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I'm going to law school this fall and I was recently offered a (nearly) full tuition scholarship to Wake Forest. First of all, I'm not asking for advice as to whether or not I should go to law school - I'm aware of the legal market, risks, etc. I'm on another forum for those issues
Though she doesn't have a job lined up anywhere, my wife will be working while I'm in school, so we could emerge with no or little debt if she gets even a semi-decent job (only $9,000 in tuition for three years combined). I'm posting this in the general NC forum because my questions aren't entirely specific to Winston-Salem/Greensboro. So here are my questions:
-What is the general reputation of Wake in the state and region? How does it compare to other top colleges/universities in the region?
-We have no personal ties to the state, but we have very strong ties to the Southeast in general. Do you think that'll be a problem in looking for jobs for my wife or me? I'm hoping that being from the Southeast, we'd be seen less as "outsiders" than our northern transplant counterparts. But maybe that's not the case...
-Where in Winston-Salem would be a good place to look for housing? We'd like to rent a house if possible (had enough of apartment life the last couple years); is it possible to find an affordable house, town home, or apartment within biking distance of campus?
-Any general advice for us as we prepare to move this fall? We're not 100% set on Wake just yet, as I'm still waiting on scholarship info from a few other schools (namely Vanderbilt, Emory, and Washington University in St. Louis). However, it'd be really tough to pass up an opportunity to emerge with hardly any debt from law school, especially a good one.
My wife and I life in the Florida panhandle now and want to move somewhere in the mid-south area...you know, someplace with seasons. I'm also a fan of living closer to the mountains, which NC would provide. Thanks in advance for your input!
I'm not sure who moved your question to the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Cary forum, but it would be nice if a moderator could move you back to the NC forum or to the Greensboro/High Point/Winston Salem one, as this is clearly the wrong spot.
That said, Wake has a very good reputation, especially for the law school. All the major metro areas in NC have plenty of transplants; that isn't a problem. Yes, you can find housing close to campus (I have a friend who went to div school there recently and lived within a mile of campus). But you need to get back in the right forum to get more specific than that.
Wake Law School has a great reputation within the state and region. Other than the US News and other published rankings, which I guess you're fully aware of, I wouldn't know how to objectively compare Wake to the others. Subjectively, I feel that Wake law grads can hold their own with Duke and UNC grads. If you plan to stay in the mid-South, a law degree from Wake should be a positive.
I would think that either the law school or general university would be able to provide assistance in advising you on housing. My impression is that there is always a supply of rental housing within proximity to the campus.
As for job-hunting for your wife, the area has seen a lot of transplants coming from many locations, and I'm not sure that origin makes much if any difference. No matter where you are, job-hunting is tough and especially if you don't have local networking to help.
Thanks for the replies! I'd like to live in a bike-friendly city so we can cut down on some transportation expenses. How is Winston-Salem in that regard?
Thanks for the replies! I'd like to live in a bike-friendly city so we can cut down on some transportation expenses. How is Winston-Salem in that regard?
It's not exactly bike UNfriendly, either. Cycling as a sport is very big in Winston, whereas commuting by bike isn't quite as common. I guess that has a lot to do with the hills. It's hard to bike comfortably and casually in many parts of town, but cyclists love the challenge.
Having said that, there are still lots of bike paths, marked bike routes on city streets, etc. I'm rarely out near the Wake campus, so I can't speak to that area directly, but most of downtown, Ardmore, West End, etc. is pretty bike friendly from a planning standpoint.
It's not exactly bike UNfriendly, either. Cycling as a sport is very big in Winston, whereas commuting by bike isn't quite as common. I guess that has a lot to do with the hills. It's hard to bike comfortably and casually in many parts of town, but cyclists love the challenge.
Having said that, there are still lots of bike paths, marked bike routes on city streets, etc. I'm rarely out near the Wake campus, so I can't speak to that area directly, but most of downtown, Ardmore, West End, etc. is pretty bike friendly from a planning standpoint.
Thanks for the info and links. It's good to see that they are making some efforts to better incorporate biking. The city I currently live in is super bike unfriendly and it shows no signs of improvement any time soon.
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