| Topic Name: |
American v. UMiami |
| Message Name: |
workable choices |
| Date Posted: |
04/21/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
Hello, I have been accepted to UMaryland, American and UMiami, however, I've only heard $$$ from Miami as my financial aid packages aren't put together yet for the other two. Now, I want to practice international public law...I know I might change, but if I do it will be still be related to international law in some way. I'm confused because all three schools have similar general ratings, but UMD doesn't have as expansive an international law program as American or Miami. In addition American has the option of a joint JD/MA program, and the location of DC. However, UMiami is not competing with any other school (UFL, maybe) like American competes with GWU and G-town. There are other factors, but these are the foremost ones and I'd appreciate any advice to help my decision. |
| Message: |
Remember how in undergraduate school all the most interesting people were going to be writers? If one was a writer, one was excused from
all the basic necessities of pragmatic career goals, taking career-directed courses, and even of submitting work for publication (since the writer's deep, soulful
inner workings might not be able to stanch the blood drawn by a rejection slip from yet another co-opted publication).
In pre-law, the customary equivalent to "novel in progress" is "public international law" (while the sister city to "selling my screenplay" is "entertainmentlaw"). Fortunately, unlike acting, in which missing one's dream may mean community theater at the Holiday Inn (but then again, I *like* "Oklahoma!"), you can do all sortsa of international-related things even if you don't make it into public international law.
Because Miami is a trade center, and DC is, well, DC, none of your 3 schools is a bad choice to chase your dream. American tries to offer coursework in this area, and is a fine school, but I suspect that you may wish to look carefully at Miami. When you're going to a solid but not top 10 school, you're going to want to look at alternative ways in other than counting on the BIGLAW route in (odd statistic: only 10 percent of the class makes the top 10 percent of the class rank). Miami seems to me to be an excellent place to get into various international-related areas, such as immigration,
commercial transactions involving international deals, or international commercial litigation.
DC is a traditional choice to be in the heart of the action for potential "public international law" jobs, but
here the unconventional play is a very international city such as Miami. I'd think that you'd have the advantage of less competition for the specialty in Miami than in DC (although, ironically, a strong program at U Miami may undercut my argument).
Miami does compete with UF,and all the fun little Florida schools that dot the landscape down there.
The reality is that
if you get great grades, you get to pick a specialty.
If you don't get great grades, you can still work your way into something you like, if you plan on how to do it, take the coursework to get there, and learn to network.
MD is a solid choice, well regarded, and American is a fine school, but I vote Miami.
It's pretty much a push, though, and I'd suggest you focus on how to get "there" from "here" beyond just picking schools. (what coursework, who does what you want to do, how did they get there, etc.).
Congrats on good choices.
|
|
