I am a DC native (from Maryland suburb, attended UMD for undergrad) with an interest in corporate law. I have an undergraduate background in finance and entrepreneurship, which explains my interest in corporate law, specifically doing work related to small ventures. I am extremely aware that these interests can, and probably will, change to some degree. Post-graduation, I currently have a goal to move over to the West Coast (but that's kind of an unfounded goal, and the Northeast is probably fine too).
I've received attractive offers from both GW and BU. My tuition at GW would be about $15k/year, while my tuition at BU would be $23k/year. Apparently DC has a higher COA than Boston, but I seriously think I can keep costs low in both cities.
Looking purely at cost, the obvious choice is GW. However, I've heard that GW doesn't place well in big law with the notable exception being those who concentrate in IP. Also, I have reservations about the market in DC being so heavily driven by federal/government work, which I really don't think I have any interest in. While Boston seems to be hotter in terms of the practice area I want, I am also concerned that it's a much smaller market (more competition for fewer positions, and less well-known). I also want to explore a new city a little bit, and while I could grow personally at both schools, I imagine myself growing more by challenging myself in a new environment.
So I guess my questions are: (1) Please correct any of my assumptions if they are totally wrong!!! (2) Which do you think is the overall better school choice? (3) Which school do you think has better corporate hiring prospects, both in the Boston/DC/NY/Northeast corridor and on the west coast?
Thanks for reading!

