Emory 1L taking questions Forum

[treeey86]

Hey 0Ls,

I was in your shoes last year when applying, and I felt that Emory was lacking a TLS presence. Emory seems to get a bad rep around TLS for some reason. TLSers make Emory out to seem like an ultra-competitive school filled with Northeasterners that are snots and bitter. TLSsers are completely wrong, and I am here to answer any questions and provide some real information about Emory to those that are interested.

First, a few points:

1. I do not know what the admission cycle will be this year, so please refrain from asking me if your numbers are good. Last year a 3.4-3.6 and a 164-166 were sure bets of getting in. This year I know that Emory is shooting for a 166 median ( they had a 164 in 07-08 and a 165 in 08-09). If I had to guess, LSAT > GPA. My 1L class was hailed as Emory most impressive class numbers wise. It is probably a safe bet they will either try to match or surpass that this year.

2. If any of you are in disbelief that applicants with "average" numbers ( such as 3.5/165) were getting $70-96k scholarships with no grade requirements ( other than not to fail out), I suggest you stop disbelieving and start applying. Emory University has a huge endowment ( from Coca-Cola) and the University is committed to spending big bucks on the law school to attract the best faculty and students. Emory has the patience to gradually rise in the rankings over the course of a number of years instead of just doing sudden jumps without the foundation to sustain those jumps. One method Emory has employed to gradually rise in the rankings is attract qualified students with generous scholarships. For many students who have 3.4-3.6s and 164-166s, there are not too many scholarship opportunities unless you want to go to a lower T1 or a T2 school. Emory is consistently ranked in the low 20s ( it is 20 this year) and it is throwing $70-90k at students whereas other similarly ranked schools are only offering around $15k-$30k for students with similar numbers. With the way the economy and legal market are, there is no guarantee of a 6 figure job upon graduation for many students, including those in the T14. Because of generous scholarships, myself and MANY of my classmates are coming out of law school with very "little" debt, and I cannot stress the importance of this enough.

3. Atlanta location is AMAZING. Big city, lots to do, and whatever your niche is you will find it in Atlanta. Also, access to the Atlanta legal market is a huge advantage for Emory students. I already have an internship lined up at an entertainment law firm purely through networking with local attorneys.

4. Emory undergrad is filled with students from the north east. Emory Law school is a diverse group. Yes, there are probably around 23% from the north east, but that is pretty standard among southern law schools. The rest mostly come from the South, with a decent showing from the midwest and California. Everyone is pretty laid back and chill. There is no cutthroat competition. I don't know how to explain it to 0Ls, but basically any school but a few in the T14 have mandatory curves. Yes, your grades will be affected by what your peers get, so there is an element of competing to be the best you can be, BUT students here do not go out of their way to sabotage other students. My experience is that all fellow students are friendly, open, and engaging.

5. I have no idea how 2Ls and 3Ls did with OCI. I do not have figures. I know a few 2Ls and 3Ls. Some have jobs lined up, others don't but they have been getting interviews. General opinion is that the job market will not be so bad for my class and the ones that follow, however it will not be up to the 2006 gold standard.

Anyway, I will be checking in on and off over the next week or so. Forgive me if I do not answer very quickly- I have a lot of catching up to do with family and friends back home. Best of luck in your admission cycles!

- Trey

[Jay-Electronica]

So emory does or does not have a mandatory curve?

[jrobby6]

Can you elaborate on nightlife and COL?

[scBlueDevil]

So emory does or does not have a mandatory curve?

Emory does have a mandatory curve. The mean grade is supposed to be 3.17. I just looked over the grade distribution spreadsheet for 2008-2009 grades; for most of the required classes, profs reported a mean grade of 3.17-3.19 and a median grade of 3.3. There is, however, significant variation between the reported grades for elective upper level classes.

[Jay-Electronica]

So emory does or does not have a mandatory curve?

Emory does have a mandatory curve. The mean grade is supposed to be 3.17. I just looked over the grade distribution spreadsheet for 2008-2009 grades; for most of the required classes, profs reported a mean grade of 3.17-3.19 and a median grade of 3.3. There is, however, significant variation between the reported grades for elective upper level classes.

Ok, thanks. Good info, can you elaborate a little more on what you mean by significant variation please? Thanks.

[treeey86]

Variation for upper level courses is due to professors being more relaxed about the curve for 2L and 3L year, hence why 1L is considered such an important year grade wise. This isn't just Emory, this is most law schools. Honestly though, your class rank probably matters more than your grades.

