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Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:58 pm
by NYFGJoe
I'm currently struggling to decide whether I should attend Columbia Law School at full price, which would require that I take out a large loan, or whether I should accept a $40,000/year scholarship offer from George Washington, which would allow me to graduate debt free (or close to it). I know that for working in big law firms, Columbia is the better choice, but I'm not sure whether that's something I want to do. Going to GW would give me more flexibility in terms of not feeling forced to take a big law job just to pay off the loans, but Columbia would open more doors for employment opportunities. I grew up in New York and probably want to live there after graduation, and while Columbia places more graduates in NY, GW has a decent amount there also. I know you obviously won't have an answer of where I should go, but do you have any advice? How hard is it to pay off student loans? Is there anything else I should be considering? Thanks.
(Sorry if this is in the wrong part of the forum.)
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:01 pm
by howlery
You don't have any other options within the T14? I'd imagine that if you could get in to Columbia you'd also be extended at least some money at a lower T14. Did you apply to Cornell?
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:06 pm
by NYFGJoe
The other T14 schools I got into were Cornell and Georgetown. Georgetown gave me no money. Cornell gave me $45K/year. However, I'm a current undergraduate at Cornell and can't imagine spending another 3 years in isolated Ithaca. I would rather go to GW.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:08 pm
by IAFG
Are you an engineer
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:09 pm
by NYFGJoe
IAFG wrote:Are you an engineer
No. History major. Although I don't really see how that's relevant.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:10 pm
by IAFG
NYFGJoe wrote:IAFG wrote:Are you an engineer
No. History major. Although I don't really see how that's relevant.
Because the only way I would suggest GW over CLS is if you were IP secure.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:11 pm
by IAFG
I would bet a large sum of money that in 3 years you will be kicking yourself for not just biting the bullet and going back to Ithaca.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:17 pm
by francesfarmer
NYFGJoe wrote:The other T14 schools I got into were Cornell and Georgetown. Georgetown gave me no money. Cornell gave me $45K/year. However, I'm a current undergraduate at Cornell and can't imagine spending another 3 years in isolated Ithaca. I would rather go to GW.
Get Georgetown to match Cornell?
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:19 pm
by NYFGJoe
francesfarmer wrote:NYFGJoe wrote:The other T14 schools I got into were Cornell and Georgetown. Georgetown gave me no money. Cornell gave me $45K/year. However, I'm a current undergraduate at Cornell and can't imagine spending another 3 years in isolated Ithaca. I would rather go to GW.
Get Georgetown to match Cornell?
Tried and failed. Also, failed to get NYU to match Cornell and GW (not that I expected them to).
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:26 pm
by RodneyBoonfield
Is this not a no-brainer for Cornell? I don't understand.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:31 pm
by bk1
Cornell and it's not even close.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:40 pm
by 062914123
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Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:41 pm
by nickb285
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Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:45 pm
by Icculus
bee wrote:bk187 wrote:Cornell and it's not even close.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:48 pm
by Tekrul
Cornell. To put it in perspective, you are wagering a 50 year career for 3 years now cause you dont 'like' Ithaca . Youth is blinding you with instant gratification
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:48 pm
by 09042014
Tekrul wrote:Cornell. To put it in perspective, you are wagering a 50 year career for 3 years now cause you dont 'like' Ithaca . Youth is blinding you with instant gratification
DC sucks anyway. The women there look like Clinton.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:56 pm
by hephaestus
Icculus wrote:bee wrote:bk187 wrote:Cornell and it's not even close.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:15 pm
by NanaP
NYFGJoe wrote:The other T14 schools I got into were Cornell and Georgetown. Georgetown gave me no money. Cornell gave me $45K/year. However, I'm a current undergraduate at Cornell and can't imagine spending another 3 years in isolated Ithaca. I would rather go to GW.
I agree with everyone here, suck it up....it's three more years with minimum debt and a great degree....way better option than GW.....
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:54 pm
by NYFGJoe
Tekrul wrote:Cornell. To put it in perspective, you are wagering a 50 year career for 3 years now cause you dont 'like' Ithaca . Youth is blinding you with instant gratification
That's not what I said. I like Ithaca a lot. However, I examined both schools and came to the conclusion that being in DC provides a wider range of opportunities to do externships/clinics than being in Ithaca. And it's not like 14 vs 21 in the rankings is a huge difference. Frankly, I didn't understand why Cornell Law was ranked higher than GW.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:59 pm
by $peppercorn
Cornell, without a doubt, is your best choice.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:00 pm
by phillywc
NYFGJoe wrote:Tekrul wrote:Cornell. To put it in perspective, you are wagering a 50 year career for 3 years now cause you dont 'like' Ithaca . Youth is blinding you with instant gratification
That's not what I said. I like Ithaca a lot. However, I examined both schools and came to the conclusion that being in DC provides a wider range of opportunities to do externships/clinics than being in Ithaca. And it's not like 14 vs 21 in the rankings is a huge difference. Frankly, I didn't understand why Cornell Law was ranked higher than GW.
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=cornell
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=gw
Both are actually good schools. Cornell is in another league though. It's called the T-14 for a reason (Check out the large firm scores if they don't seem different at first blush).
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:02 pm
by dawyzest1
NYFGJoe wrote:Tekrul wrote:Cornell. To put it in perspective, you are wagering a 50 year career for 3 years now cause you dont 'like' Ithaca . Youth is blinding you with instant gratification
That's not what I said. I like Ithaca a lot. However, I examined both schools and came to the conclusion that being in DC provides a wider range of opportunities to do externships/clinics than being in Ithaca. And it's not like 14 vs 21 in the rankings is a huge difference. Frankly, I didn't understand why Cornell Law was ranked higher than GW.
Be that as it may, law school is professional school meaning that employment prospects trump educational experience to a certain extent. Cornell at a discounted price gives you a good chance of securing an optimal outcome with acceptable downside risk. I'd be all-in on Cornell.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:02 pm
by Mal Reynolds
NYFGJoe wrote:Tekrul wrote:Cornell. To put it in perspective, you are wagering a 50 year career for 3 years now cause you dont 'like' Ithaca . Youth is blinding you with instant gratification
That's not what I said. I like Ithaca a lot. However, I examined both schools and came to the conclusion that being in DC provides a wider range of opportunities to do externships/clinics than being in Ithaca. And it's not like 14 vs 21 in the rankings is a huge difference. Frankly, I didn't understand why Cornell Law was ranked higher than GW.
This is the height of stupidity. There is a huge difference between Cornell and GW. You would be insane to take GW over Cornell.
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:14 pm
by Rahviveh
Damn... is Ithaca that bad?
Re: Top School or graduate debt free?
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:17 pm
by 09042014
NYFGJoe wrote:Tekrul wrote:Cornell. To put it in perspective, you are wagering a 50 year career for 3 years now cause you dont 'like' Ithaca . Youth is blinding you with instant gratification
That's not what I said. I like Ithaca a lot. However, I examined both schools and came to the conclusion that being in DC provides a wider range of opportunities to do externships/clinics than being in Ithaca. And it's not like 14 vs 21 in the rankings is a huge difference. Frankly, I didn't understand why Cornell Law was ranked higher than GW.
Do Cornell and just do an externship in DC one semester.
http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/academ ... rnship.cfm