Willamette vs. Gonzaga

[AmyJ141414]

im torn between the two schools which have similar stats. Does anyone have any thoughts?

[sunnykate]

I'm also torn!  Willamette was originally my first choice, but now that I got into Gonzaga I'm seriously considering it.  Here are my basic pros and cons.

Willamette pros:

closer to family/friends (for me)
not far from Portland
law & government program, close ties with the capitol offices, easy access to government/political externships (I'm interested in politics)

Willamette cons:

lack of national name recognition
writing program is only one year
slightly lower ranked than Gonzaga
cuts the bottom of the class (a very important consideration - if you have a bad semester, you and your tuition money could be gone)
very small school (something like 2,500 total)... this could be good or bad depending on what you want

Gonzaga pros:

bigger, prettier, overall better city than Salem
better weather than Salem (less rain and more sun/bright days)
2 year legal writing program ranked 12th in the nation
national name recognition due to its sports teams
bigger school (around 6,000 total)
huge focus on community (tight-knit school)
only cuts people if they actually fail out... not because they're at the bottom
and... I have a feeling Gonzaga will be moving up in the ranks of law schools (Willamette may not)

Gonzaga cons:

further from family/friends (Spokane is an 8-hour drive as opposed to 2.5 hours for Salem)
not as easy to get government/political law experience because it isn't near the capital

That's about it for me!  I know that everyone has different ideas about what they're looking for, but right now I'm about 65% Gonzaga and 35% Willamette (assuming I get off the waitlist there, which I think I can... eventually).

Let's keep this thread going... there has to be other people torn as well.

[beaverfuzz]

For me, it would come down to a) which was cheap, b) where you want to practice and c) which of "a" or "b" is most important to you.

Willamette and Gonzaga are both regional schools that place well within those geographical areas. I think you give Gonzaga more credit than it deserves as far as "national" recognition.

If you want to practice in Oregon, go for Willamette. Washington? Send in your deposit to Gonzaga. Though, with that said, you can probably find a job in Portland with a 'Zaga degree, and visa versa in Seattle.

And after reading my response, I realize that it probably didn't help at all. Good luck!

[TraciRai]

Just from your list of pros and cons, it seems like you like Gonzaga more.  I also would pick Gonzaga, just as a gut reaction... if you really like eastern WA, I would go for it.  Spokane is the best!

[AmyJ141414]

ahhhh i just dont know! I lived in Spokane for 1.5 yrs and I thought it was a complete dump. But Ive also heard that Salem isn't so good.....im visiting Willamette this weekend so hopefully i can make my mind up soon!

[AmyJ141414]

http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php?topic=35622.msg578178

BTW--- i found this thread helpful its also comparing GU to WU

[TraciRai]

ahhhh i just dont know! I lived in Spokane for 1.5 yrs and I thought it was a complete dump. But Ive also heard that Salem isn't so good.....im visiting Willamette this weekend so hopefully i can make my mind up soon!

There's was never a place more boring than Salem, but that is offset by Portland being only an hour away.  Spokane can be a dump, but I'm assuming you'd live close to school, which is a nice area.  I went there for work about once a week for two years, and we always stayed right on the river.

[willamette]

I chose Willamette.  If you click my name you can read recent posts I have made about Willamette.  I have not said much about Gonzaga, but I did visit Gonzaga and Idaho before choosing Willamette.

[Connery]

I am in the same boat. Been living in the Spokane area for a couple years and am not a huge fan of it. I will be at the ASW at Willamette this weekend and hope Salem fits me more than Spokane. Right now I def favor Willamette over GU.

I do know a number of people who graduated last May from Gonzaga Law and they all seemed to have a positive experience and speak highly of the school, however.

[Clayton]

I'm going to be at Willamette's asd on Saturday as well.


Btw- I'm from Texas, I had not heard of Gonzaga or Willamette before starting my search for schools.