University of Akron Law School (Cleveland, Baltimore: 2009, apartment, crime rates)

[MetsNY]

I'm not from Ohio, I've never been but I'm looking for a change of scenery, and am most likely applying to several law schools around the country. I'm from the Northeast, so I'm assuming Ohio will be alot different, but that doesn't botther me. I think its time to realize that alot of different places exsist and I can't be confined to Connecticut and New York my whole life.

Can anyone tell me a little bit about the University of Akron Law School? Is it located directly in the city of Akron? What is the city itself like? As long as the school itself isn't located in a crime-infested neighborhood, then I really don't care to much about a city's crime rates. For one, I've come to realize that criminal activity usually doen't occur to random people and is more prone to areas of drug trade, etc. like in housing projects.

If anyone has any specifics on admission to the law school that would be great as well.

Thanks!

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by MetsNY

I'm not from Ohio, I've never been but I'm looking for a change of scenery, and am most likely applying to several law schools around the country. I'm from the Northeast, so I'm assuming Ohio will be alot different, but that doesn't botther me. I think its time to realize that alot of different places exsist and I can't be confined to Connecticut and New York my whole life.

Can anyone tell me a little bit about the University of Akron Law School? Is it located directly in the city of Akron? What is the city itself like? As long as the school itself isn't located in a crime-infested neighborhood, then I really don't care to much about a city's crime rates. For one, I've come to realize that criminal activity usually doen't occur to random people and is more prone to areas of drug trade, etc. like in housing projects.

If anyone has any specifics on admission to the law school that would be great as well.

Thanks!

I went to UA (not for law school though) so I think I can give you some good feedback.

U of A is located in the city. It used to be more or less in the neighborhood directly East of downtown, but like many Universities it has grown to where it stretches a little over a mile in width all the way downtown.

The Spicertown/University Park area varies, with the campus area being pretty nice, but some of the neighborhoods are ****ty. I would say the majority of the neighborhood housing is geared towards undergrads. There are some nice/good/decent apartment buildings and complexes, including a very nice and brand new apartment building downtown that is a private student complex. About 2 miles to the west is Highland Square which is nice, kinda artsy, and has a high pop of college grads/young professionals, grad students, and young families.

Crime on campus is reasonable for an urban campus. Admittedly Akron is a smaller city, though, about 200k in the city. I never worried about wandering on campus, but occasional stuff happens as at any city school with 24,000 students. Certainly not any worse than any major University and much safer and better in location than other schools like Johns Hopkins in Baltimore or or Penn in Philly.

Akron has most things you could want, but if it doesn't Cleveland is only 20-some odd miles up I-77 and that should cover all but the pickiest people. Really though, the suburbs between the two basically run into each other and connect.

Weather is going to be somewhat similar but I think you'll be amazed at the low cost of living here (i.e. rent). It's very inexpensive.

As far as the actual campus quality itself, over the last 8 or so years the University has been on a building spree. There are new buildings all over the place - new dorms, buildings, fields, student center, fitness center, parking decks and a brand new football stadium (amongst other things). Literally like 1/3 of the campus is brand freaking new.

The law school is supposed to be very good but admittedly I haven't had any contact with it other than getting constant junk mail about applying to it.

Feel free to ask any other questions.

[MetsNY]

Thanks for the feedback. I had no idea Akron and Cleveland were that close. That's good to know.

About rent, how much are we talking for a nice place?

Also, I know you don't know much about the law school, but would you say it is difficult to get into?

[ksu sucks]

I'm an undergrad @ UA, so I can't give much info about the law school. But the other day I saw this story and it made me think about this thread: University of Akron law graduates lead region in passing bar exam | Metro - cleveland.com - cleveland.com Here's UA's law website, just in case: The University of Akron : Akron Law I always hear good things about the law school. I believe it's on of the stronger programs on campus.

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by MetsNY

Thanks for the feedback. I had no idea Akron and Cleveland were that close. That's good to know.

About rent, how much are we talking for a nice place?

Also, I know you don't know much about the law school, but would you say it is difficult to get into?

It's the same metro area.

Rent in Akron for a "nice" place is probably $700 or so/1br, maybe a little more. Run of the mill buildings (not split houses) 1BR near the University are about $500-550. Or you could be a little further out, maybe in NW Akron, and pull a decent 2 BR townhouse for like $675. It just depends on what your definition of nice is - nice, as in decent, or nice, as in... nice.

[whitmeyer]

Originally Posted by SquareBetterThanAll

The Spicertown/University Park area varies, with the campus area being pretty nice, but some of the neighborhoods are ****ty.

90% of the city surrounding the campus is bad.

