Predict my future Forum

[DrSpaceman]

Hey, folks. Who wants to Nate Sliver this thing for me?

167, 3.5 at a good state flagship
Real soft: Combat veteran
Other softs: worked through college (some full time work during full time class), state-level political internship

I think my PS and letters are good, but who doesn't?

Applied to:
GULC
GWU
Penn
UVA
Emory
UNC
Colombia
NYU
UTexas
Vandy
Duke
WUSTL

What do y'all think?

ETA: non-URM

[03152016]

GULC - in
GWU - in
Penn - out
UVA - out
Emory - in
UNC - in
Colombia - out
NYU - out
UTexas - in
Vandy - in
Duke - probably out
WUSTL - in

i'm wondering why you didn't apply to mich and cornell
best shot at t14 outside of gulc
and if you don't care about t14, an admit would be great leverage for scholly negotiations

[DrSpaceman]

Didn't apply to Cornell or Michigan because I'm married and we're primarily targeting schools in or near large markets for her to work as well. UNC makes the list because of our ties there, and a desire to practice in NC if DC doesn't work out.

I had considered a Cornell app for scholarship negotiations, but just haven't submitted yet because they didn't offer me a fee waiver. Maybe I will suck it up for the shot at making mom proud with a bite from an Ivy (and saving some cash.)

Do people think there's much of a scholarship boost for vets? I've burned most of my GI bill.

[03152016]

not knowledgeable about scholly boosts for vets
but regardless i'd get out those apps out to cornell and mich post haste
leverage is leverage

[cavalier2015]

idk about chances because i am a 0L applying so i know as much as you do. but wanted to comment on the amazing username and picture! gotta love 30 rock

[cavalier2015]

are you instate or oos for uva? if insate and you do ED, i would say in. if Rd, then waitlist and then potentially in. if oos, out

[DrSpaceman]

Hah, thanks. I was pleased that it wasn't taken.

I'm a Texas resident, so no in-state boost for me at UVA. I've heard anecdotally that they tend to be vet-friendly, but it still might be a bridge too far. I'm mainly targeting DC, so a UVA acceptance at sticker probably means good money at GWU, and at least an acceptance at GTown, right?

I suppose I will know within the next few weeks.

[cavalier2015]

I know conventional wisdom on here is never ED. But if uva is the top choice and you don't mind paying sticker, then I would suggest that.

But yes, I think you're definetly in at gwu with some money. And should be in at georgetown, none to little money.

I wish you luck. Let me know how you're cycle is going. I am hoping for the lsat score you have and have a similar GPA so I'm curious.

[jk148706]

.

[03152016]

uva at sticker is $287,233 oos debt-financed at repayment
uva is a great school, but not at that price

plus, we should know op's goals before recommending the more prestigious school at higher cost

[EricHosmer]

You'll get married and have two children - one girl and one boy. Your marriage will become strained after your first child is born, but you two will pull through. Unfortunately, you'll need a couple of mortgages on your house to pay for your children's yearly college tuition at $200,000 for the first year and a 10% increase each year thereafter. Your son will become a lead writer for the Walking Dead television show season 40 onward, and your daughter will become a news anchor.

That's all I can tell without being able to read your tea leaves.

[TheSpanishMain]

Hah, thanks. I was pleased that it wasn't taken.

I'm a Texas resident, so no in-state boost for me at UVA. I've heard anecdotally that they tend to be vet-friendly, but it still might be a bridge too far. I'm mainly targeting DC, so a UVA acceptance at sticker probably means good money at GWU, and at least an acceptance at GTown, right?

I suppose I will know within the next few weeks.

You'll definitely get into GULC, and some money at GWU is likely. You have a halfway decent shot at UVA in my opinion (I'm also a vet, and was admitted with a 168/3.3, although I was also a VA resident) but sticker at UVA is a no-go. Sucks that you're almost out of GI Bill time. Any chance for vocational rehab?

[DrSpaceman]

Thanks for the feedback!

I'm primarily interested in administrative law. Obviously, that makes federal agencies the brass ring, but I think I'd also be happy working at the state level. I'm allowing a glimmer of hope to take hold that I'm a contender for a full ride at UNC, which would be great since North Carolina is where I'd want to practice if I weren't in DC. Not sure that I can pull it out with my GPA, though.

I'm not really obsessed with prestige, but clearly an affordable outcome at GULC or GWU would be great.

I wish I'd have discovered these forums three years ago and saved my GI Bill for law school...

[DrSpaceman]

You'll get married and have two children - one girl and one boy. Your marriage will become strained after your first child is born, but you two will pull through. Unfortunately, you'll need a couple of mortgages on your house to pay for your children's yearly college tuition at $200,000 for the first year and a 10% increase each year thereafter. Your son will become a lead writer for the Walking Dead television show season 40 onward, and your daughter will become a news anchor.

That's all I can tell without being able to read your tea leaves.

Also, this is probably the most optimistic future prediction that any 0L has ever received on the TLS forums.

[Username123]

You'll get married and have two children - one girl and one boy. Your marriage will become strained after your first child is born, but you two will pull through. Unfortunately, you'll need a couple of mortgages on your house to pay for your children's yearly college tuition at $200,000 for the first year and a 10% increase each year thereafter. Your son will become a lead writer for the Walking Dead television show season 40 onward, and your daughter will become a news anchor.

