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Hey so I will just get to it quick...I got in off GW's wait list today and now have a decision to make.

Money: GW 0 (assuming sticker), Minnesota 18k/yr (2.5 GPA required)
Goals: Not exactly sure but thinking either corporate (M&A) or appellate
Location: Don't care all that much but I do know I want to live in a decent size city (NYC, Chicago, Seattle, DC, Minneapolis, etc)

My brain is telling me to go to Minnesota because of the $$ but GW has been my top choice and I am concerned about how many more firms attended GW's OCI compared to Minnesota's

It's kinda close, but given your goals GW looks like the better choice.

Haha, way to bogard my thread.

DrVictorFreeze wrote:Haha, way to bogard my thread.

Hahaha sorry...someone on there mentioned a poll and I was like yep, great idea...feel free to ask ppl for advice on my thread as well!

Can the people voting give a quick reason why? Even if its like "UMN - $$" or "GW - job opportunites" etc...

Unless you are independently wealthy or have someone else footing the bill for GW, go to Minnesota.

UMN... because you actually have a chance of paying back the debt you will acquire. The COA for GWU is ~75K per year, for a grand total of ~225K for a three-year JD. Even if you get a Big Law salary (and more than likely you won't), paying back that much will be an uphill battle. Go do the math.

GW is a poor financial decision and UMN has poor (very poor) placement. Which one is less intimidating to you?

I'm foolish and would pick GW, but I have friends at UMN who had significant difficulty locking down 1L gigs, let alone 2L positions.

YourCaptain wrote:GW is a poor financial decision and UMN has poor (very poor) placement. Which one is less intimidating to you?

I'm foolish and would pick GW, but I have friends at UMN who had significant difficulty locking down 1L gigs, let alone 2L positions.

Is it really that bad at UMN? I know their NLJ250 was at like 11%, but I was under the impression they were pretty good in Minneapolis.

ndirish2010 wrote:

YourCaptain wrote:GW is a poor financial decision and UMN has poor (very poor) placement. Which one is less intimidating to you?

I'm foolish and would pick GW, but I have friends at UMN who had significant difficulty locking down 1L gigs, let alone 2L positions.

Is it really that bad at UMN? I know their NLJ250 was at like 11%, but I was under the impression they were pretty good in Minneapolis.

I was informed that if you're not on LR, a URM, or born&bred in MN, a firm job is not coming your way.

YourCaptain wrote:

ndirish2010 wrote:

YourCaptain wrote:GW is a poor financial decision and UMN has poor (very poor) placement. Which one is less intimidating to you?

I'm foolish and would pick GW, but I have friends at UMN who had significant difficulty locking down 1L gigs, let alone 2L positions.

Is it really that bad at UMN? I know their NLJ250 was at like 11%, but I was under the impression they were pretty good in Minneapolis.

I was informed that if you're not on LR, a URM, or born&bred in MN, a firm job is not coming your way.

I am neither of those and LR is in no way guaranteed so that is really scary if true!

justhockey31 wrote:

YourCaptain wrote:

ndirish2010 wrote:

YourCaptain wrote:GW is a poor financial decision and UMN has poor (very poor) placement. Which one is less intimidating to you?

I'm foolish and would pick GW, but I have friends at UMN who had significant difficulty locking down 1L gigs, let alone 2L positions.

Is it really that bad at UMN? I know their NLJ250 was at like 11%, but I was under the impression they were pretty good in Minneapolis.

I was informed that if you're not on LR, a URM, or born&bred in MN, a firm job is not coming your way.

I am neither of those and LR is in no way guaranteed so that is really scary if true!

OP, if you got UMN with money, did you get into UIUC or WUSTL? They seem substantially better.

No Illinois or WUSTL bummer since I really liked what Illinois seemed to be all about

ndirish2010 wrote:

YourCaptain wrote:GW is a poor financial decision and UMN has poor (very poor) placement. Which one is less intimidating to you?

I'm foolish and would pick GW, but I have friends at UMN who had significant difficulty locking down 1L gigs, let alone 2L positions.

Is it really that bad at UMN? I know their NLJ250 was at like 11%, but I was under the impression they were pretty good in Minneapolis.