As for the COL, I cannot complain. Atlanta is a great city, and compared to cities like Chicago, DC, and NYC, it is very cheap. Clubs and bars are still expensive, but in terms of rent and food it is pretty damn cheap for a major city.

In terms of nightlife, whatever you are into you will find in Atlanta. Clubs, lounges, dive bars, sport bars, theater, art centers, sports ( 4 professional teams- and the falcons have a dome which is awesome) is all in Atlanta. You name it, you got it. Only drag is that you have to drive into each neighborhood. Once you get there you can walk, but if there is any downside it is paying for taxis. However, Emory university comps you a free taxi ride so just get a bunch of friends together and take turns covering for that free ride.

[rocross1]

Hey I have kinda of a broad question. My wife and I have always wanted to go to ND and I was just accepted, but if I get more scholarship $ at Emory it will be tempting. Emory is my second choice because I live in the south and want to practice in Atl. My one concern is that I want to enjoy the last three years of my college experience and I don't feel Emory offers that. Is there a sense of community there and is the school an enjoyable experience or is it just school?

[solotee]

Why did you choose Emory over your other top 2 choices?

[gntsf12]

For what its worth, I know this year Emory reached 166 for the median of the 2012 class, so I would imagine they will reach for 167 for next fall...

[treeey86]

I find Emory to have a strong sense of community, however activities within the Emory community will probably focus around different activities you will find at ND. I can imagine that at ND, your social outings will be centered around D1 sports and the bar scene. Emory, being in Atlanta, has a strong focus on bars, clubs, lounges, and sporting events. Law students are a tight knit community. With only around 240-250 students per class, students here tend to get to know each other well and socialize frequently with each other. Before it is time to hardcore study for finals, Emory law students tend to go out at least 2-3 times per week with each other to various events either planned by the SBA social chair or more low key events planned by students. School is not just school. It really is a community here, which is probably why Emory Alumni are very loyal to the school and very passionate in helping out law students with finding internships and getting job interviews.

[jms1987]

Whats the job market like in Atlanta as of now? Its one of first choice cities to work in

[chicoalto0649]

Bump for more feedback from Emory students/alumnists....

[treeey86]

I do not have any figures for the Atlanta job market. Based on talking to 2Ls and 3Ls, and my mentor ( a practicing attorney at a Biglaw firm), it seems that Atlanta is a very strong secondary market and that while the legal market has been hit the jobs are still out there.

Biglaw has scaled back hiring all over, and government jobs have become more competitive, but Atlanta's edge is the quantity of opportunities. There are a lot of federal agencies in Atlanta, and based on what I have been told by our career services it seems that Emory is a huge feeder school for many state and federal jobs. Furthermore, small law seems to have handled itself fairly well in Atlanta. Many small and mid sized firms still hire, and while salaries are not great there they never were to begin with, hence the amount of jobs and the salaries have not been hit too hard.

Take everything I wrote above with a grain of salt, because I do not have any concrete figures. But I must emphasize that going to a school in a market where you want to work is priceless. Networking has a huge effect when you can easily keep in touch with your contacts and take them out to lunch or drinks. Ease of travel for interviews is also very important, and school name recognition is clutch.

Spring classes start early at Emory so I will not be on here much, but shoot away anyway and I will try to get to them as promptly as I can.

[XtraordinaryMachine]

First, thanks for taking questions on Emory since its presence on the forum is so miniscule!

I've heard that Emory (and all other southern schools) are extremely regional, therefore the prospects for getting BigLaw jobs in NY or DC are very slim. Is this true?

Also, would you say you're classmates are younger (22-25) or older?

Thanks!

[treeey86]

Though Emory is not a T-14 and hence does not have what is considered "national" portability, it is still a top 20 school and has been a solid 20-25 school over the last few years, thus it has obtained semi-national portability. NYC or DC biglaw is definitely possible from Emory. Though current figures are skewed due to the slumping economy, about 2 years ago NY firms were dipping as far down as top 1/3rd of Emory for jobs. Emory also has a strong DC presence, and I believe that top 20-25% have a shot at biglaw there. Though Emory's main market is Atlanta, the degree travels well up and down the East Coast. Of the 2008 class, 88% reported, with 60% of grads working in states other than GA ( 22% of which were working in the tri-state area). http://www.law.emory.edu/fileadmin/care ... f_2008.pdf

Classmates are generally in the 22-25 age range. There are older classmates, and they seem to get along well with the rest of the class, though the "social culture" of Emory is definitely geared toward those in their young to mid 20s.

