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Looking for some advice...I've been accepted to Harvard, NYU and Georgetown. I definitely expect to be going into public interest law, and I would like to eventually live/work in D.C., though I'm not necessarily opposed to going elsewhere for school. Harvard seems like the obvious choice, but not totally sure about their public service opportunities/how I'm going to feel about the atmosphere there (from the Midwest). Also, sadly, haven't been offered money anywhere at this point, planning on using loans for everything. Thanks for any help!!

Explain what you mean by "public interest law."

Assuming you're not getting $$ from any, go to Harvard. It'll give you access to D.C. or any other market your heart desires. Also, check out the LRAPs at each school if you're thinking public service. I know Harvard's is great; I don't know the details of NYU (assume it's strong given the PI rep) or Georgetown. Really though, if money is even at all of them, there's no decision to be made. Congrats on Harvard.

Harvard

Wait for the money to come from NYU and Georgetown, then reassess your situation.

mab89 wrote:Looking for some advice...I've been accepted to Harvard, NYU and Georgetown. I definitely expect to be going into public interest law, and I would like to eventually live/work in D.C., though I'm not necessarily opposed to going elsewhere for school. Harvard seems like the obvious choice, but not totally sure about their public service opportunities/how I'm going to feel about the atmosphere there (from the Midwest). Also, sadly, haven't been offered money anywhere at this point, planning on using loans for everything. Thanks for any help!!

What in the world does this mean?

It's not a foreign country. You aren't going to be run out of town for being a Midwesterner/conservative/religious/whatever-the-hell-else-you-are-concerned-about. Boston is a great city and Cambridge in particular is a very nice area.

Here's what you do:
1) Visit the schools you are considering. (Never pick schools without seeing them first.)
2) Wait for any outstanding financial awards, and see if you can negotiate what you get upward.
3) Pick Harvard. (Because, honestly, no other school is going to offer you as much in the way of opportunity for PI or anything else for that matter, and I'd be very surprised if you could get a better LRAP.)

Tadatsune wrote:

mab89 wrote:Looking for some advice...I've been accepted to Harvard, NYU and Georgetown. I definitely expect to be going into public interest law, and I would like to eventually live/work in D.C., though I'm not necessarily opposed to going elsewhere for school. Harvard seems like the obvious choice, but not totally sure about their public service opportunities/how I'm going to feel about the atmosphere there (from the Midwest). Also, sadly, haven't been offered money anywhere at this point, planning on using loans for everything. Thanks for any help!!

I understand totally what you mean. I'm from the South and was worried about the culture and atmosphere at Harvard as well. However, I went to the ASW last weekend and seriously encountered nothing but nice people all over Boston and especially Cambridge. I think Cambridge is so diverse anyway it's hard to peg them as only north-easterners. And Boston people were much more friendly than other east coast cities I've visited, namely DC and NYC. I was really amazed at how laid-back Bostonians were.

Harvard seemed to really provide well for their public-interested-minded students. Their LIPP program is really amazing and doesn't depend on the federal IBR program at all, which is encouraging to me. From what I understand, Georgetown's LRAP program does. One thing that stuck out to me concerning money was they mentioned that less than 1% of their students default on their loans. So either their graduates are making enough money to be okay or the LIPP program is significantly helping them.

They convinced me at the ASW. Maybe you could plan on going to their next ASW and see what you think. You can PM with more questions or just ask here.

Harvard will offer need-based aid. Go to Harvard.