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MonteCristo89 wrote:HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

You're gonna need to give us some info before we can help

• Career Goals: BigLaw, PI, clerkship?
• UG debt?
• Debt averse or no?
• Are you going with the intention to end up in the DC market or are you wanting to go to some other region?

tagging this

Would GULC allow you to do part time. It's a GREAT way to keep the debt down if you have the background for a decent job.

ah thanks for responding guys

So as for career goals, i'm not too sure about BigLaw, but I would certainly at least like to work for a decent sized private law firm

My parents thankfully helped me out a lot with undergrad and i went in-state, so we're okay debt-wise

Not completelyyyy debt averse, but of course, would prefer not to be paying off loans for forever

And i would definitely like to end up in the DC/MD area

I'd say either W&L or GW.

W&L is probably the best overall choice. GW for $120k debt and GULC for $210k debt just seem like a bad idea. Maybe GW if you are feeling risky but not GULC.

bk187 wrote:I'd say either W&L or GW.

W&L is probably the best overall choice. GW for $120k debt and GULC for $210k debt just seem like a bad idea. Maybe GW if you are feeling risky but not GULC.

Glad I'm hoping for the chance to do GULC (almost certainly at sticker)...

If I were OP, I'd do GW with $30k/yr. Just kick ass and get a good job and the debt should be manageable. I'd look into GW's LRAP in the event that you end up working for the government or something. Live meagerly for the first few years and aggressively pay down debt.

Good luck with your choice. I'm in at GW with no $ and SPWL at GULC. I'd love your options.

bk187 wrote:I'd say either W&L or GW.

W&L is probably the best overall choice. GW for $120k debt and GULC for $210k debt just seem like a bad idea. Maybe GW if you are feeling risky but not GULC.

Yeah...i mean going to a t30 law school for free does sound pretty tempting, but i was looking at some stats and W&L doesn't nearlyyyy place in private practice in DC as much as GW does

Flips88 wrote:Glad I'm hoping for the chance to do GULC (almost certainly at sticker)...

If I were OP, I'd do GW with $30k/yr. Just kick ass and get a good job and the debt should be manageable. I'd look into GW's LRAP in the event that you end up working for the government or something. Live meagerly for the first few years and aggressively pay down debt.

Good luck with your choice. I'm in at GW with no $ and SPWL at GULC. I'd love your options.

GW for $120k is okay. The reason I say that is if you bottom out (in terms of salary, which is very possible at GW), you'll start out around $50k and can repay your loan in around 10 years. GW's LRAP is awful by the way and not even a guarantee (your entrance into the program is completely at their discretion on top of the fact that it is just a crappy LRAP in general).

The problem is that you can't guarantee you'll kick ass so it is poor to assume this. The question is whether you're okay with higher chance at "best case scenario" (biglaw) and having a worse worst case scenario ($120k debt). That is GW, whereas at W&L you'll have less of a chance at best case but your worst case isn't as bad (only half the debt, something like $60k or so).

MonteCristo89 wrote:

bk187 wrote:I'd say either W&L or GW.

W&L is probably the best overall choice. GW for $120k debt and GULC for $210k debt just seem like a bad idea. Maybe GW if you are feeling risky but not GULC.

Yeah...i mean going to a t30 law school for free does sound pretty tempting, but i was looking at some stats and W&L doesn't nearlyyyy place in private practice in DC as much as GW does

GW definitely places significantly better than W&L in both government jobs and private practice (as well as DC the city in general). However, I am not sure whether it is worth double the cost of W&L. I think GW for $120k is a bit over my personal risk preference (I'd prefer paying $100k or less) but is within a manageable range.

bk187 wrote:

Flips88 wrote:Glad I'm hoping for the chance to do GULC (almost certainly at sticker)...

If I were OP, I'd do GW with $30k/yr. Just kick ass and get a good job and the debt should be manageable. I'd look into GW's LRAP in the event that you end up working for the government or something. Live meagerly for the first few years and aggressively pay down debt.

Good luck with your choice. I'm in at GW with no $ and SPWL at GULC. I'd love your options.