That's all I can tell without being able to read your tea leaves.

Also, this is probably the most optimistic future prediction that any 0L has ever received on the TLS forums.

[navykev]

Do people think there's much of a scholarship boost for vets? I've burned most of my GI bill.

Do you have any kind of disability rating from the VA? Also, are you at 0 months on your GI Bill?

[cavalier2015]

I'm not really obsessed with prestige, but clearly an affordable outcome at GULC or GWU would be great.

I think the difference between UVA,UNC,GULC, and GWU is much more than a matter of prestige. Your employment opportunities can vary drastically (check out law school reports, if you haven't already). The DC market is really hard to break into regardless of where you attend (maybe not if you're at HYS), so I think you shouldn't really go in with the attitude of DC only. Of the schools, the best chance of landing a job in Virginia/and DC is probably UVA > GULC. I personally think UNC is better than GWU. UNC places great in NC (huge with PI and some big law). I've always had a impression that GWU is a diploma mill.

That being said, you could leverage scholarship money from UNC at GWU. And GULC at UVA.

[cavalier2015]

.

[DrSpaceman]

Do people think there's much of a scholarship boost for vets? I've burned most of my GI bill.

Do you have any kind of disability rating from the VA? Also, are you at 0 months on your GI Bill?

No disability. I'll have about 18 months left. GIB eligibility is less than 100% though, so no YRP either.

[DrSpaceman]

I'm not really obsessed with prestige, but clearly an affordable outcome at GULC or GWU would be great.

I think the difference between UVA,UNC,GULC, and GWU is much more than a matter of prestige. Your employment opportunities can vary drastically (check out law school reports, if you haven't already). The DC market is really hard to break into regardless of where you attend (maybe not if you're at HYS), so I think you shouldn't really go in with the attitude of DC only. Of the schools, the best chance of landing a job in Virginia/and DC is probably UVA > GULC. I personally think UNC is better than GWU. UNC places great in NC (huge with PI and some big law). I've always had a impression that GWU is a diploma mill.

That being said, you could leverage scholarship money from UNC at GWU. And GULC at UVA.

Good call. Didn't say DC only, though. Would be down to return to NC also, and have ties to RTP and Charlotte.

ETA- The main reason that GWU and GULC seem attractive is the opportunity to work at an agency during the school year.

[navykev]

No disability. I'll have about 18 months left. GIB eligibility is less than 100% though, so no YRP either.

Well that's 2 years of benefit even if it's not at 100% - so you have some level of built in scholarship money. You'll also get the MHA for those 2 years - so if you get a roommate or two - you can put some of that money towards tuition. Have you thought about maybe a part time program at GULC or GW - so you can work and subsidize cost? Plenty of GS jobs available in DC and vets get preference. Have a buddy that went part-time to GULC while working a full time GS job - got a V3 gig when he graduated. Just some random thoughts from one vet to another.

[DrSpaceman]

No disability. I'll have about 18 months left. GIB eligibility is less than 100% though, so no YRP either.

Well that's 2 years of benefit even if it's not at 100% - and you'll get the MHA - so if you get a roommate or two - you can put some of that money towards tuition. Have you thought about maybe a part time program at GULC or GW - so you can work and subsidize cost? Plenty of GS jobs available in DC and vets get preference. Have a buddy that went part-time to GULC while working a full time GS job - got a V3 gig when he graduated. Just some random thoughts from one vet to another.

Thanks! I have some good friends working in some agency jobs at the moment; maybe I should put out some feelers.

What's the situation with GIB benefits and scholarship adjustments? Can I assume that whatever aid I get from schools will be on top of my XX,000 in GIB payments for the first two years?

[navykev]

Thanks! I have some good friends working in some agency jobs at the moment; maybe I should put out some feelers.

What's the situation with GIB benefits and scholarship adjustments? Can I assume that whatever aid I get from schools will be on top of my XX,000 in GIB payments for the first two years?

I've never heard of a scholarship offer including the GI Bill as part of the deal - you get that regardless - you don't need the school to "give" you that benefit. So if you get a scholarship it should be on top of your GI Bill benefit. The way it works is the VA is the last payer - so your scholarship will be deducted from your tuition first - then the VA will pay. If you have a balance left after the VA pays then you'll have to come of with the difference.

Only time I have heard of it being a little different is when a school gives a scholarship that goes over the cost of attendance when combined with the GI Bill/YRP. In that case some are able to negotiate the terms of the scholarship to include a living stipend so that the scholarship only covers the amount of tuition that the GI Bill/YRP wouldn't cover. If that makes sense!

[twenty]

GULC PT while working full time is a great option, but I mean, 13+ hour days can be kind of brutal. If you can pull that off though, I'd consider that.

I'm not totally sure about this, but wouldn't a state school make more sense for someone who doesn't have the whole GIB/can't get YRP?

[cavalier2015]

had a family friend who chose to do the GULC PT program. All I can say is that it seemed TOUGH to manage. She had 2 kids and she always complained how hard it was to balance her grades, work, and family.