BU with money or Georgetown at sticker? Forum

[harryminorhood]

BU has given me $85,000

I just found out that I got into GULC off the waitlist so I doubt there will be any money for me.

I have some savings that will pay for about 1 year of tuition at either school. So I would be left with around $145,000 in debt at Georgetown or around $61,000 in debt at BU

Which option should I pick?

[tourdeforcex]

that's pretty hard. incremental $80K in debt...

what are your goals? are you biglaw or bust? would you be happy working in boston?

have you visited? if yes, which did you like better?

just questions to guide you toward your decision.

[harryminorhood]

I'd like to do Big Law for at least a few years to get the private sector experience before returning to government at some point (I work for the City of New York right now).

I definitely prefer DC...proximity to federal government, etc.

But if I go to GULC and I don't get into Big Law, am I screwed with that much debt?

[BrianGriffintheDog]

If it was a school at the upper end or even middle of t14, I would've said take the sticker. However, 85k is pretty dam lot of money & Georgetown aint worth it

[tourdeforcex]

i forgot to congratulate you on getting in off the GULC waitlist

thus, congratulations!

though this does make your decision that much harder...

how debt averse are you?

another thought is, how confident do you feel you can make top 30-40 percentile at GULC? if you are confident, take it. b/c w/o the money factor, it's clear that for DC, GULC >>> BU

[dakatz]

Friends don't let friends go to GULC at sticker

[Moxie]

This is definitely a tough decision. DC is a very tough market to break into, although it would be easier from Georgetown (networking/proximity/obvious ties to that market). Still, BU places well in NYC Biglaw, and I'm assuming you could get DC Biglaw if you were at the top of your class and had ties.

There's no chance of GULC giving you any money? If GULC gave you $30k, I'd probably vote for there, but at sticker v. BU with good money, I'd advise you to take the latter.

Maybe blindmelon would have some insight on how BU places into DC, that's definitely an important consideration for this decision.

[Cupidity]

I think both of your figures are too low for COA unless there are variables you haven't disclosed. Sticker at GULC will likely run you $200k, BU w/ 85k might be around 75k.

if it were UVA I might say otherwise, but BU's employment stats are solid for a T30....GULC isn't so hot, it won't even be T14 in a year.

[Nogameisfair]

I think both of your figures are too low for COA unless there are variables you haven't disclosed. Sticker at GULC will likely run you $200k, BU w/ 85k might be around 75k.

if it were UVA I might say otherwise, but BU's employment stats are solid for a T30....GULC isn't so hot, it won't even be T14 in a year.

OP said that he has savings to cover the COA for the first year, so that's why his estimates are so low, I'm assuming.

Also, OP said he prefers DC. BU's employment states are ok for Boston or maybe for NYC, but Gtown blows them out of the water in D.C. I'd say try to get some money from Gtown, if not, what about GW? Otherwise, Georgetown is the right choice here for NYC or DC biglaw. And Georgetown is far far better than BU if your future goal is government work. OP may want to consider going straight in through the honors program, then Gtown's LRAP would kick in.

[Blindmelon]

OP may want to consider going straight in through the honors program, then Gtown's LRAP would kick in.

OP said he wanted bigfirm for a bit. If you can't make it into a big firm, then you most likely don't have near the stats needed for a gov. honors program. Also, depending on what happens in 2012, trying to get a fed job could be insanely hard.

If you go BU, you can only really hit DC biglaw if top of the class, but Boston and NYC are a lot easier. Of course Gtown is better for NYC and DC, but 80k is a lot especially when you add in interest. BU also does not foreclose fed gov work at all (I knew a bunch of people that got offers), but of course, Gtown gives you the opp. to intern during the school year to get your foot in an agency's door while its less competitive.

Its a tough decision, especially since you want DC so badly. I'd say if you were ok with Boston or NYC, I'd take BU. If you're dead set on DC, then Gtown and hope you hit pretty high in the class.