Mich ($) v. Georgetown($), please validate my choice Forum

[detljgh]

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[scribelaw]

You made the right call.

The difference in debt will save you $700-$750 a month in loan payments after you graduate. That'll make a huge difference in your quality of life. Michigan is also just flat better.

[lawschoollll]

You're not handicapping your career by staying in Ann Arbor.

[Unitas]

Doesn't Georgetown have a better LRAP?

But either way you are now going to a great school, no reason to validate your decision - it has been made. Plus being a Mich undergrad will mean one less alumni check to write (do you just donate to the school? or do you donate to UG and LS?) and if you succeeded in the environment for UG you will have an advantage over those having to readjust to an environment plus go to LS.

[Aberzombie1892]

I am deadset committed to a career in policy/politics, and committed to doing it in DC. I intend to do a dual degree in public policy, and I was admitted to the MPP programs at both schools as well. These were my two finalists, Mich because it's a phenomenal school, Georgetown because of it's location and access. I also went to Mich for undergrad.

Mich offered 18/year + instate, Georgetown offered 10/year, and wouldn't budge through all my negotiations. For both degrees, Mich total cost of attendance would be roughly $145k and 3.5 years, Georgetown 205k and 4 years.

I accepted Mich's offer this weekend after Georgetown refused to match their offer. Please validate my decision and tell me I'm not handicapping my career by staying in Ann Arbor.

Neither choice is bad.

Wouldn't Georgetown have a better public policy program than Michigan?

If you were only doing law, I would be 100% Michigan.

But if you are doing MPP/JD and you want to work in DC and Georgetown is in DC, that 100% falls somewhat.

As I said earlier, neither choice is "bad." But I'm not sure Michigan is the best one for your current goals (even with Gtown costing more).

[Amelie]

I would choose Michigan - it is definitely the better school and is more highly regarded, in DC and throughout the country.

Plus Michigan has the 4th best political science graduate program in the country (according to USNWR).

[detljgh]

Thanks for the responses so far. As for the public policy programs, they are generally regarded as peers. The Gerald Ford School at Michigan is more quanitatively rigorous and academically recognized; Georgetown again has the access advantage (can intern on the hill during the year, etc.) I am hoping this is mitigated somewhat by the Ford school's much smaller class size (about half) and hard-working career center.

[chutzpah]

Thanks for the responses so far. As for the public policy programs, they are generally regarded as peers. The Gerald Ford School at Michigan is more quanitatively rigorous and academically recognized; Georgetown again has the access advantage (can intern on the hill during the year, etc.) I am hoping this is mitigated somewhat by the Ford school's much smaller class size (about half) and hard-working career center.

I'm in DC (about to postpone law school to go to KSG) and feel that GPPI is generally regarded as a diploma mill. I think Ford has a better reputation and would probably provide a better education. Its true that Gtown gives you access to semester internships, but I think you made the right call.

[detljgh]

I'm in DC (about to postpone law school to go to KSG) and feel that GPPI is generally regarded as a diploma mill. I think Ford has a better reputation and would probably provide a better education. Its true that Gtown gives you access to semester internships, but I think you made the right call.

Wow, congrats on the Kennedy School! I was crossing my fingers for an acceptance but no dice. You know about all their joint JD/MPP programs, right? Basically if you have any T-10 acceptance you can do both in 4 years and save a lot of cake.

[UFMatt]

Michigan law is significantly higher ranked and offered a significantly better financial package. You made the right call. DC isn't going anywhere.

[chutzpah]

I'm in DC (about to postpone law school to go to KSG) and feel that GPPI is generally regarded as a diploma mill. I think Ford has a better reputation and would probably provide a better education. Its true that Gtown gives you access to semester internships, but I think you made the right call.

Wow, congrats on the Kennedy School! I was crossing my fingers for an acceptance but no dice. You know about all their joint JD/MPP programs, right? Basically if you have any T-10 acceptance you can do both in 4 years and save a lot of cake.

Thanks!! I'm not 100% sure that I want to practice law so the plan for now is to spend my first year at Kennedy, reapply very early to HLS, NYU, and some of the others that offer the concurrent degree, and decide next spring if I really want law or if I'm happy with just the Kennedy degree. I know that law school is the smart thing to do, but I'm just not excited about it and I don't want to take the plunge until I'm sure its what I want or need.

Good luck! And its true, DC isn't going anywhere.

[detljgh]

You don't have to practice law, not with degrees like those! I would like to work on a Senate committee, maybe turn it into a lobbying gig, maybe even run for office at some point. I was originally going to just go for an MPP, but my dad convinced me to take the LSAT (and damn I'm glad I did btw...) He does a lot of work on the Hill, and the way he describes it, I definitely need a JD to get where I want. It's your ticket to tryout for the team, in a way.

That said, the Kennedy School is on another level...

Do you know about all the ABA requirements for sharing credits, though? It is my understanding, from talking to the advising office at Michigan, that you cannot count ANY transfer or interdisciplinary (non-law) credits until you have completed your first full year of law school. That's why they recommend dual-degree applicants start at a law school, you can start double-counting classes earlier and thus shave at least a semester off your time in school.

[chutzpah]

Their joint and concurrent JD/MPP programs require 1.5 years at kennedy and 2.5 at the law school, which I think is standard. You can do your 1L first or the MPP first. I've been advised by current joint students that its better to do your the policy year first because then you'll have two full contiguous years at law school, which is important for law review and stuff. If you were to do a year of law school and then leave for a year, it may mess with journals, moot court, etc. Not sure how Mich works but its something to think about.