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I have posted before that I would like to attend law school in D.C and eventually find my way into government relations at some point. William and Mary is a great school and I have a connection at the school who is somewhat of a big deal.

Would passing on D.C. and heading to William and Mary being a worthy choice? My chances at GW is respectable and I think at the end of the day I can get in, but probably without much money. On the other hand William and Mary is undoubtedly cheaper and stretches to D.C.

I just worry about missing out on three years of building contacts in D.C.

Let me know your thoughts.

Apply and see how much money you get. Then figure it out.

rad law wrote:Apply and see how much money you get. Then figure it out.

Well I guess that's right, but I will not ask the connection I have to W&M to vouch for me if I don't plan on going there.

Both are of equal reputation in the region; I would base your decision on the ambiance (and all the "ambiance" entails) of the schools. Proximity to DC, city life but high COL vs. Williamsburg, low(er) COL but no DC life. Disclaimer: DC is a heavily saturated market so I would venture to say that your proximity to DC will have little to no impact on your career aspects (other than easily going to interviews, interships, etc.)...

OP: are you VA resident? WM tuition for instate residents is much cheaper than GW's. Cost of living also puts GW at disadvantage. However, GW is much a better choice if you plan to work in DC, especially plan to look for government positions. I am not sure about the law firm world in DC, but you can find a lot of GW law grads in numerous federal agencies and on the hill. So if you can get some money from GW, I strongly recommend GW.

tbldc2009 wrote:OP: are you VA resident? WM tuition for instate residents is much cheaper than GW's. Cost of living also puts GW at disadvantage. However, GW is much a better choice if you plan to work in DC, especially plan to look for government positions. I am not sure about the law firm world in DC, but you can find a lot of GW law grads in numerous federal agencies and on the hill. So if you can get some money from GW, I strongly recommend GW.

Not a Virginia resident and my 158 even as an AA male will probably not garner much, if any, money from GW.

hokie wrote:Both are of equal reputation in the region; I would base your decision on the ambiance (and all the "ambiance" entails) of the schools. Proximity to DC, city life but high COL vs. Williamsburg, low(er) COL but no DC life. Disclaimer: DC is a heavily saturated market so I would venture to say that your proximity to DC will have little to no impact on your career aspects (other than easily going to interviews, interships, etc.)...

All good points.

Any other thoughts?

ksimon2007 wrote:Any other thoughts?

If your contact is as big a deal as you perceive him/her to be, it's unlikely that the utility of that network connection will end with WM admissions. That may be worth more than proximity to DC.

Rotor wrote:

ksimon2007 wrote:Any other thoughts?

If your contact is as big a deal as you perceive him/her to be, it's unlikely that the utility of that network connection will end with WM admissions. That may be worth more than proximity to DC.

True. I am the SBP at his alma mater where he sits on the board. We have had several conversations and he has offered several times to help out. However, he notes that agreeing to attend if admitted is part of the deal and rightfully so.

ksimon2007 wrote:

tbldc2009 wrote:OP: are you VA resident? WM tuition for instate residents is much cheaper than GW's. Cost of living also puts GW at disadvantage. However, GW is much a better choice if you plan to work in DC, especially plan to look for government positions. I am not sure about the law firm world in DC, but you can find a lot of GW law grads in numerous federal agencies and on the hill. So if you can get some money from GW, I strongly recommend GW.

Not a Virginia resident and my 158 even as an AA male will probably not garner much, if any, money from GW.

Raise that to a 160-165 and you're probably in with a large amount of cash at schools like W & M and W & L. As is, even without whatever limited assistance your connection can give, you're probably in at W & M.

Just something to keep in mind.

W&M 3 years expected costs: 150k out of state, 120k in state, and 130k if you get residency after your first year
GW 3 years expected costs: 210k

Move to VA for 1 year, apply to WM, go for little.

Alternative suggestion:


Apply everywhere and see what kind of scholarship money you get. DC is not a place where you need to have ties, and going to school in the vicinity of the city is not THAT HUGE of an advantage. DC is so tough right now that you'll need great grades regardless of the school you go to; the bar doesn't drop because you went to an area school.

Thank you all for the input. I figured I was in at William and Mary with a 158, though I hate the idea of expecting to get into such a good school. I will just go ahead and send everything in and see what happens. I will not be doing the 1 year idea. I want to go ahead and start law school now.

rad law wrote:Apply and see how much money you get. Then figure it out.

+1

At face value, GW has a bit more prestige than W&M, but in-state tuition at W&M >>> sticker at GW.