MSU vs Wayne State

[jbrooks1]

I'd say the current reputation and ranking between the schools is negligible. WSU may have a longer tradition and garner more respect in the Detroit area, but this is counter-measured by the much greater name recognition and respect, out of and even in state by MSU.

I would and did consider MSU, and I would never consider WSU. MSU has affiliation with one of the nations largest schools. I don't think anyone outside of Michigan or even half of native Michiganders could name the WSU mascot (I can't, what are they the Eagles or something, I get Wayne and Oakland confused constantly). While clearly MSU isn't the greatest most respected law school around, but it at least has the potential to move up, I can't imagine WSU being T2 anytime, but MSU most likely will be in a few years.

Lastly, I'm not real crazy about anywhere in Michigan, but I would much rather live and go to school in East Lansing, which IMO, is one of the small handful of livable areas in the state, as opposed to the run down area of Detroit that WSU is in. I'm not knocking Detroit, I actually think Detroit is an underrated city and unfairly maligned, but WSU isn't in Greektown, Royal Oak, or Grosse Pointe or anywhere else that may be livable or entertaining.

[andrea612]

If I'm not mistaken, WSU was a T2 school only a couple of years ago.  WSU is an extremely reputable school in Michigan that is better known for its graduate programs (namely, its law school and med school) than it is for its undergrad programs.  Wayne State's law school is regarded by most everyone in Michigan as the #2 law school in the state.

Sure, Wayne State isn't located in the best part of town, but it's not like you would actually have to live in the ghetto of Detroit if you went to school there.  In case if you aren't familiar with metro Detroit, there are a lot of highly livable (and even exclusive) parts of town.  While most law students wouldn't be able to afford to live in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, or Troy, there are still plenty of other decent parts of town that they could live.  For example, most law students could afford to live in Royal Oak or Ferndale.  Both of those cities are just a short commute from WSU, have a decent nightlife, and an abundance of young people that live there.

Also, considering how much larger Detroit is than E. Lansing (or Lansing for that matter), there are bound to be more job opportunities available upon graduation.  Since Detroit is by far the largest city in Michigan, it should go without saying that it would have the largest legal market, as well.  People in the Detroit area are probably going to be more familiar with WSU's law school than with MSU's law school.  Firms in metro Detroit will probably be more likely hire graduates from Wayne State than from Michigan State.

Detroit is an extremely underrated city.  So what if you end up practicing there after graduation?  Things could be a lot worse.  If you're worried about having to live there during law school or after graduation, maybe you should check out the city and its suburbs some more.  Sure, you may have to practice in Detroit, but that doesn't mean that you couldn't live in Oakland county (most lawyers do that).  If I'm not mistaken, Oakland County is still the third most affluent county in the country...besides the weather, it's not a bad place at all to live.

Lastly, Wayne State is SO much cheaper than MSU.  Yes, Michigan State is a public university, but the state does not fund its law school.  The state does, however, fund Wayne State's law school.  Even if you won't have in state tuition in the fall, you can get it the following fall.  Why would you want to pay that much more money to go to a school that is ranked slightly below another one?

My vote:  Go to Wayne

[emarejay]

Wayne is a great school. I would love to live cheap in Detroit. There are some nice, nice lofts in the city in okay areas for real cheap. Do you know how much tang you could pull in those? haha jk, but seriously Id have no problem living in the city. Not like it is Rio or something. Just get your CCW, a 9mm or a 45, and you are set.

Sidenote: Im serious about the CCW (Concealed Weapons permit). I will be taking the class this fall and walking into lecture strapped.

[andrea612]

Wayne is a great school. I would love to live cheap in Detroit. There are some nice, nice lofts in the city in okay areas for real cheap. Do you know how much tang you could pull in those? haha jk, but seriously Id have no problem living in the city. Not like it is Rio or something. Just get your CCW, a 9mm or a 45, and you are set.

Sidenote: Im serious about the CCW (Concealed Weapons permit). I will be taking the class this fall and walking into lecture strapped.

Hmm...I take it that you're not from the Detroit and that you're not really familiar with the city either.  Maybe you should actually check out the city and the surrounding areas yourself rather than just base your opinions on 8 Mile, etc.