A lot of people stay in Minny, so I would assume that the 11% is a slight exaggeration. It doesn't fully make up for the low figure, but self-selection probably contributes to it.
It's still not good if you want BigLaw

JamMasterJ wrote:

ndirish2010 wrote:

YourCaptain wrote:GW is a poor financial decision and UMN has poor (very poor) placement. Which one is less intimidating to you?

I'm foolish and would pick GW, but I have friends at UMN who had significant difficulty locking down 1L gigs, let alone 2L positions.

Is it really that bad at UMN? I know their NLJ250 was at like 11%, but I was under the impression they were pretty good in Minneapolis.

A lot of people stay in Minny, so I would assume that the 11% is a slight exaggeration. It doesn't fully make up for the low figure, but self-selection probably contributes to it.
It's still not good if you want BigLaw

There seem to be a good number of Twin Cities firms that pay 100-120K but are not NLJ250 as well, but probably not enough to bring Minnesota up to the 25-30% a lot of T25s are at.

yeah 11% is super low...where do all the UMN grads work? I know the Minneapolis has a good number of Fortune 500 companies, is it possible some of the kids who would get biglaw are working at these companies instead? (This sounds dumb to me as I am writing it but I dunno, the grads have to go SOMEWHERE)

justhockey31 wrote:yeah 11% is super low...where do all the UMN grads work? I know the Minneapolis has a good number of Fortune 500 companies, is it possible some of the kids who would get biglaw are working at these companies instead? (This sounds dumb to me as I am writing it but I dunno, the grads have to go SOMEWHERE)

--LinkRemoved--
Hard to tell. It looks like a lot of the class isn't reported. Seems fishy

Yeah the first thing I did when I found out about GW was go to that site...I know UMN claims like 99% employment, I would imagine some of that is with the school to protect their numbers but regardless its still impressive. When I was out there the career service staff said about 50% of the students stay in MN while the other 50% leave, mostly to Chicago...not sure if I believe that though

I voted for GW.

lalala21 wrote:I voted for GW.

Well when ur Utah vs W&L thread comes up which I know it will...you know where my vote will go haha

JamMasterJ wrote:

justhockey31 wrote:yeah 11% is super low...where do all the UMN grads work? I know the Minneapolis has a good number of Fortune 500 companies, is it possible some of the kids who would get biglaw are working at these companies instead? (This sounds dumb to me as I am writing it but I dunno, the grads have to go SOMEWHERE)

--LinkRemoved--
Hard to tell. It looks like a lot of the class isn't reported. Seems fishy

That LST is not that horrible for a T30. 30% making 6 figures or Article III clerkship. Of course that was 2009, so it's probably 15-20% for class of 2011.

ndirish2010 wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:

justhockey31 wrote:yeah 11% is super low...where do all the UMN grads work? I know the Minneapolis has a good number of Fortune 500 companies, is it possible some of the kids who would get biglaw are working at these companies instead? (This sounds dumb to me as I am writing it but I dunno, the grads have to go SOMEWHERE)

--LinkRemoved--
Hard to tell. It looks like a lot of the class isn't reported. Seems fishy

That LST is not that horrible for a T30. 30% making 6 figures or Article III clerkship. Of course that was 2009, so it's probably 15-20% for class of 2011.

GW's numbers are definitely better on LST

ndirish2010 wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:

justhockey31 wrote:yeah 11% is super low...where do all the UMN grads work? I know the Minneapolis has a good number of Fortune 500 companies, is it possible some of the kids who would get biglaw are working at these companies instead? (This sounds dumb to me as I am writing it but I dunno, the grads have to go SOMEWHERE)

--LinkRemoved--
Hard to tell. It looks like a lot of the class isn't reported. Seems fishy

That LST is not that horrible for a T30. 30% making 6 figures or Article III clerkship. Of course that was 2009, so it's probably 15-20% for class of 2011.

I'm referring to the 50%+ unreported

justhockey31 wrote:

lalala21 wrote:I voted for GW.

Well when ur Utah vs W&L thread comes up which I know it will...you know where my vote will go haha

Meh, hopefully it won't... because that would mean I have real problems. after looking at LST I agree that GW is the better pick...

Yea LST definitely makes GW seem like the better pick...how much of that is due to their IP rep tho? As someone who is not interested/does not have the background, should this be considered?