UBC vs Western

[SourPatchKids]

A few weeks ago I firmly accepted an offer to Western but I just received an acceptance to UBC. I know UBC has a much better reputation than Western but I want to practice in Ontario - does UBC's better rep outweigh the fact that I would have studied out-of-province? Any advice on which of the two to pick would be greatly appreciated!

Some context:

• I received a large enough scholarship from Western to make tuition costs approximately the same
• My family lives in Toronto so I would be moving out and paying rent either way (the difference however is moving a 2 hour drive away vs moving a 4 hour flight away, and the significantly higher cost of living in Vancouver compared to London)
• I would still try to secure an articling position in Toronto
• I have an interest in corporate law but also want to explore the social justice side more, which makes UBC's clinical options much more appealing

Is there anything else that I should be considering when making my decision? Also as a sidenote, does anyone know if I can even revoke my firm acceptance to Western to accept UBC's offer?

Thanks in advance!!

[Moms_Spaghetti]

Based on the way you have written this, it seems like you are trying to talk yourself into UBC. Absolutely UBC is a brand - nobody is denying that. And your arguments for studying in your province are sound. It just seems like you need to make a personal decision here that only you can make. And maybe you need to consider the soft factors too. How will being away from your family affect you during high-stress times? What if you end up finding a good job in BC - are you okay with potentially living there for an extended period of time? Have you considered the living cost difference between Western and UBC? If social justice is a secondary interest to Corporate law, are there other avenues you can take (non-associated volunteer based)? What are the class sizes at the two, will that make a difference in your learning style? How difficult is it to transfer later on should you choose to? 

I got multiple offers this year too so I understand this anxiety. But for me it did come down to what I felt made sense to me and my future career.
 

Reputation is great, I totally agree. But being in the RIGHT school for you will make you a better lawyer in the end. 

[SourPatchKids]

19 hours ago, Moms_Spaghetti said:

Based on the way you have written this, it seems like you are trying to talk yourself into UBC. Absolutely UBC is a brand - nobody is denying that. And your arguments for studying in your province are sound. It just seems like you need to make a personal decision here that only you can make. And maybe you need to consider the soft factors too. How will being away from your family affect you during high-stress times? What if you end up finding a good job in BC - are you okay with potentially living there for an extended period of time? Have you considered the living cost difference between Western and UBC? If social justice is a secondary interest to Corporate law, are there other avenues you can take (non-associated volunteer based)? What are the class sizes at the two, will that make a difference in your learning style? How difficult is it to transfer later on should you choose to? 

I got multiple offers this year too so I understand this anxiety. But for me it did come down to what I felt made sense to me and my future career.
 

Reputation is great, I totally agree. But being in the RIGHT school for you will make you a better lawyer in the end. 

Thanks so much for this, super insightful! I didn't realize it sounded like I was trying to talk myself into UBC but I think you may be right, so I definitely have a lot of soul searching to do. Congrats on your offers and good luck!!

[danytea]

I would suggest Western simply because you can have better connection if you go to a school in the province. Besides, other factors like living expenses and living further away from home can become quite stressful especially with the workload of 1L.