Compare GULC with GW? Forum

[itsnotrealme]

Got into GULC, and am applying for GW ED （which will give huge scholly if accepted).
My question is, is GULC significantly dominating GW? Welcome any inputs.

[Teoeo]

This is going to be a fun thread.

[itsnotrealme]

What's your opinion tho Teoeo? Being at GW.

[2Serious4Numbers]

T-14 v. T-14 lurker... What else do you need to consider? Rite?

[itsnotrealme]

Maybe the $$? And possible job placement?

T-14 v. T-14 lurker... What else do you need to consider? Rite?

[jcunni5]

if you want to do PI or something then Full Scholly at GW might be good

for anything else I would go to GULC or ED at CCN MVP depending on your numbers

[2Serious4Numbers]

Of course cash and placement are both considerations, as well as dc's market (supposed bloodbath) and personal connections.. As I don't exactly extoll the t-14 or bust mantra I would certainly lean Georgetown initially

[NU_Jet55]

Wouldn't go to either at sticker.

Vandy w/ scholly >>>> than GULC at sticker. In fact, I don't know if there's a situation that GULC at sticker is ever the best option.

Other more generous T25 (WashU, Minnesota, IUIC)>>>> GW for small $

If you really have to work in DC (LOL@anyone finding a job in DC), then try to save as much money as possible. GULC & GW are best for the DC market, but every school has grads there and can get you there (assuming there are any jobs left in 3 years).

[itsnotrealme]

I thought Vandy with $ > GW with $> Other T25 w/$

[NU_Jet55]

I thought Vandy with $ > GW with $> Other T25 w/$

Vandy is definitely better. But is GW better than 21-25? Depends where you want to end up. If you want to end up in DC, then possibly, but in the end I would just lump GW in with the rest of the T25 and it probably won't end up being the best choice because:

1) Ridiculous cost of living
2) similarly ranked (and higher ranked, see: WashU) are usually willing to give more $ than GW; and
3) DC is the absolute least insular market in the country. Basically every T1 law school has over a hundred grads there.

[nealric]

1) Ridiculous cost of living
2) similarly ranked (and higher ranked, see: WashU) are usually willing to give more $ than GW; and

1) Cost of living isn't that bad. It's a lot better than NY.
2) WashU's career prospects are pretty terrible



For Biglaw, GULC's home market is as much NYC as DC.

[AreJay711]

GULC is certainly a better school but is it 120K much better? I doubt it. Without the debt you will be in much better shape if you are toward the bottom of your class (just in a bad position vs. completely fucked).

[Teoeo]

What's your opinion tho Teoeo? Being at GW.

Although it's true that I go to GW (and love it), I don't know that I am at all qualified to answer this question. My sense is that GW gets a lot more respect than TLS seems to indicate (based on my own experiences), but Georgetown is still, obviously, better. Having said that, there is a really good argument to be made for getting a full ride at GW over GULC.

[nealric]

GULC is certainly a better school but is it 120K much better? I doubt it.

Possibly, but where did you get 120k from? There's no guarantee of any specific amount of cash from GW for a GULC admit.

It also depends one's priorities. If one wants to biglaw path, and the GULC/GW split is the difference between getting biglaw and not, the salary difference will quickly eclipse the cost delta. The key is assessing the chance of that being the case- which is by no means an easy task.

[FuManChusco]

1) Ridiculous cost of living
2) similarly ranked (and higher ranked, see: WashU) are usually willing to give more $ than GW; and

1) Cost of living isn't that bad. It's a lot better than NY.
2) WashU's career prospects are pretty terrible



For Biglaw, GULC's home market is as much NYC as DC.

1.) Cost of living is terrible. Comparing it to the most expensive city to live in doesn't change that.
2.) That's a bold statement considering how terrible the DC market is doing. Wustl doesn't place all that well in biglaw because of their relatively small market, but I would hardly call the job prospects terrible compared to GW.

Also, this topic has been discussed at length. OP should find an old thread and read it.

[nealric]

2.) That's a bold statement considering how terrible the DC market is doing. Wustl doesn't place all that well in biglaw because of their relatively small market, but I would hardly call the job prospects terrible compared to GW.

They probably aren't that much different. But people were citing WUSTL's small USNEWS advantage (which can change from year to year) as a useful metric. The DC market really isn't much worse than than any other.

1.) Cost of living is terrible. Comparing it to the most expensive city to live in doesn't change that.

Everything is relative. I paid $700/month for my first place in DC. I don't need a car, and groceries aren't much more expensive than the smaller city I moved here from. You won't save much over DC in any other major US city. Sure, you can live for less in a college town. But the difference isn't going to be more than 5-10% of the total cost of attendance.

