I apologize in advance... GULC $$$$. v. t13 question Forum

[DanInALionsDen]

I apologize if this is a ridiculous question, but I'm stressing like crazy.

GULC essentially gave me a full tuition scholarship, 40k/yr for three years +5k/yr work study. The scholarship has no GPA condition or anything of that kind. In the director of admissions' own words: "As long as you don't plagiarize or get yourself thrown out of the law school in some other way, the money is yours." The catch: they want an answer by Friday.

I'm on waitlists at Columbia, NYU, Penn, and my question is this: how far up the t14 list would I have to climb to make giving up the near free-ride at GULC worth it? (I know if this were someone's else's thread and I was the one reading it, I'd immediately reply "Cornell," but seriously)

Additional information: I'd like to clerk after law school, at the federal level.

[A'nold]

Basically graduating for free from GULC sounds like a pretty decent opportunity. I'd probably say Mich on up would give me some pause.

[DanInALionsDen]

Basically graduating for free from GULC sounds like a pretty decent opportunity. I'd probably say Mich on up would give me some pause.

Why? I basically feel the same way, but I can't put my finger on the reason without arriving at the simple answer: elitism.

[jcunni5]

What are u interested in doing if you're not big law or bust I'd say your pretty solid with a free gulc degree even if u want big laW its pretty solid since it's free

[A'nold]

Basically graduating for free from GULC sounds like a pretty decent opportunity. I'd probably say Mich on up would give me some pause.

Why? I basically feel the same way, but I can't put my finger on the reason without arriving at the simple answer: elitism.

Well, I guess I should take that back. GULC full ride (for me) > Penn, maybe Berkeley, and probably NYU.

Michigan (for personal reasons) would make it a hard decision. U of Chicago, Columbia, would make it a VERY hard decision, and HYS is a no brainer.

[DanInALionsDen]

Basically graduating for free from GULC sounds like a pretty decent opportunity. I'd probably say Mich on up would give me some pause.

Why? I basically feel the same way, but I can't put my finger on the reason without arriving at the simple answer: elitism.

Well, I guess I should take that back. GULC full ride (for me) > Penn, maybe Berkeley, and probably NYU.

Michigan (for personal reasons) would make it a hard decision. U of Chicago, Columbia, would make it a VERY hard decision, and HYS is a no brainer.

If I have any rational reason for questioning the offer, its this: According to GULC, only 3-4 of its grads gain a clerkship in DC, 2nd or 9th circuit courts of appeal--the ones I am most interested in (and everyone else). That seems like very, very few, considering how huge GULC's student body is. As for SCOTUS, the Georgetown reps said roughly one GULC grad gets a clerkship there every year (I think thats an exaggeration actually; Leitner reports 5 from 2000-08), and that person has always been first in their class apparently.

So I guess I'm worried that I'm sacrificing my clerking odds for some money upfront. The flipside is, if I have to pay sticker at Columbia/Chicago/NYU, will I even be able to afford to clerk? Is that a valid concern?

Also, I'd want to do biglaw after the clerkship.

[Aberzombie1892]

Basically graduating for free from GULC sounds like a pretty decent opportunity. I'd probably say Mich on up would give me some pause.

Why? I basically feel the same way, but I can't put my finger on the reason without arriving at the simple answer: elitism.

Well, I guess I should take that back. GULC full ride (for me) > Penn, maybe Berkeley, and probably NYU.

Michigan (for personal reasons) would make it a hard decision. U of Chicago, Columbia, would make it a VERY hard decision, and HYS is a no brainer.

If I have any rational reason for questioning the offer, its this: According to GULC, only 3-4 of its grads gain a clerkship in DC, 2nd or 9th circuit courts of appeal--the ones I am most interested in (and everyone else). That seems like very, very few, considering how huge GULC's student body is. As for SCOTUS, the Georgetown reps said roughly one GULC grad gets a clerkship there every year (I think thats an exaggeration actually; Leitner reports 5 from 2000-08), and that person has always been first in their class apparently.

So I guess I'm worried that I'm sacrificing my clerking odds for some money upfront. The flipside is, if I have to pay sticker at Columbia/Chicago/NYU, will I even be able to afford to clerk? Is that a valid concern?

Also, I'd want to do biglaw after the clerkship.

I don't think you should factor SCOTUS clerkships into you decision.

(for obvious reasons)

[DanInALionsDen]

I don't think you should factor SCOTUS clerkships into you decision.

(for obvious reasons)

No, no. I'm not. It was just a sort-of side note. Really I would just like to clerk on the federal level, wherever I can. Obviously DC>2nd>9th>everything else, but I'd be happy with any circuit.

[vanwinkle]

Basically graduating for free from GULC sounds like a pretty decent opportunity. I'd probably say Mich on up would give me some pause.

Why? I basically feel the same way, but I can't put my finger on the reason without arriving at the simple answer: elitism.

That is the simple and correct answer. The fact is that law hiring is largely elitist. However, a GULC is certainly elite enough that I'd take it for free if I was offered it.

[dk8]

I apologize if this is a ridiculous question, but I'm stressing like crazy.

