain some idea about what factors could influence BL+FC rates at top schools.
• 2 Likes

  xenonhexafluoro Alum Member

  November 2018 428 karma

  Both would do a solid job of helping you get into big law.

  I'd recommend looking at the LinkedIn page for each school of law and seeing the breakdown of where their alumni (who are on LinkedIn) work. Schools seem to report regions/states in employment statistics, but not cities. ~4K Berkeley law alumn work in SF, ~1K in LA, and ~500 in NYC. For UVA the numbers are ~3K in DC, ~1.5K in NYC, and ~900 in Charlottesville. Mind you that LinkedIn is probably including current student and outdated profiles in those numbers, but that doesn't mean they're useless. LinkedIn'll also break down the places of employment (e.g. firms), but I imagine the schools do a better job of providing accurate information about that.

  Berkeley Law says that ~66% of the Class of 2017 went on to law firms and ~12% went on to clerkships. Of those who went on to law firms, 75% went to law firms with 501+ attorneys. 75% of UVA's Class of 2017 went on to law firms and 11% to clerkships. Of those who went to law firms, 80% went to law firms with 501+ attorneys.

  LinkedIn can provide an overview of what firms these schools feed into. Berkeley's top five are Latham, Orrick, Cooley, Mofo, and Fenwick. UVA's are Latham, McGuireWoods, Hogan Lovells, Morgan Lewis, and Jones Day.
• 2 Likes

  Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  November 2018 27901 karma

  Have you been accepted into both?

  Both will have excellent placement in big law, so that’s unlikely to be a meaningful point of differentiation. Do your research, but those metrics are likely to be very close.

  You need to visit both schools/cities and see what the impression they leave on you is. Maybe you find that you absolutely love Charlottesville. Or maybe the culture at Berkeley fits better. If you’ve been accepted at both, you need to go find out. If this is more theoretical, that may be a little preemptive, but still worth a visit if it’s easily within your means.
• 1 Like

  redshift Alum Member

  November 2018 edited November 2018 261 karma

  Second what Cant Get Right said. UVA and Berkeley are both fantastic schools, but the vibes in the Bay Area and the vibes in Charlottesville are way different. You're going to want to visit both to see where you might enjoy attending more. As an aside, the cost of living in Charlottesville is going to be cheaper than in Berkeley, if you factor in going out in SF/etc.
• _oshun1_ Alum Member

  November 2018 edited November 2018 3652 karma

  Damn did you get into both already?
  UVA probably better for NYC biglaw and it’s a cheaper COA. If your goal more generally is just biglaw...any t13 will get you there.
• Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  November 2018 8392 karma

  As the others said, the difference between them in BigLaw numbers is negligible. I think you’d likely need to decide based on what school you think is just a better fit. East coast and west coast are very different vibes, obviously, and the schools will be too. I’d be saving up money for visits to both. They both are very good schools that have a very good chance at getting you where you want to be. I’m a west coast girl and would go Berkeley hands down, but that’s completely arbitrary haha.

  FYI, something to consider in cost if attendance is that CA let’s you establish residency even while you’re in school. So you would have to pay out of state tuition only for 1L, then could get in state tuition for the last two years. There is one catch though - in order to establish residency, you have to live in the state for 1 straight year. So for 1L summer, you’d have to stay in CA. If you went to Berkeley though and wanted to go for a job in CA, that’s where you should be doing your networking and summer jobs anyway. But just something to know.
• 2 Likes

  Kateryna Alum Member

  December 2018 984 karma

  I am in the same boat. Got in Berkeley and UVA with their first waves and I am really torn. I have no clue as to how to make the decision. Still waiting on scholarship info which should be released some time in february...

  Hello fellow possible classmate btw!
• Raychul123 Member

  February 2019 179 karma

  I am also making the same decision and I am very torn as well (from NYC and eventually want to be back here for work in big law). I am assuming that much of the CA big law placement out of Berkeley is a result of self selection, but it is definitely something I will be asking about at ASW. Are you guys attending?
• 1 Like

  Bamboosprout Alum Member

  February 2019 1694 karma

  @xenonhexafluoro said:
  Both would do a solid job of helping you get into big law.

  Really interesting approach! Great insight