UVIC vs. UCal vs. Osgoode

[legallyconfused]

Hi everyone, 

I was accepted to these schools and am having a hard time choosing. I am a Vancouver native hoping for an offer from UBC but have to secure one of these spots by March 31. 

Victoria is still close enough to home, and the law school environment seems to be very supportive, which I appreciate. The weather in Victoria is probably the best in the country as well. 

Calgary is a city with a younger population, and I like how the school is smaller. My interactions with the school have given me the impression that the student body is more racially diverse compared to other law schools, which is important to me as a POC.

Osgoode is a very reputable law school with great faculty, and I would like to take this offer; however, I am not sure I can justify the 26K in tuition per year when UVic costs half as much.

Thank you in advance for any input! 

[TheDevilIKnow]

I think this really depends on where you want to work afterwards, which you haven't mentioned.

If you would like to work in Vancouver, definitely come to UVic. And of course, the same logic applies for Calgary and Toronto. All are good enough schools, with - in principle - the opportunity to get you jobs in other markets. But it will be easier for you to find work in the market where you're going to school.

As someone who moved from Calgary to Victoria, I personally regret the move and greatly miss Calgary as a place to live. However, we all have different criteria, and I find most people disagree with me. 😉 But I really think the biggest factor is what you want the job situation to be at the end of the JD road. Calgary is certainly much more diverse than the Victoria area (which is the whitest place I've ever lived, and I lived in rural Alberta). The class itself is more diverse, for sure, but I don't know how it compares to other schools.

One thing I would note: I don't believe that U of C is smaller. I can't find exact/up-to-date numbers, but I think the incoming JD class sizes are more or less the same. Furthermore, U of C Law is in a large building in the middle of a very urban campus. UVic Law is in a smaller, quieter building surrounded by trees. In fact, the small/quiet physical space is one of the only things I like about UVic. 😉 So if I were you I would take a closer look at the small size "feel" aspect of your calculations before making your decision.

All the best!

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by TheDevilIKnow

[rb_71]

36 minutes ago, legallyconfused said:

Calgary is a city with a younger population, and I like how the school is smaller. My interactions with the school have given me the impression that the student body is more racially diverse compared to other law schools, which is important to me as a POC.

I agree that where you wish to practice in the future should ultimately help you decide. If you plan on returning to Vancouver to practice, UVic may be the way to go. 

I found it interesting that you mentioned the weather in Victoria so as a Calgary native, I thought I'd chime in. I think Calgary gets a rep for "harsh" winters but it's actually not so bad! There are days where it's -40 but we also get chinooks, which are warm winds from the mountains. This weather phenomenon doesn't happen in Edmonton so our winters are milder in comparison to them. Also if mountains, hiking, skiing, etc. is your cup of tea, we've got all that an hour outside the city! Just thought I'd mention this if weather is important as a deciding factor for you.

Best of luck deciding and congrats on all the offers! 🙂

[tiktok]

I wouldn't pick Osgoode unless you are 100 per cent sure you want to end up in BigLaw. I'd go with UVic because it's cheaper, close to Vancouver and Victoria has good weather all year round. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by tiktok

[peanutmochi]

I'm choosing between UCal and Osgoode now! I'm inclined to live and work in Calgary (family is in Alberta and I love Alberta). However, Osgoode has such a great reputation that it's hard to pass up the offer. I'd love to go into corporate/tax law though, so maybe Osgoode school -> Calgary job is possible? 

Anyways, I'm wondering what decision OP made, and how you feel about your choice now that it's 2 years in!