Top Law Schools

I've been admitted to and narrowed it down to GMU and W&L. I want to practice in DC afterward. GMU is cheaper with a better location, and I can't help but think I'll have more opportunities while I'm at GMU and closer to the city, while I keep hearing that W&L is the superior school. Suggestions?

Also, is it possible to negotiate a merit scholarship with either school at this point? My GPA was a 3.0 (grade deflated at Princeton) and my LSAT was 167.

Neither? At sticker price I don't think these schools are a wise investment if you want DC. Sorry . No other cheaper options? And there's no harm trying to negotiate, but it helps if you have some kind of leverage (better offers)

mlam425 wrote: my LSAT was 167.

You must've applied late. If you applied earlier WL would've given you at least 20k. I would honestly try to retake your LSAT and apply next year. This would be beneficial in two ways: you would get the added admissions and fin. aid advantage from applying early, and a chance at a higher school/admission to a school with better DC job prospects. Remember, while Mason is close to DC, doesn't mean it places very well there. DC is insanely competitive bc so many people, from so many schools, apply to work there. With the Fed. gov not hiring for the foreseeable future, it's an even tougher cookie to crack.

Neither school is great for DC. But if you must go next year, then W&L is the clear winner here. Aside from the fact that W&L is the better school (by a fair amount), I've hear from many many people that GMU is a pretty miserable school to attend b/c it is largely a commuter school and has no real campus life. Even though such concerns wouldn't really be implicated if you're going to commute, W&L is still the better option b/c it provides superior employment prospects elsewhere (i.e., outside of DC). Moreover, GMU's proximity to DC provides no substantial advantage with respect to obtaining DC employment.

Take the LSAT again? If you got into Princeton, you can do much better than 167 (no offense). Do this and apply early. Even if you don't improve your lsat, I'd be surprised if you didn't get at least 20k from W&L, and over 3 years thats 60k...Definitely worth it.

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