Conjuration vs. Evocation largely depends on how you intend to level. If you're mostly going to be grouping go Evo, since you will be casting a lot of nukes after you summon one max level pet and just keep it buffed. If you intend to solo, go Conjuration, since you will be chain summoning pets over and over.
At 50 it again becomes a consideration of how you'll mostly be using your Mage. If you think you'll be doing a lot of grouping/duoing stick with Evo. If you plan to do a lot of solo farming, Conjuration is better. And if you want to be most useful to a guild during raids, also stick with Conjuration (mod rods, lev rings, ultravision and enduring breath summons, CoTH in Kunark).
Oh, and if you mainly intend to use the character to farm plat, give serious consideration to pumping STR at creation. Not joking. Helps a lot when farming giants and such and carrying around loads of plat, and Mages receive less benefit from a deep mana pool than any other class. So pumping STR to at least 80 or so at creation and 100+ with jewelry can be very beneficial (My Mage on Blue has something like 155 STR and 200 INT in droppable gear and can farm like a sonofabitch).
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