GW for $120k is okay. The reason I say that is if you bottom out (in terms of salary, which is very possible at GW), you'll start out around $50k and can repay your loan in around 10 years. GW's LRAP is awful by the way and not even a guarantee (your entrance into the program is completely at their discretion on top of the fact that it is just a crappy LRAP in general).

The problem is that you can't guarantee you'll kick ass so it is poor to assume this. The question is whether you're okay with higher chance at "best case scenario" (biglaw) and having a worse worst case scenario ($120k debt). That is GW, whereas at W&L you'll have less of a chance at best case but your worst case isn't as bad (only half the debt, something like $60k or so).

hmm...nicely put. so much to consider with deposits due so soon..ah

bk187 wrote: The question is whether you're okay with higher chance at "best case scenario" (biglaw) and having a worse worst case scenario ($120k debt). That is GW, whereas at W&L you'll have less of a chance at best case but your worst case isn't as bad (only half the debt, something like $60k or so).

Typoed here. I meant worst case scenario for GW as: $120k debt with a $50k salary. $60k debt at W&L makes for a much easier worst case scenario ($50k salary).

Actual worst case scenario is unemployed or employed part time but I think if that happens to you out of either of these schools then that is because you seriously fucked up and not because of the difference between the schools.

bk187 wrote:

bk187 wrote: The question is whether you're okay with higher chance at "best case scenario" (biglaw) and having a worse worst case scenario ($120k debt). That is GW, whereas at W&L you'll have less of a chance at best case but your worst case isn't as bad (only half the debt, something like $60k or so).

Typoed here. I meant worst case scenario for GW as: $120k debt with a $50k salary. $60k debt at W&L makes for a much easier worst case scenario ($50k salary).

Actual worst case scenario is unemployed or employed part time but I think if that happens to you out of either of these schools then that is because you seriously fucked up and not because of the difference between the schools.

haha i didn't even catch that, i think i had the general gist of what you were trying to say

hypothetically speaking, if we were to take W&L out of the equation (just because i didn't feel as strong of a connection to it when i visit as i did with gtown/gw), what do you think? thanks for your helpful insightt

Flips88 wrote:If I were OP, I'd do GW with $30k/yr. Just kick ass and get a good job and the debt should be manageable.

You've been around here long enough to know that this isn't as easy as you make it sound, and banking on this is a terrible strategy for investing in a law school.

OP, this is a really tough call. All three can be argued for, but I'd probably take W&L. The scholarship and the much lower COL would make it a much cheaper option.

MonteCristo89 wrote:haha i didn't even catch that, i think i had the general gist of what you were trying to say

hypothetically speaking, if we were to take W&L out of the equation (just because i didn't feel as strong of a connection to it when i visit as i did with gtown/gw), what do you think? thanks for your helpful insightt

I'd take GW (and it is the same offer that I am considering right now).

Reason being that, for me, getting out of debt with 10 years is a huge priority. Heck I'd prefer to be out of debt within 5 years but I understand that is nigh impossible so I'll settle for 10 years or close to it. GW's $120k debt makes this possible even if one gets a low paying small firm job. GULC's $210k debt makes that impossible without biglaw or an LRAP qualifying job and a large portion of GULC grads don't get either of these.

i'm in the same exact position. i'm pretty torn, it's definitely a tough decision.

i'm not considering W&L as much though because i love being in DC and W&L's location is basically the opposite of DC life

i go back and forth between gw and gulc but i've talked to a couple current students at both who have had the same offer/the same decision to make. the students who picked gulc seem happy with their decision and the kids who took the money and went with gw also seem happy. although, some current students i've talked to (not necessarily gulc students) do say that they wish they had gone with a school that had offered them scholarship money to ease the stress that is law school

but my point being that, if it's any consolation, from what i've gathered the options are all great and there is really wrong choice. just depends what you do with it

While I voted for WL on first instinct, the networking opportunities of GW and of living in DC >>>>>>>> than WL. At WL you are essentially limited to emailing, OCI, CDO and maybe occasional student weekend to DC or whatever. With GW you can get out into the city to meet ppl every weekend if you take the initiative.

