GW or UCLA? Forum

[sangr]

hi guys

goals:

criteria 1. best chance of getting a biglaw/some kind of similar gig
criteria 2. best chance for spreading out to international scene


whats better?

[thexfactor]

UCLA for both and don't look back......

[tennisking88]

UCLA for both and don't look back......

[sangr]

aha are u serious? to my knowledge the rankings are pretty similar...

and the cali job market is not as vast as the east coast.

do i not have my information 100% correct?

[pcwcecac]

UCLA. Your quality of life will be way better at UCLA, as that should be one of your criteria.

I do not understand why GW is ranked so high. After spending 3 years in DC, I've met 15 GW law grads. 2 of them are at BigLaw, 4 or 5 of them are in small firms. The rest of them left the legal market 1 year into their career, involuntarily.

I know 5 UCLA law grads. 1 partner, 2 at BigLaw, 1 in house, and 1 became an investment banker.

My acquaintances are not at all representative, however. Just simply giving you my impression

[thexfactor]

UCLA gives you a 2x chance at getting a biglaw job as compared to GWU.
Plus... I don't know if you have been on UCLA's campus, but westwood isn't exactly a bad place to spend 3 years.

[Grizz]

hi guys

goals:

criteria 1. best chance of getting a biglaw/some kind of similar gig
criteria 2. best chance for spreading out to international scene


whats better?

You taking out debt to go to these schools? That should be criteria 3 bro.

[sangr]

yes i am taking on a full load of debt.

i got money at W&M so id be paying about 10,000 a year to go there..but its a big difference...

1. how would W&M with 10,000 a year compare to other options?

2. how would it affect my decisions if money is a factor but not such a titanic one?

3. does UCLA have outside reach (NYC, BOSTON, VA, DC) at all?

thanks

[Grizz]

yes i am taking on a full load of debt.

i got money at W&M so id be paying about 10,000 a year to go there..but its a big difference...

1. how would W&M with 10,000 a year compare to other options?

2. how would it affect my decisions if money is a factor but not such a titanic one?

3. does UCLA have outside reach (NYC, BOSTON, VA, DC) at all?

thanks

1. I'd go to W&M rather than pay sticker at UCLA or GW

2. Money should be the biggest factor. Big law, generally needed to pay big debt, is unlikely at either school

3. Not really, especially if you're not from there or don't have ties there.

[dood]

...

[dood]

u should just visit the schools and decide on quality of life / student body u fit in with. here's why:

1. big law from either school is gonna require at least top 1/3, maybe more for non-local markets
2. a happy and relaxed u studying in a environment that u r comfortable in is more likely to get those grades

[Perdevise]

Both schools are regional, so consider if you'd rather live in LA or GW for a good deal of your life.

[YourCaptain]

go to w&m

not a question. ucla is a decent school but not worth $200k and westwood is not cheap

[johansantana21]

UCLA

[monkey85]

u should just visit the schools and decide on quality of life / student body u fit in with.

Agree with the dood. I go to GW and have my 2L SA lined-up, but that still does not make me an automatic fanboy of the school. It may work for you if you like east-coast living, but it will not necessarily get you biglaw.

Don't know anything about UCLA to say whether it is good or bad.

Wherever you go, just get into that Top 10-15%.

[Grizz]

criteria 2. best chance for spreading out to international scene

Neither

[pcwcecac]

criteria 2. best chance for spreading out to international scene

Neither

man grizz, you're so dim.....

i agree with you to the extent that the market for international law is near non-existent. It takes a bit of creativity, luck, and super friends =). The UCLA network (especially Anderson) and LA in general provides that sort of opportunity, but to most diligent law students, networking might not be at the top of their priority.

It depends how well you think you can exploit the intangible benefits of UCLA. Such benefits include being near a beautiful beach to keep you sane (and maybe make some super friends there!)

I would take UCLA over GW any day (for its beach, campus, and chicks), given similar job prospects at their respective locale. GW students drink a lot because there is nothing else to do. UCLA students drink just enough to do the other good stuff.

That said, WM for 30K is a sweet deal. Skip GW and visit both WM and UCLA campuses and their surroundings. At the very least, you won't regret paying a visit to Santa Monica; it's pretty fun.

[Paul Campos]

Wherever you go, just get into that Top 10-15%.

This is just super valuable advice. Those of you who were thinking "I should aim for the bottom 50%" should reconsider immediately.

Anybody paying sticker at UCLA or GW who could go to W&M for 10K a year instead is nuts (or independently wealthy).

[Grizz]

criteria 2. best chance for spreading out to international scene

Neither

man grizz, you're so dim.....

Have you seen legal hiring recently???

I wouldn't pay sticker debt fir UCLA

[Errzii]

wtf are people smoking? UCLA prospects are way better than GW or W&M.

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HTH.