Originally Posted by SquareBetterThanAll

Akron has most things you could want

Possibly, if you like to do nothing except drink alcohol or watch local sports events. Other than that, good luck finding entertainment.

Originally Posted by SquareBetterThanAll

Cleveland is only 20-some odd miles up I-77 and that should cover all but the pickiest people.

Cleveland is about a 45 min drive in average traffic. Probably more like an hour. On top of that, Cleveland isn't really worth the drive, it doesn't offer much over Akron except the Cavs and Browns.

Originally Posted by SquareBetterThanAll

Weather is going to be somewhat similar but I think you'll be amazed at the low cost of living here (i.e. rent). It's very inexpensive.

As far as the actual campus quality itself, over the last 8 or so years the University has been on a building spree. There are new buildings all over the place - new dorms, buildings, fields, student center, fitness center, parking decks and a brand new football stadium (amongst other things). Literally like 1/3 of the campus is brand freaking new.

The law school is supposed to be very good but admittedly I haven't had any contact with it other than getting constant junk mail about applying to it.

Feel free to ask any other questions.

I doubt anyone who has experienced real city life, or life in other parts of the country that have more to offer could say the things that Squarebetterthanall did about Akron. Just being honest.

[ksu sucks]

Thanks for your opinion whitmeyer. I couldn't disagree more. I moved to Akron for school and I find the city to be much better than what people like yourself make it out to be. It isn't Miami, but it certainly isn't some crime ridden cess pool like many of you would like others to believe.

I would've never gone to Akron if I didn't visit. Once I visited, I knew it was for me. Do yourself a favor and visit campus.

[whitmeyer]

Originally Posted by ksu sucks

Thanks for your opinion whitmeyer. I couldn't disagree more.

Do yourself a favor and visit campus.

Visit campus? I have an undergrad from that campus. I'm speaking from actual experience.

I guess you missed the huge crime wave that hit campus in 07 and 08. Multiple students were robbed at gun point on campus. Several rapes were reported, and a campus building was robbed near the loading dock area while they were getting a delivery. Those were the incidents I can remember off the top of my head.

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by whitmeyer

Visit campus? I have an undergrad from that campus. I'm speaking from actual experience.

I guess you missed the huge crime wave that hit campus in 07 and 08. Multiple students were robbed at gun point on campus. Several rapes were reported, and a campus building was robbed near the loading dock area while they were getting a delivery. Those were the incidents I can remember off the top of my head.

I think his point is moreso that it is much, much different than it was even when I graduated - which was within the current decade. I will agree that the campus used to really suck. What year did you graduate?

As far as crime on campus, it sucks but it's not something that's particularly unusual. Some universities that are truly urban campuses (UA is technically, but at 200k Akron isn't a very large city) have completely off the wall crime.

If it was unique to Akron I'd have no argument, but it's not (for better or for worse).

How Safe Is Your College? - Page 1 - The Daily Beast

Schools with the worst crime in the US? Topping the list are Harvard, Yale, and MIT. You'll notice UA is nowhere in the top 25.


Feel free to peruse the stats and see how UA stacks up against other schools:

http://ope.ed.gov/security/

It appears your "huge crime wave" of on-campus robberies in 2007 and 2008 comes to a total of 3 each year. But, technically that is multiple.

For comparision, OSU had 11 and 6, Florida State had 8 and 8, Harvard had 3 and 4, Penn State had 3 and 3, University of Michigan had 4 and 6...

[Puddy4LyF]

Originally Posted by whitmeyer

Visit campus? I have an undergrad from that campus. I'm speaking from actual experience.

I guess you missed the huge crime wave that hit campus in 07 and 08. Multiple students were robbed at gun point on campus. Several rapes were reported, and a campus building was robbed near the loading dock area while they were getting a delivery. Those were the incidents I can remember off the top of my head.

Your experiences sound extremely limited. Ever been to other inter-city campuses? Try North Philly on LaSalle's campus if you want to see what a campus looks like when it's actually located in a bad neighborhood. My wife got her undergrad there. I witnessed 1 stabbing and heard about plenty of other nonsense. At night, there's an ice cream truck that drives around at night - I don't think I need to explain that it doesn't actually sell ice cream.

If you think Akron's downtown/UA is really that bad of a neighborhood, you probably haven't traveled much. If you leave your doors unlocked, walk around drunk at night, have a party full of drunk, unsuspecting white children in any inter-city, you're bound to get crime. It's called crime of opportunity. Really not a reason NOT to go to school there.

You were right on one thing though, Cleveland is NOT 20 miles away. Downtown Cleveland was 42 miles away from my house and I lived in North Akron, which is 3-4 miles north of campus.

Aside from that, you just sound like a nervous, negative person.