GULC essentially gave me a full tuition scholarship, 40k/yr for three years +5k/yr work study. The scholarship has no GPA condition or anything of that kind. In the director of admissions' own words: "As long as you don't plagiarize or get yourself thrown out of the law school in some other way, the money is yours." The catch: they want an answer by Friday.

I'm on waitlists at Columbia, NYU, Penn, and my question is this: how far up the t14 list would I have to climb to make giving up the near free-ride at GULC worth it? (I know if this were someone's else's thread and I was the one reading it, I'd immediately reply "Cornell," but seriously)

Additional information: I'd like to clerk after law school, at the federal level.

That's ridiculous man. I would only consider giving up this deal from GULC for Columbia, and even then I think it woudl be a tough choice.

Don't let Desert Fox have that much control over your life. Full ride from GULC >>> MVP at sticker IMO.

[SuperCool23]

What were your numbers(GPA, LSAT score)?

[DanInALionsDen]

I apologize if this is a ridiculous question, but I'm stressing like crazy.

GULC essentially gave me a full tuition scholarship, 40k/yr for three years +5k/yr work study. The scholarship has no GPA condition or anything of that kind. In the director of admissions' own words: "As long as you don't plagiarize or get yourself thrown out of the law school in some other way, the money is yours." The catch: they want an answer by Friday.

I'm on waitlists at Columbia, NYU, Penn, and my question is this: how far up the t14 list would I have to climb to make giving up the near free-ride at GULC worth it? (I know if this were someone's else's thread and I was the one reading it, I'd immediately reply "Cornell," but seriously)

Additional information: I'd like to clerk after law school, at the federal level.

That's ridiculous man. I would only consider giving up this deal from GULC for Columbia, and even then I think it woudl be a tough choice.

Haha. I meant that I would have said that as a joke.

Don't let Desert Fox have that much control over your life. Full ride from GULC >>> MVP at sticker IMO.

[scribelaw]

OP, I'm in a similar boat -- deciding between $90k at GULC versus sticker at NYU.

The money is hard to turn down, but I'm worried about Goergetown's OCI. It does seem like there's a substantial Biglaw hiring difference between the two.

[DanInALionsDen]

What were your numbers(GPA, LSAT score)?

They're in my profile, but:

3.77, 171 (retake from 166).

If I decide to wait and reapply (after this semesters grades are factored in), it'll be a 3.8

[pertristis]

OP, I'm in a similar boat -- deciding between $90k at GULC versus sticker at NYU.

The money is hard to turn down, but I'm worried about Goergetown's OCI. It does seem like there's a substantial Biglaw hiring difference between the two.

Out of curiosity, where does one find OCI numbers? I'm interested in this as well, for similar reasons.

[DanInALionsDen]

OP, I'm in a similar boat -- deciding between $90k at GULC versus sticker at NYU.

The money is hard to turn down, but I'm worried about Goergetown's OCI. It does seem like there's a substantial Biglaw hiring difference between the two.

10%

But then I think... how much does LSAT/GPA correlate to success in law school? I would be a median candidate at NYU... at GULC, I'm the very top. If there is a strong correlation, then it should be easier for me to get to the top of GULC then the top of NYU. And the top of any t14 is an amazing thing.

[DanInALionsDen]

OP, I'm in a similar boat -- deciding between $90k at GULC versus sticker at NYU.

The money is hard to turn down, but I'm worried about Goergetown's OCI. It does seem like there's a substantial Biglaw hiring difference between the two.

Out of curiosity, where does one find OCI numbers? I'm interested in this as well, for similar reasons.

Google NLJ "go-to law schools"

[A'nold]

I just talked to my wife about this. We are both certain that we would take this offer over sticker anywhere but HYS.

[vanwinkle]

I just talked to my wife about this. We are both certain that we would take this offer over sticker anywhere but HYS.

I'm going to say that TITCR.

[D Brooks]

GULC dude. Unless you have good $$ from a T10.

[underachiever]

[strike]I just talked to my wife about this. We are both certain that we would[/strike] take this offer over sticker anywhere but HYS.

+1
With your numbers, this is an AWESOME offer. I would take it. MVPB and CCN arent worth ticket when Gtown still places great in biglaw and has awesome name prestige outside of law (even more then everyone but Columbia in the above groups). G-town also has great dual degree options (at least ones I would have like to try, had i been given the opportunity you have).

As Steve Miller would say "take the money and run"

[clintonius]

Yup, in this case, follow the money. Scribe, I think you're in a more difficult situation and I'm not sure what to tell you.

[DanInALionsDen]

Yup, in this case, follow the money. Scribe, I think you're in a more difficult situation and I'm not sure what to tell you.

Where are you going? NYU? Would you have taken this offer over your offer at NYU?

[sumus romani]

It is not financially sound to pass up GLUC with this kind of money for any of the schools you've listed. Remember, there are people who can find no substantial employment from the schools you've listed; people in the top quarter missing out on federal clerkships, biglaw, etc.

[DanInALionsDen]

It is not financially sound to pass up GLUC with this kind of money for any of the schools you've listed. Remember, there are people who can find no substantial employment from the schools you've listed; people in the top quarter missing out on federal clerkships, biglaw, etc.

Yes, yes, but the ELITISM!!!! I don't want my future fellow associates snickering behind me back saying I went to GTTTOWN. Hahaha.