GULC v. Vanderbilt v. other T20s? Forum

[njlaw]

I was recently accepted to GULC, and just had my Vanderbilt interview (so obviously haven't heard back yet from them). I originally wasn't going to even go, but I figured it was worth it since I'm on winter break.

Anyway, when I was on the interview, the guy interviewing me boasted about Vandy's national rankings, how you can find placement anywhere in the Northeast and even outside. He said there were lots of opportunities to get to work with professors outside of class, and for mentoring from them as well ask networking with visiting speakers and guests.

He also said that the size of the school and its location is an advantage, since unlike some DC and NYC schools, it is not "absorbed" by the region it is in, and has a wider variety of firms that come to recruit. He said there would be nothing to regret about going there.

Now, when I look at the NLJ250, Vanderbilt is just even with, or slightly ahead of GULC, and everyone here seems to think GULC can be a terrible place because of the huge class size.

So...if I do not get in anywhere else in the T14 higher than Georgetown, would it actually make sense to choose Vanderbilt, or even another T20 school I might get into?

[CanadianWolf]

Depends on scholarship money & your career goals.

[Grizz]

Depends on scholarship money & your career goals.

Wait until you get money, then make a thread about it.

[bk1]

On Vandy vs GULC, I would say Vandy's placement power is on par with if not better than GULC's. However I wouldn't say it is significantly better enough to dismiss GULC outright.

As for OCI, without a closer look to see who they are, Vandy has around 250 employers for their OCI whereas GULC has almost 500.

Honestly I think it is a wash and you should take the school that appeals to you more or is cheaper, but I haven't taken more than a cursory glance at Vandy.

[BruceWayne]

People on here overplay the "GULC is too big and sucks" line. GULC really isn't any different than it's peers Cornell, Duke, and NU. It's just that their students have different interests than the ones at the aforementioned schools (ie on average, they tend to like government work more). Although GULC and Vandy may not have vastly different reputations, if you are interested in NYC,DC, or California I would go to GULC barring a considerable difference in the aid that you are offered by Vandy. I would also apply to UTexas, they have an excellent reputation--at least as good as Vanderbilt.