[steph404]

Emory grad here. The job market in Atlanta is not great right now. There are a lot of junior associates who have been laid off and are struggling to find a job. Emory's considerable expense can make that hard. But it was a great school, and very well respected in the SE.

Atlanta is definitely not a college town. You can go to school here and be as friendly as you want with your classmates, or find different friends outside of school and never see people outside of class (except for frequent run ins at bars in the Highlands).

[married0L]

Bump for leckj's question.

[TheBigMediocre]

I'm a 3.35/170, so I'm hoping to get some Emory $$$ love. Otherwise I'm going to UGA. I want placement in Atlanta either way. How do you think Emory fares against UGA for Atlanta placement? I know Emory is a better-ranked school, but UGA's alumni network is supposedly extremely impressive.

[steph404]

I'm a 3.35/170, so I'm hoping to get some Emory $$$ love. Otherwise I'm going to UGA. I want placement in Atlanta either way. How do you think Emory fares against UGA for Atlanta placement? I know Emory is a better-ranked school, but UGA's alumni network is supposedly extremely impressive.

If you want to stay in Atlanta, both schools do quite well. A lot of Emory talent leaves for other big markets (NYC/DC) but there are still lots that stay, and the school's location has allowed alumni at firms to be very active in recruiting. UGA sends a large portion of their grads to Atlanta, so the alumni network is substantial.

The question will come down to $$$ and what you want your law school experience to be. Emory is more expensive but with a good scholarship, can be more affordable. It does not have a strong sense of school spirit - no major sporting events, etc., but you are located in the city you want to be in and are near a major airport if travel is important to you. UGA at sticker will get you a lot more bang for your buck in a very different environment. If you want a college town experience, Athens is a great place to be. One additional thing - it's been my impression that Emory law students make friends with a wide variety of people in Atlanta, and that UGA law students are friends with themselves - just another thing to think about.

[SuperCool23]

Do they have housing for law students?

[Bruiser]

Are there some non-traditional, older students there? I am in my 30s and can't move away from Atlanta and my choices essentially are Emory or GA State. I think I could probably get some money from Emory if my Feb. LSAT went well. I know Ga State has a good deal of non-traditional students and wondered what Emory was like from a non-trad perspective as well.

[set88]

I know someone already asked about the sense of community at Emory, and I have a similar question. I'm a little wary of going to school in such a big city. I'm wondering if the law students really do maintain the same level of closeness to each other that they would at a school in a much smaller city. I'd like to have access to the many opportunities Atlanta would offer but I want to know that being social/friendly with each other is important to the students. Do you feel that there are a lot of opportunities to meet your classmates? Also how competitive a school is it? Do people help each other study?

[steph404]

When I was there, people were definitely friendly. First semester 1L year is a big sorting out period -there are some who were prima donnas about forming their study groups, but for the most part you found some like minded individuals in your section and stuck with them. It took me until the very end of that semester to get a good group (four of us) together. That was a function of trial and error, finding people with compatible study styles. But once we got together it was great, and all of us saw a rise in our grades second semester. There was some issue with the year behind me though - someone allegedly hid a reporter volume that everyone needed for their memo, but I don't know what ever came of it.
For Bruiser, we had a few non traditional students. Only a few stick out in my mind, but when I think about some of my friends, there were a few folks who had worked for 3-5 years before coming to law school and were in their thirties.

I know someone already asked about the sense of community at Emory, and I have a similar question. I'm a little wary of going to school in such a big city. I'm wondering if the law students really do maintain the same level of closeness to each other that they would at a school in a much smaller city. I'd like to have access to the many opportunities Atlanta would offer but I want to know that being social/friendly with each other is important to the students. Do you feel that there are a lot of opportunities to meet your classmates? Also how competitive a school is it? Do people help each other study?

Are there some non-traditional, older students there? I am in my 30s and can't move away from Atlanta and my choices essentially are Emory or GA State. I think I could probably get some money from Emory if my Feb. LSAT went well. I know Ga State has a good deal of non-traditional students and wondered what Emory was like from a non-trad perspective as well.

[Bruiser]

Thanks for the reply, steph. Now I just need to get my score and then I will have some decisions to make.