UHouston vs. Washington & Lee

[Burz]

I remember talking on the tour with my guide who was from New York and mentioned that for her it was a great 3 year break from NYC. 

However, I have been in VA for the last 6 years and I'm originally from near Philly.  I don't know how much longer I want to stay down in VA, let alone go to school in rural VA.  I know it's a great school, but I feel like I've had my break from Philly.

Would it really be dumb to pass up W&L to go back home and go to Temple/Nova/Rutgers?

That's my thing too. I know my town like the back of my hand and I love it. I just got back from going to undergrad somewhere else and I was dying to get back home. Do I really want to spend another three years somewhere else, rural VA at that?

[Burz]

The ASW serves two functions.  First, it showcases the school.  Second, it shows that people from all over and from all walks of life can survive and *gasp* even enjoy themselves in Lexington, despite how much people on this board portray it as one step removed from hell.

I agree with Cooley, unless you're a nontrad, the re should be very little debate between W&L and UH. 

Little debate, even if I want to live/work in Houston?

[Redact]

I don't think it's so clear cut. Bar passage rates are about the same, and employment rates are higher for UH grads. Starting salaries are also the same. Instate tuition at UH will cost you half as much as tuition at Wash/Lee.

The fact is that the legal market in Houston is hot. If one plans to work in Houston, UH is definitely worth an extended look. This is especially true if money is an issue.

Don't throw Houston under the bus just because it slipped in the rankings. It's still highly regarded in the region.

To be fair, I think Wash/Lee is a great school. But given your preferences, it seems like Houston isn't far off.

[Burz]

I don't think it's so clear cut. Bar passage rates are about the same, and employment rates are higher for UH grads. Starting salaries are also the same. Instate tuition at UH will cost you half as much as tuition at Wash/Lee.

The fact is that the legal market in Houston is hot. If one plans to work in Houston, UH is definitely worth an extended look. This is especially true if money is an issue.

Don't throw Houston under the bus just because it slipped in the rankings. It's still highly regarded in the region.

To be fair, I think Wash/Lee is a great school. But given your preferences, it seems like Houston isn't far off.

Do you have any information about what direction they are taking as far as a new Dean? Maybe somebody who will help to boost the rankings?

[LBChic]

I lived and worked as a paralegal in Houston for four years, and my observation was that UH was very well respected as a school among the bigger firms there. Houston is very proud of itself, and since UH is the best school in the city it's almost a badge of honor to have gotten your degree there: you are smart enough to have gotten into the City's best school (and probably plenty others), but local-minded or "down home" enough not to have gone to a high falutin east coast Ivy. Or something. Coming from the east coast, that's how I felt anyway.

Now whether you could seriously live in Houston for the rest of your life, that's another story. As long as you have an exit strategy I suppose it's liveable. I hated it more than any place I've lived - flatness, humidity, swampiness, horrible infrastructure, the most provincial big city you'll ever see, annoying people, and worst of all feeling trapped in the middle of the country, with HOURS to drive before an appreciable change of scenery i.e. real mountains or real desert. To each his own though.

[Sell Out]

I will most likely end up at UH (which I do not see as a bad thing), all they have to do is accept me, hahaha.  I grew up in H-tizzle, so I am biased.  I love the city and have spent 7 years away which has made me love it even more.  W&L is a great school, but I wonder just how much debt you would be willing to go into just to come back to Texas and practice... If money is a concern, then the logical choice (economically speaking) would be UH.  If you want to get out and see other parts of the country, then I say you only live once and you might as well enjoy it while you can.  Then again, I could be completely off the mark.

[Navygirl]

I remember talking on the tour with my guide who was from New York and mentioned that for her it was a great 3 year break from NYC. 

However, I have been in VA for the last 6 years and I'm originally from near Philly.  I don't know how much longer I want to stay down in VA, let alone go to school in rural VA.  I know it's a great school, but I feel like I've had my break from Philly.

Would it really be dumb to pass up W&L to go back home and go to Temple/Nova/Rutgers?

That's funny.  I'm from VA, (and definitely miss it), but I've been living near Philly for the past 3 years.  I'm actually ready to head back down to VA, but I can't because W&L is out of my league (W&M is too, but I applied there for sh*ts and giggles)...so now I'm looking at going to either South Carolina or Fla, or hey, maybe somewhere all the way across the country. 


As for Lexington...it really isn't that bad, it's actually a really beautiful part of VA and the town is kinda *cute* and the mountains are right next to you.  I guarantee that if you go there, you'll fall in love with the place in Sept/Oct...and there really is plenty to do.  Believe it or not, Lexington gets quite a bit of tourists breezing through too--the Natural Bridge is right around there.  Not to mention you'll meet some interesting people in town--VMI is (literally) right next door to W&L.