Georgetown (97K) v. USC (60K) Forum

[santoinettea]

Please help... votes and/or comments appreciated!


A few important considerations:

1. Offered 97K from Georgetown and 60K from USC.
2. I would like to minimize debt as much as possible.
3. I've lived in LA and the Bay Area and would like to live in a new city for law school.
4. I'm extremely committed to working in LA (strong family ties and preference) post-law school.

(1-3 seem to favor GULC, but 4 makes me wonder how important 1-3 are. I'd love to take the opportunity to study in DC (and specifically to attend GULC), but I'm concerned about whether or not I'd be able to land a great job in LA afterwards if I were to go to GULC.)

Thanks in advance! Stumped.

[Matt123]

Both are fantastic schools that will afford you the ability to work for that 6 figure salary (given you are top 50% in your class). My advise… go to USC if you like the West Coast. Go to GTown if you like DC. Personally USC is more appealing to me because I’m looking to go into entertainment law, and I am from LA.

There is no losing with this decision though.

[coldshoulder]

Please help... votes and/or comments appreciated!
3. I've lived in LA and the Bay Area and would like to live in a new city for law school.
4. I'm extremely committed to working in LA (strong family ties and preference) post-law school.

I know you want to live in a new city for law school, but it's only three years. #4 says that you are completely committed to living and working in LA after law school. This is the important part. What's 3 years of law school compared to 30 years of work? If you're absolutely dedicated to LA work, already have ties and connections, going to USC makes sense. You will have a much better chance of breaking into a great job in the Cali market than if you go to DC.

[santoinettea]

Thanks for the votes and feedback. I appreciate it very much.

Can some of the people who voted for GULC let me know why (especially as it relates to job prospects on the west coast)?

I understand that getting LA work from USC might be easier and require less legwork on my end, but I am truly desperate to find out about my chances of getting back to LA from GULC. In trying to research their OCS and OCI process, I keep hitting brick walls--the website won't let me log in until I have a GULC email addres... not helpful.

Anyhow, because my heart is set on GULC and because they offered almost 40K more in scholarships, I am really struggling with this decision.

If anyone could give me information (stats, anedcotes, rough of idea of how many west coast firms are at OCI, anything) on LA job placement from GULC, please let me know. I'd REALLY appreciate it.

[innernetp]

If I were you I'd go to USC, develop relationships in the area, and then 2L summer try getting two jobs, maybe one in NYC/DC/Chicago/wherever and one in LA. That sounds a little tough but I met someone at USC while I was visiting who did that and it doesn't seem too uncommon.

Of course full disclosure I just decided to go to USC. :-) But I understand your desire to get out of where you are.

[3ThrowAway99]

Thanks for the votes and feedback. I appreciate it very much.

Can some of the people who voted for GULC let me know why (especially as it relates to job prospects on the west coast)?

I understand that getting LA work from USC might be easier and require less legwork on my end, but I am truly desperate to find out about my chances of getting back to LA from GULC. In trying to research their OCS and OCI process, I keep hitting brick walls--the website won't let me log in until I have a GULC email addres... not helpful.

Anyhow, because my heart is set on GULC and because they offered almost 40K more in scholarships, I am really struggling with this decision.

If anyone could give me information (stats, anedcotes, rough of idea of how many west coast firms are at OCI, anything) on LA job placement from GULC, please let me know. I'd REALLY appreciate it.

Did you try to negotiate with USC based on the fact that GULC offered you so much? Also, if you are getting that type of scholly from GULC, did you apply to T6 (CCN) and get any of those? I think as things stand you should go to Georgetown. They are giving you a better deal, it is a better school, and I imagine that they probably have relatively similar placement power into LA market (USC prob has an edge, but I would doubt it is really all that much. GULC does have real 'national' name recognition as far as hiring goes). If you can get T6 though I would do that (and certainly HYS).

[trudat15]

If I were you I'd go to USC, develop relationships in the area, and then 2L summer try getting two jobs, maybe one in NYC/DC/Chicago/wherever and one in LA. That sounds a little tough but I met someone at USC while I was visiting who did that and it doesn't seem too uncommon.

Of course full disclosure I just decided to go to USC. But I understand your desire to get out of where you are.

You friend got NYC and LA and did well in LS. I doubt they cracked DC or the struggling Chicago market with USC, though I guess I could be wrong. USC's network stretches to LA, and not much further (though I'm sure a lot has to do with self selection).

TCR is Georgetown. It's a better school, has better name recognition, and will be 37k or so cheaper. Gtown will give you the same opportunities in LA that USC will, assuming you have ties, which you do.

[Grizz]

If I were you I'd go to USC, develop relationships in the area, and then 2L summer try getting two jobs, maybe one in NYC/DC/Chicago/wherever and one in LA. That sounds a little tough but I met someone at USC while I was visiting who did that and it doesn't seem too uncommon.

Of course full disclosure I just decided to go to USC. But I understand your desire to get out of where you are.

It's not uncommon, but it can be viewed as not being fully committed to a market (unless you're from a market that traditionally does 6 week 2L summers, like in the South).

[dukey]

If I were you I'd go to USC, develop relationships in the area, and then 2L summer try getting two jobs, maybe one in NYC/DC/Chicago/wherever and one in LA. That sounds a little tough but I met someone at USC while I was visiting who did that and it doesn't seem too uncommon.

Of course full disclosure I just decided to go to USC. But I understand your desire to get out of where you are.

The only problem is that by going to USC, OP has significantly less of a chance to recruit nation-wide. The same is not said for GT, especially since OP has CA ties.

And yes, splitting summers (in different cities/coasts) is not uncommon - I've heard some firms having reservations about same-city splits though. In any case, an education @ GT would allow for this opportunity more so than USC. With a 37k margin, GT is the credited response/choice. Heck, even at 45k GT vs. 60k USC, I'd recommend choosing GT.



damn I am soooo tired and I have so much work left.