NYU sticker vs. Georgetown $90K Forum

[scribelaw]

I was pretty set on going to NYU until yesterday. Georgetown just offered me a $30k per year scholarship.

I love DC -- my preferred market -- but I'm also flexible. I'm interested in biglaw and doing government/prosecutor work.

I visited NYU and liked it a lot. I'm struggling to let go of the T6, but for my goals (not especially interested in NYC) I don't know if NYU is worth, essentially, twice the cost of Gtown.

Also, this site has beat me down with its anti-GeorgeTTTown bias. I'm a little concerned about the diploma mill aspect.

Thoughts?

[sixburgher]

For what you want, Gtown seems like the best bet, and it's the better price

[miamiman]

90k is not a laughable amount of money. However, for your stated goals, id go NYU.

- retain better odds at biglaw
- equal if not superior lrap, which, when coupled with ibr, makes the 90k (or your debt load generallt) far less significant
- a superior degree in a tight legal market

[Georgiana]

I think you should speak to both school's career services reps. Ask specifically what their placement was in DC based on the number of people who wanted it (not average based on the past few years but based on last year only). They have been collecting this data even if its not published yet. I have a few friends at gtown and this past year really was a bloodbath at their OCI. Once you're fully informed about the job placement differences, decide whether 90k is worth the trade off.

[scribelaw]

I think you should speak to both school's career services reps. Ask specifically what their placement was in DC based on the number of people who wanted it (not average based on the past few years but based on last year only). They have been collecting this data even if its not published yet. I have a few friends at gtown and this past year really was a bloodbath at their OCI. Once you're fully informed about the job placement differences, decide whether 90k is worth the trade off.

That's my main concern about Georgetown, declining or spotty placement.

I tried to get info from NYU, and they said 8-10 percent of their class ends up in DC, all the major DC firms are present, but they didn't give me the success rate or how deep in the class DC employers go. I'm going to take your advice and call Monday and see if I can get more helpful info.

[Georgiana]

I think you should speak to both school's career services reps. Ask specifically what their placement was in DC based on the number of people who wanted it (not average based on the past few years but based on last year only). They have been collecting this data even if its not published yet. I have a few friends at gtown and this past year really was a bloodbath at their OCI. Once you're fully informed about the job placement differences, decide whether 90k is worth the trade off.

That's my main concern about Georgetown, declining or spotty placement.

I tried to get info from NYU, and they said 8-10 percent of their class ends up in DC, all the major DC firms are present, but they didn't give me the success rate or how deep in the class DC employers go. I'm going to take your advice and call Monday and see if I can get more helpful info.

Another tactic is to ask admissions if they can set you up with a 2L who got a job in DC to discuss prospects etc. While the student is probably involved with admissions and will tend to sugar coat things, you can still probably tell whether its all BS.

You can even ask leading questions like: "I know the DC market is known to be more selective based on grades than NY because the market is smaller, how do you think that impacted you and your classmates seeking to work in DC?"

[phillyphan]

As a current NYU 2L, I can tell you that a lot of people go to D.C. I have friends who will be at Jenner & Block, Covington, and WilmerHale in D.C this summer. The only major firm that doesn't recruit at NYU is W&C. If you want D.C., it's available, but most people stay in NY. Good luck with your decision!

[nealric]

Employment may be a (somewhat) legitimate consideration, but I think the "diploma mill" meme is completely specious.

I have found the education here to be both excellent and extremely personal. For 30k a year, pick Georgetown.

[scribelaw]

Employment may be a (somewhat) legitimate consideration, but I think the "diploma mill" meme is completely specious.

I have found the education here to be both excellent and extremely personal. For 30k a year, pick Georgetown.

What's the job situation like at GULC as far as you've seen?

[twistedwrister]

Some GULC 3L discussed the 2L job market in this thread:

--LinkRemoved--

Of course, it is xoxo, so who knows if it's legit.

[lawapps0502]

NYU has a great reputation and I'm sure that you can go anywhere with that degree. It is a better ranked school so if you were lucky enough to get in I would seize the opportunity.

[beesknees]

.

[roundabout]

If you ultimately want to be in DC, I think there's a lot to be said for the networking you can do and work experience you can gain during the school year.

[scribelaw]

Thanks for the input.

I'm leaning toward Georgetown, although though I am concerned about the OCI bloodbath. I'm trying to find out this afternoon if the OCI figures in the thead linked to above are true -- that 70 percent at NYU had offers while only 20 percent at Georgetown did. That seems too extreme.

Basically, I want to be in DC and I'm thinking that if I'm median or below at NYU, I'm not getting DC anyway. I might have Biglaw options in NYC, but I don't really want to be there. One of NYU's great strengths is placing students in elite NYC firms, and that's not something I'm interested in.

If I'm at Georgetown at median, I might miss out on Biglaw but I'll have a better chance to scratch out a firm job in DC or something with the federal government, and with the lower debt load I won't need the $160k salary to make ends meet.

[twistedwrister]

Thanks for the input.

I'm leaning toward Georgetown, although though I am concerned about the OCI bloodbath. I'm trying to find out this afternoon if the OCI figures in the thead linked to above are true -- that 70 percent at NYU had offers while only 20 percent at Georgetown did. That seems too extreme.

Basically, I want to be in DC and I'm thinking that if I'm median or below at NYU, I'm not getting DC anyway. I might have Biglaw options in NYC, but I don't really want to be there. One of NYU's great strengths is placing students in elite NYC firms, and that's not something I'm interested in.

If I'm at Georgetown at median, I might miss out on Biglaw but I'll have a better chance to scratch out a firm job in DC or something with the federal government, and with the lower debt load I won't need the $160k salary to make ends meet.

You have a really tough choice to make. The 70% NYU number is legit, but 20% from GULC does seem low. I've heard 30-40% thrown around, but I have no way to verify that. Hopefully the GULC career services people can give you the real OCI number. A couple of other points: (1) median at NYU probably won't get you WilmerHale, Covington, Jenner & Block, etc., but some of my friends with average/median-ish grades did get offers from other "less selective" D.C. firms. (2) I wouldn't rely too much on being able to get a fed. gov. job if you don't get BigLaw. Most of the decent fed. gov. positions are as competitive, or more competitive, than firm jobs are.

Given that you want D.C., don't want NY, and are getting $30 K from GULC, I think I would lean towards GULC in your position, but only by a bit. Good luck!

[reverendt]

Also, this site has beat me down with its anti-GeorgeTTTown bias. I'm a little concerned about the diploma mill aspect.

Thoughts?

You give the folks here WAY too much undeserved credit if you seriously think of Georgetown Law as a diploma mill....

[scribelaw]

Also, this site has beat me down with its anti-GeorgeTTTown bias. I'm a little concerned about the diploma mill aspect.

Thoughts?

You give the folks here WAY too much undeserved credit if you seriously think of Georgetown Law as a diploma mill....

Not a diploma mill, but the class size is a concern. There's just too many students below median and when the legal market gets tight, there's nowhere to put them.

[thecilent]

OP, go to NYU.. seriously.

NYU>>>>>GeorgeTTTown