Final visit to Syracuse

[loulielawyer]

Well I finally made my trip down to Syracuse and I must say that this has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.  I will tell you my impressions of Syracuse:

I got to Syracuse on Wednesday night and checked out the city a bit before going out to dinner with my family.  I was pretty pleased to see the city is nice and though I have heard a lot about the sketchy areas I never actually saw any (this is not to say they don't exist, I was probably lucky enough not to venture to these parts).  In the morning I went over to the campus and it happened to be the most beautiful sunny Spring day.  I was blown away by the beauty of the campus which is situated up on the hill.  I went to school at a beautful campus for undergrad but I found Syracuse University's campus to be superior.  I parked in a parking garage that connects to the law school building and is where students can park for a cost of around $260 per year.  This is a great convenience for anyone planning on driving to school because it is close to the building and covered for those long snowy Syracuse winters.

The day I went was the last day of exams for most students so I probably did not have a similar experience to those who were lucky enough to attend the visitors programs.  It was interesting to see exams in progress though.  I was given a tour by a member of the admissions staff and I thought the law building was very nice and impressive.  The facility is modern and spacious and it felt like it would not be too crowded.  I saw the school's two moot court rooms which were okay but not anything spectacular.  All the classrooms seemed nice and I was lucky enough to chat with some recent alumni working at the school who were very helpful.  Any student or alumni I talked to had only  good things to say about their school.  I appreciated the friendly atmosphere I felt there too.  I also like the level of organization at Syracuse.  I was provided with an information package with maps of Syracuse, a Renter's Guide and more information on financial aid etc. It was nice to be given all this information right off the bat.

I visited the legal clinic which is very important criteria for my decision because I plan to participate in a clinic if possible.  The clinic was impressive too until I spoke with a student who let me know there is little to no opportunity for 2Ls on the clinics and that the positions for 3Ls were very competitive.  This was probably the only disappointing part of the tour for me. Syracuse is a great law school with a great program and one of the nicest campuses I have ever visited. Also the cost of living in Syracuse is very reasonable.  All things considered I felt very lucky to be offered a position at Syracuse.  My tour guide mentioned this was one of the toughest admission years in a very long time which made me feel good.

I left Syracuse that afternoon on my way to Albany.  I wanted to make one more visit to the school before I made my final decision.  I was caught up in the romance of the Syracuse campus and big undergrad appeal and I needed to be reminded of the reasons I had chosen Albany.........

I know this is cheesy but: To be continued.................

[loulielawyer]

Okay sorry... I forgot to finish my story!

I went on to Albany from Syracuse to re-visit the law school and when I went back I met a few more professors, the librarians and the Dean! I had amazing conversations with each of them about the facilities, the courses, the resources and plans for the law school's future.  I was so impressed by the personal attention I received considering the fact that I showed up unannounced during exams! The Dean was so friendly and informative and I could tell that any help I would need would be easily accessible at Albany.  I am sure Syracuse would be great too but in the end my decision came down to the personal fit I feel I have with Albany.  I followed my gut and told my family that Albany was the school for me. I bought an Albany Law sweatshirt and then I went and signed my lease.  I can't wait to start!

This is the end of my decision track.  I feel really lucky to be accepted to both of these law schools and I am sure that anyone on here who will attend either Syracuse or Albany will be pleased with their decision.