[FuManChusco]

2.) That's a bold statement considering how terrible the DC market is doing. Wustl doesn't place all that well in biglaw because of their relatively small market, but I would hardly call the job prospects terrible compared to GW.

They probably aren't that much different. But people were citing WUSTL's small USNEWS advantage (which can change from year to year) as a useful metric. The DC market really isn't much worse than than any other.

1.) Cost of living is terrible. Comparing it to the most expensive city to live in doesn't change that.

Everything is relative. I paid $700/month for my first place in DC. I don't need a car, and groceries aren't much more expensive than the smaller city I moved here from. You won't save much over DC in any other major US city. Sure, you can live for less in a college town. But the difference isn't going to be more than 5-10% of the total cost of attendance.

Ok I totally agree with you on Wustl. Rankings are kind of useless at that point. I think the argument is that they tend to give more scholly money than GW. I didn't realize housing in DC could be found for that price. I thought the average apt. ran for 1,000+/month.

[FunkyJD]

I was going to say, where did you live in the DC area for $700 a month? Manassas? If in the city, where and with how many roommates?

[stratocophic]

1) Ridiculous cost of living
2) similarly ranked (and higher ranked, see: WashU) are usually willing to give more $ than GW; and

1) Cost of living isn't that bad. It's a lot better than NY.
2) WashU's career prospects are pretty terrible



For Biglaw, GULC's home market is as much NYC as DC.

TBF, I wouldn't call 1 more person out of every 25 getting Biglaw in the most recent NLJ report a major victory for GW, especially since they're known for having a large % of students that are IPSecure.

http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/law%20sc ... page12.pdf

/indefensible WUSTL white knighting

Also, totally unrelated but strange, there are very few 'top' undergrad schools (according to the USNWR ) on their entering class list, aside from a good LAC or two and a few great tech schools like MIT and Caltech (which makes sense given the IP rep). Comparable schools (ND, WUSTL, UIUC, Vandy, etc.) all have a bunch of kids from Ivy schools, other private schools with good reps, and top publics like Berkeley/UVA/Michigan. Very strange disparity. I guess once a prestige whore, always a prestige whore, eh Ivy/T20 undergrads?

[kwhiteside]

This is irrelevant in terms of job placement and whether or not to invest significant amount of loans into the school of choice BUT one of the many reasons I LOVED GW over GULC was the atmosphere on campus.

Everyone at GW was friendly. The law school, located on the main undergrad campus (as opposed to GULC's which is in a different location than the main campus) had a very vibrant atmosphere with tons of study/eating/etc. options. In general I just felt like the people at GW were happier than the people I met at GULC.

GW's admissions office went out of their way to give me a tour, allow me to sit in on a class, etc. GULC handed me a map.

Obviously these things are no reason in themselves to pick one school over the other but overall I felt like they were the cherry on top of what I already liked about GW.

[FunkyJD]

That's got to be the first time I've heard GW decribed as a friendly school. Undergrad alums have told me differently, and my interactions with the admissions staff there are best described as ... distant. Yes, that'd be a politic word to use.

But yes, while atmosphere does matter, getting a job after graduation matters more.

[dood]

...

[hipstermafia]

This is irrelevant in terms of job placement and whether or not to invest significant amount of loans into the school of choice BUT one of the many reasons I LOVED GW over GULC was the atmosphere on campus.

Everyone at GW was friendly. The law school, located on the main undergrad campus (as opposed to GULC's which is in a different location than the main campus) had a very vibrant atmosphere with tons of study/eating/etc. options. In general I just felt like the people at GW were happier than the people I met at GULC.

GW's admissions office went out of their way to give me a tour, allow me to sit in on a class, etc. GULC handed me a map.

Obviously these things are no reason in themselves to pick one school over the other but overall I felt like they were the cherry on top of what I already liked about GW.

I had the exact opposite experience visiting GW and GULC this fall. They're both huge schools though and I'm sure it depends a lot on who you talk to, but I was really turned off after visiting GW. /.02

[nealric]

I was going to say, where did you live in the DC area for $700 a month? Manassas? If in the city, where and with how many roommates?

Cap hill (NE) group rowhouse with two room mates. Got if off craigslist- no connections. Cool area, lots of restaurants/bars opening up nearby.

[hipstermafia]

I was going to say, where did you live in the DC area for $700 a month? Manassas? If in the city, where and with how many roommates?

Cap hill group rowhouse.

+1. Or Van Ness, Cleveland Park, Glover Park, even group houses in arlington. Cheap rooms may not be the easiest to find but it's definitely possible.