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George Washington University Law SchoolIntroduction
Admissions and Tuition George Washington’s D.C. location, combined with its very strong D.C. Area reputation, attracts a large number of hopeful applicants every year. Although they admit the fourth largest 1L class in the country, George Washington Law School remains pretty selective in their admissions process; the Princeton Review gives the school a 90 out of a possible 100 for its “Admissions Selectivity Rating”. For the 2006 school year, 2,122 out of 9,120 applicants (roughly 22%) were offered admissions and their GPAs ranged from 3.45-3.81 for the 25th to 75th percentiles while the LSAT range for the same percentiles was 163-166. George Washington also opens their doors to part-time students with slightly lower numbers ranging from 3.28 to 3.66 and 161 to 164 for GPA and LSAT, respectively (it should be noted that significantly fewer seats are available for the part-time class—George Washington only admitted only 203 out of 1,126 applicants for 2006).
Tuition is pretty much what one would expect for a D.C. legal education: expensive. Cost of attendance when tuition, room & board, books, and miscellaneous total over $55,000 per year according to USNews & World Report (though the number is reduced by about $11,000 for part-time students). Some financial aid is available. In 2006, the 25th percentile to 75th percentile range for grants was $8,000-$13,000. George Washington also offers a public interest scholarship and loan-repayment options for its public-service oriented students.
Curriculum and Academics
Academically, George Washington Law School stands out especially for its program in Intellectual Property law for which it is ranked 3rd in the country by USNews—placing only behind such IP monsters as UC-Berkeley and Stanford. GW also receives acclaim for its programs in International law (ranked 8th in the country by USNews) and Environmental law (tied for 12th in the country by USNews). GW Law also offers a number of strong joint-degree programs including the: J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.P.H., J.D./M.P.A., J.D./M.P.H., J.D./M.A., and J.D./M.P.P Quality of Life
As is the case with Georgetown and American universities, life at George Washington Law is enriched by its prime D.C. location. On the academic side, there are many opportunities to be taken advantage of. With the International Money Fund just across the street, and the World Bank only two blocks away, a number of financial, legal and international interests can often be combined. Additionally, the D.C. Metro system is one of the best in the country and is within walking distance of the campus. This opens up doors to the legal metropolis that is Washington, D.C. with the White House, the Supreme Court, and the Capitol Building being just a short commute away.
There are also a plethora of opportunities for students to escape their legal environment if need be. The GW University system—with its professional schools included—is known for its drinking culture. This is most likely attributed to the location near young-professional hot-spots such as DuPont Circle and Adams Morgan. Some students worry, though, that social life revolves around drinking alone; but they can be comforted by the many cultural outlets that the Washington Area offers. Employment prospects / Bar Passage Most George Washington graduates take the Bar in New York. The school has an 87.5% pass rate for first time takers compared to the state-wide rate of 74% passage. For those that do pass the bar, the career prospects are stellar. Princeton Review puts GW law as #10 on its list of “Best Career Prospects” in the country (one of only two non-T14 schools to make that list). Over 98% of grads find themselves employed nine months after graduation and the starting salary range (25th – 75th percentile) is a promising $100,000-$125,000 for the private sector. The median starting salary for public service is only $52,000 in comparison, but this is still one of the highest public-service starting salaries in the county. The majority of GW grads find themselves in private law firms while the rest scatter themselves among government, business, public-interest, and academic positions. The South Atlantic region (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) is where most GW grads. (62% according to USNews) end up after their time on campus; this is most likely due to GW’s strong regional reputation Conclusion George Washington Law School’s strong regional reputation, promising joint-degree options, and D.C. location definitely make the school a great option for many students who meet its standards. Some do complain, though, that they feel as if they are constantly in the shadow of that other big D.C. law school whose name also happens to begin with “George.” Contact Information The George Washington University Law School |
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Enrolling its first class in 1865, George Washington Law School has been offering a great legal education to law students around the world for more than a century. George Washington is a private institution ranked in the top 25 by most of the commonly used law school ranking systems. The school offers graduates wonderful career prospects along with a powerful regional reputation. The school’s overall reputation seems to be rising and many of the programs rank very high nationally, but a student better be sure that they want a “big-school in a big-city” experience before they send in their seat deposit.