Plus, I think the social scene of GW >>> WL.

gwuorbust wrote:While I voted for WL on first instinct, the networking opportunities of GW and of living in DC >>>>>>>> than WL. At WL you are essentially limited to emailing, OCI, CDO and maybe occasional student weekend to DC or whatever. With GW you can get out into the city to meet ppl every weekend if you take the initiative.

Plus, I think the social scene of GW >>> WL.

yeahh..that's very true on all accounts. but would you say the networking opportunities of GULC are significantly better than that of GW for the DC area? Or rather, would you say the opposite, that since GULC's got more students the networking gets more difficult since it's more students from the same school competing for the same spots? I've heard both...

MonteCristo89 wrote:

gwuorbust wrote:While I voted for WL on first instinct, the networking opportunities of GW and of living in DC >>>>>>>> than WL. At WL you are essentially limited to emailing, OCI, CDO and maybe occasional student weekend to DC or whatever. With GW you can get out into the city to meet ppl every weekend if you take the initiative.

Plus, I think the social scene of GW >>> WL.

yeahh..that's very true on all accounts. but would you say the networking opportunities of GULC are significantly better than that of GW for the DC area? Or rather, would you say the opposite, that since GULC's got more students the networking gets more difficult since it's more students from the same school competing for the same spots? I've heard both...

I feel like with networking it is less which school you go to than the impression you make. I was an undergrad at GW and was able to network pretty well. Basically it just comes down to being friendly and sounding knowledgeable. I went to a green technology conference hosted for free by google once. Meet some consultants, lawyers, one VC guy. gather the business cards and follow up. it may not lead to anything right away, but they are contacts you now have. which is better than can be said about what WL has to offer.

but what you really have to ask yourself if you are willing to go to these boring events, or will you just going to end up at the law school happy hour or locked in the library?

gwuorbust wrote:

MonteCristo89 wrote:

gwuorbust wrote:While I voted for WL on first instinct, the networking opportunities of GW and of living in DC >>>>>>>> than WL. At WL you are essentially limited to emailing, OCI, CDO and maybe occasional student weekend to DC or whatever. With GW you can get out into the city to meet ppl every weekend if you take the initiative.

Plus, I think the social scene of GW >>> WL.

yeahh..that's very true on all accounts. but would you say the networking opportunities of GULC are significantly better than that of GW for the DC area? Or rather, would you say the opposite, that since GULC's got more students the networking gets more difficult since it's more students from the same school competing for the same spots? I've heard both...

I feel like with networking it is less which school you go to than the impression you make. I was an undergrad at GW and was able to network pretty well. Basically it just comes down to being friendly and sounding knowledgeable. I went to a green technology conference hosted for free by google once. Meet some consultants, lawyers, one VC guy. gather the business cards and follow up. it may not lead to anything right away, but they are contacts you now have. which is better than can be said about what WL has to offer.

but what you really have to ask yourself if you are willing to go to these boring events, or will you just going to end up at the law school happy hour or locked in the library?

wise words, thanks. and choosing boring events over happy hour is certainly going to prove to be one of the difficulties of law school i'm sure

GW>WL>>Gtown.

I think what you need to do is wander over to this thread: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=150681

Compare the % of the class going to NLJ 250 firms between GULC, GW, and W&L. It's ~43%, ~32%, and ~20%, respectively.

Now compare the % of the class going to firms at all (any firms, inclusive of NLJ 250): ~61%, ~61%, and ~50%, respectively.

Now ask yourself if the gains in class percentages are worth $100k more for GULC over GW (+11% NLJ 250, +0% all firms), or $200K more than W&L (+23% NLJ 250, +11% all firms). Now do the same for GW at ~$100k more than W&L (+12% NLJ 250, +11% all firms). Be mindful that some of the 'all firms' will likely pay ~$50k.

You sound like you aren't BigLaw or bust, so I would likely choose W&L, but this is the info you should be basing your decision on. GL.

I'm a big fan of GULC (family legacy and such), but with this one: GW all the way! (you could try to leverage scholly from GULC first though..)

Flips88 wrote:Just kick ass and get a good job and the debt should be manageable.

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OP: Does your GW scholly have a top 50% stip like the one I'm reading about in another thread? Does your W&L scholly have a stip?