Georgetown ( no $) or UMN (35/year)!! URGENT Forum

[LilCanadianKid]

Help please! I have one day left to decide. URM, 3.0 GPA, 169 LSAT. Biochem major looking to go into IP law/policy with a cross in biochem/pharm ( will likely persue a joint JD/MS). Cost analysis below does not take into consideration the cost of an extra year or more for additional MS. International applicant, no regional ties to either city. Extensive work experience in health care/research.

Got into Georgetown and listed as an alternate for funding. Havent heard anything back yet. Will cost me 45 a year for tuition and another 20 for living. so about 200 grand for the 3 years. UMN is offering 35/year scholarship. meaning only 10/year for tuition. living would be 15. So 25/year for a total of 75.Ive been working like a dog, and have enough saved that I could graduate from UMN with no debt. Or Georgetown with 100-125 in debt.

Advice? I really dont want to be stuck in the midwest for work. If I manage to place top of the class, would UMN be enough for work in DC/NYC/Chicago or am I stuck with regional placement only?
Deadline to accept UMN offer is tomorrow. Is it worth paying full price for the location and networking potential of DC? Or go the more cost effective route, and risk only regional placement potential on the back end? Thank you!!

[The Rover]

Advice? I really dont want to be stuck in the midwest for work.

Don't go to Minnesota. If you place at the top of your class you might have a chance to practice in other markets, but there is no guarantee that you will be at the top of your class. In fact, the odds are that you WON'T be at the top of your class.

GULC or don't go. How late in the cycle did you apply?

[flem]

No options in the middle?

G'Town at sticker is a bit scary, but the added prestige and mobility justifies it to me as long as you're willing to gamble. UMN is a great school for Minnesota but not really anywhere else. It's not going to travel well.

[LilCanadianKid]

Applied in January after writting december LSAT. Im on the waitlist at UVA, and still havent heard anything back from Columbia ( which im hoping is a good sign - very big long shot, but hoping).

I got into some in the middle:
Vanderbilt - no $ so figure if Im going to pay sticker I'll opt for GULC
WUSTL - 25/year, so UMN is a better offer
GW - 10/year
Emory - 20/year

I wasnt expecting to even crack top 20. So was very surprised at GULC.

My issue is what to do for tomorrow - do I seat deposit and wait it out at CLS and UVA, and also hope that GULC offers me money before their May deposit date? Or do I decide that full price at GULC is better than the UMN offer anyways, and just deposit at GULC and wait on UVA and CLS?

Sometimes more options make it more difficult eh! Better, but more difficult. Thanks for the help!

[The Rover]

My issue is what to do for tomorrow

I would pass on UMN. Just wait and see if you get UVA or Columbia and deposit at GULC at the deadline.

[flem]

Applied in January after writting december LSAT. Im on the waitlist at UVA, and still havent heard anything back from Columbia ( which im hoping is a good sign - very big long shot, but hoping).

I got into some in the middle:
Vanderbilt - no $ so figure if Im going to pay sticker I'll opt for GULC
WUSTL - 25/year, so UMN is a better offer
GW - 10/year
Emory - 20/year

I wasnt expecting to even crack top 20. So was very surprised at GULC.

My issue is what to do for tomorrow - do I seat deposit and wait it out at CLS and UVA, and also hope that GULC offers me money before their May deposit date? Or do I decide that full price at GULC is better than the UMN offer anyways, and just deposit at GULC and wait on UVA and CLS?

Sometimes more options make it more difficult eh! Better, but more difficult. Thanks for the help!

Seat deposit at GULC, ride out waitlists at UVA and CLS. If you get off the waitlist at either and you're looking at sticker, UVA/CLS might be a better choice because the job placement is better and the class size is smaller.

RE: Other options:

1) Vandy at sticker is scary for the job prospects it provides (which are very good, but not T14 good)
2) You're right, remove that one
3) GW is supposed to be great for IP, but is way too expensive at that price for the opportunities it provides
4) Meh, you clearly have better options here

[LilCanadianKid]

K thank you. Advice much appreciated!!

[Aberzombie1892]

I vote to wait and reapply in September/October. You can do better than what you have now.

[flem]

I vote to wait and reapply in September/October. You can do better than what you have now.

i dunno bruh.

URM splitter not in the 170's? super unpredictable

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/Mav1989

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/aaria11

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/plaid2012 - this bro did snag a scholarship at G'Town but does have a GPA boost

[LilCanadianKid]

Not really in a position to wait another year to go to school. Now or nothing kind of deal.

[franklyscarlet]

Not really in a position to wait another year to go to school. Now or nothing kind of deal.

Why? Most people say this, and it's rarely true.

[CanadianWolf]

Contact Minnesota & ask for more scholarship money. If the response is "no", then it may be easier to reject their offer.

Do not pay full price for Georgetown. I think that you are underestimating the cost of GULC at only $200,000 for all three years.

Wait out the Virginia waitlist.

If your numbers are 169/3.0, then you're lucky to be in this situation.

If you must select between Minnesota & Georgetown, then Minnesota is the more financially sound decision, in my opinion.

If you deposit at Minnesota &, thereby, accept Minnesota's scholarship offer, can you remain on the Virginia waitlist ? Or does Minnesota require you to withdraw all other law school applications ?

P.S. Ask Emory for a full tuition & fees scholarship. Atlanta, Georgia is home to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) & a major bio-pharm. co. (Baxter International Deerfield, Illinois vaccines, bloodwork & medical devices creating 1,500 new jobs outside of Atlanta) just announced plans to invest a billion dollars in a new facility east of Atlanta. Not sure, but both are large enough entities to employ legal counsel or use Atlanta biglaw firms. Are you seeking patent or IP work ?

[Aberzombie1892]

I vote to wait and reapply in September/October. You can do better than what you have now.

i dunno bruh.

URM splitter not in the 170's? super unpredictable

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/Mav1989

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/aaria11

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/plaid2012 - this bro did snag a scholarship at G'Town but does have a GPA boost

Maybe you're right. But as you said, it is fairly unpredictable, and, given law school applications will likely continue to go down, the OP would be in a great position for scholarships/better acceptances in October.

However, if we assume that the above is not the case, the OP does not want to work in the midwest. That knocks UMinn and WashU out. Georgetown and GW are not worth it at the listed prices, and so they're out. The OP appears interested in the largest markets (except CA), but that goal is pretty much unreasonable in the current legal market without a T14 school (sans GTown). Given the above, the OP would be better off trying to get more money from Emory (35K+/year) or money at Vanderbilt ($15K+/year) and try for Atlanta.