UCalgary vs UAlberta

[RJ43]

Hi! I've been accepted to both UCalgary's and UAlberta's JD programs for the coming September intake! I'm super excited to go, but having a tough time deciding which of the programs would be better to attend. Here are some of the factors that I'm taking into consideration:

- UofA's tuition is more expensive. I've heard, though, that they have a better bursary program. Can anyone confirm if that's true? Cost of living is certainly cheaper in Edmonton, so it seems like overall cost at either school ends up being similar anyway.

- I've heard UCalgary is more hands on and less theoretical than UAlberta. Tough to find anything that confirms this online, though, so I'd be interested to hear if anyone who has experience at either of the schools can confirm this. 

- Ultimately, I'd like to start my career in Calgary, likely in business law, although I haven't quite decided yet. I am open to new opportunities as I learn about them at school. I grew up not far from Calgary, so it feels like more of a home than Edmonton. 

- I currently live in Edmonton with my wife and completed my undergrad here. Attending UCalgary would mean moving and making new friends for the both of us. 

I'd appreciate any input on my situation if anyone else has gone through similar circumstances. Also, if any current students or alumni from these schools see this, I'd love to hear about what you're experiences were like! Thank you so much for your time. 

[Whist]

I don't think you'd go wrong with either program. I'm an upper year at UofA and can speak to some of your questions. 

- UofA's been super generous with financial aid for me. It'll vary based on your debt and assets, but I got about $15k a year from them, wholly covering my grandfathered tuition rates. If you have any savings, they'll expect you to spend that before they give financial aid. 

- I'm not really sure what this means, hopefully a UofC student can chime in. Maybe they have a different 1L structure, but in upper years your experience is what you make it based on course choices. I'm happy with the opportunities I had for practical experience and internships. Some ECs or practical courses are competitive/by application, but others like SLS are open. 

- A lot of people change their minds or aren't sure what area they want to practice in law school. It's better to demonstrate interest through course choices and ECs if you can, particularly for certain areas of law, but what you do during law school is a lot less of a deciding factor than it first appears. Some people still aren't sure even during articles what they want to practice. 

- UofC is a bit more straightforward if you know you want to practice in Calgary, but like I said above, you won't go wrong with either. Only you can really say how much you rely on your social network for support but it's nice to have a mix of both a law and non-law social circle. 

Overall, I had a pretty good time. The parts that weren't so great were just features of law school generally, not the school I chose. I got into a handful of schools across Canada and have no regrets about choosing UofA.

[RJ43]

8 hours ago, Whist said:

I don't think you'd go wrong with either program. I'm an upper year at UofA and can speak to some of your questions. 

Thank you for taking the time to reply! I appreciate your insight!

[2easy]

I got into both programs also and I’m from Edmonton. I’ve opted to go to Calgary (as it was my #1 choice). UofA having more funding is definitely something that swayed me to want to go there, as $ is pretty important to me. 

Are you attending the open houses coming up? If I was in your position I would go to both of them, as this could definitely help you with your situation. 

Edited March 14 by 2easy

[RJ43]

3 minutes ago, 2easy said:

I got into both programs also and I’m from Edmonton. I’ve opted to go to Calgary (as it was my #1 choice). UofA having more funding is definitely something that swayed me to want to go there, as $ is pretty important to me. 

Are you attending the open houses coming up? If I was in your position I would go to both of them, as this could definitely help you with your situation. 

Congrats on your acceptance. And yes! I'm planning on attending both. 

Do you mind if I ask what your deciding factors were on why you decided to attend UCalgary over UAlberta?

[2easy]

- I 100% know I want to work in Calgary if I stay in Canada. 

Other than that it’s pretty personal stuff and might sound opinionated.

- UofA is in an unsafe area and driving downtown Edmonton sucks. I like to nap after class and then study at 2-3am in the morning around campus, and I can’t imagine myself walking around that area at 2-3am. 

- I want to be fully immersed in the law school experience and if I sit around Edmonton I’ll just hang around my friends/family in Edmonton and not meet new friends.

- UofC career services and recruitment office has been amazing to talk to. Out of the 4 schools that I got an acceptance from, they have been miles ahead of everyone. 

- I really do not enjoy living in Edmonton and in my expierence the quality of life in Calgary is much higher.

- Calgary has tons of networking events throughout the year held by BigLaw firms (I think 16 but I could be wrong). The Society of Law Students have good events for the students such as the Halloween event and the skiing event over the weekend in the mountains. These are all things I would love to participate in and to make friends with my future colleagues.

Literally the only thing swaying me to go to UofA is the $. 

Edited March 14 by 2easy

[Guest2266]

Hey @2easy! I’ll be starting at UofC this September too. Where did you get all that info regarding events?