[A.J]

lol

[mgd04]

If I'm not mistaken, WSU was a T2 school only a couple of years ago.  WSU is an extremely reputable school in Michigan that is better known for its graduate programs (namely, its law school and med school) than it is for its undergrad programs.  Wayne State's law school is regarded by most everyone in Michigan as the #2 law school in the state.

Sure, Wayne State isn't located in the best part of town, but it's not like you would actually have to live in the ghetto of Detroit if you went to school there.  In case if you aren't familiar with metro Detroit, there are a lot of highly livable (and even exclusive) parts of town.  While most law students wouldn't be able to afford to live in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, or Troy, there are still plenty of other decent parts of town that they could live.  For example, most law students could afford to live in Royal Oak or Ferndale.  Both of those cities are just a short commute from WSU, have a decent nightlife, and an abundance of young people that live there.

Also, considering how much larger Detroit is than E. Lansing (or Lansing for that matter), there are bound to be more job opportunities available upon graduation.  Since Detroit is by far the largest city in Michigan, it should go without saying that it would have the largest legal market, as well.  People in the Detroit area are probably going to be more familiar with WSU's law school than with MSU's law school.  Firms in metro Detroit will probably be more likely hire graduates from Wayne State than from Michigan State.

Detroit is an extremely underrated city.  So what if you end up practicing there after graduation?  Things could be a lot worse.  If you're worried about having to live there during law school or after graduation, maybe you should check out the city and its suburbs some more.  Sure, you may have to practice in Detroit, but that doesn't mean that you couldn't live in Oakland county (most lawyers do that).  If I'm not mistaken, Oakland County is still the third most affluent county in the country...besides the weather, it's not a bad place at all to live.

Lastly, Wayne State is SO much cheaper than MSU.  Yes, Michigan State is a public university, but the state does not fund its law school.  The state does, however, fund Wayne State's law school.  Even if you won't have in state tuition in the fall, you can get it the following fall.  Why would you want to pay that much more money to go to a school that is ranked slightly below another one?

My vote:  Go to Wayne

Outside of Detroit a lot of people think wayne state is a community college... even in Michigan. Name recognition for MSU is going to be high no matter where you go because of the size of the school. No way a lawyer in Detroit doesn't know what Michigan State is. Wayne is a great law school, especially for Southeast Michigan but outside of this area MSU beats it hands down. I will accept an argument that wayne places better than msu in detroit (especially because of the year round clerking opportunities because students can clerk after classes and during the week) but the farther you move away from metro Detroit the more and more significant of an advantage you receive by having gone to MSU.

[cubsrams1]

I've never been to MSU, but I lived in the Forest Apartments at Wayne State during the summer of 2003 when I had an internship with MLB.com in Detroit. To say the least, I would not want to spent 3 years of my life there. Just one block over from the campus are some bad areas.

Maybe things have changed, but I doubt it.

[emarejay]

Id like to hear people's thoughts on Toledo vs. Wayne. I think I could transfer to Wayne from Toledo without a problem and I am considering it. Tuition would be about the same, but if I went to Wayne I could live at home and save some money. Toledo was in the second tier after Wayne fell out, but they are pretty comparable....I think. It appears that Toledo places in Michigan better than Wayne places in Ohio, but Im basing that on nothing very substantive. If true, it probably has a lot (or everything) to do with toledo offering in state tuition to Michigan counties. The faculty at Toledo so far has been amazing and Im doing fairly well so Im not sure if it would be worth transfering just to save 15k over 2 years, but I will continue to play with the thought.

[emarejay]

Id like to hear people's thoughts on Toledo vs. Wayne. I think I could transfer to Wayne from Toledo without a problem and I am considering it. Tuition would be about the same, but if I went to Wayne I could live at home and save some money. Toledo was in the second tier after Wayne fell out, but they are pretty comparable....I think. It appears that Toledo places in Michigan better than Wayne places in Ohio, but Im basing that on nothing very substantive. If true, it probably has a lot (or everything) to do with toledo offering in state tuition to Michigan counties. The faculty at Toledo so far has been amazing and Im doing fairly well so Im not sure if it would be worth transfering just to save 15k over 2 years, but I will continue to play with the thought.

up

[mgd04]

Toledo is a great school but the advantage to Wayne is that you can get year round clerkships at firms in Detroit. A lot of mid size firms don't have fancy summer associate programs and hire directly out of their academic year clerks.