GW vs BU vs CU Forum

[Rex777]

GW (16k/yr)
BU (15k/yr)
CU (full tuition 1L, 10k for 2L+3L)

Which school should I choose?

Boston, DC, and Boulder are all places I would enjoy being in law school at equally, albeit in different ways. I am also not sold on taking the bar in one of these places over the other.

From attorneys I have talked to GW has a better national rep. than BU does if you are trying to find a job outside Boston. I have also heard some really scary stories about CU's job placement, no matter where you finish.

With the loan amounts (estimated 100k at CU; 140k at BU; 185k at GW over three years) which is the strongest choice?

[bdole2]

....where are you from?

[romothesavior]

....where are you from?

Yeah this. The schools you picked are quite random.

At those prices I wouldn't go to any of them. BU is the only one I'd consider but you're essentially locked into biglaw, which is like a 1/3 shot ITE. Do ya feel lucky, punk? Well do ya?

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

GW (16k/yr)
BU (15k/yr)
CU (full tuition 1L, 10k for 2L+3L)

Which school should I choose?

Boston, DC, and Boulder are all places I would enjoy being in law school at equally, albeit in different ways. I am also not sold on taking the bar in one of these places over the other.

From attorneys I have talked to GW has a better national rep. than BU does if you are trying to find a job outside Boston. I have also heard some really scary stories about CU's job placement, no matter where you finish.

With the loan amounts (estimated 100k at CU; 140k at BU; 185k at GW over three years) which is the strongest choice?

In-state is automatic at CU, so you would be paying 0, 18k, 18k.

36k for CU is a good deal. Considering cost of living is cheaper in Colorado, CU is obviously the most economical choice by far. (I think your 100k is too high...) However, these are radically different schools.

Go to CU if you want to live in the rockies, go to BU/GW if you want to live in the north east. Going to CU and trying to work in the east would be stupid: you would waste your entire network in Colorado, and have to start from stretch out east without knowing anyone.

Also I would just look at the employment numbers that the schools give to NALP vs. listening to random people about CU's placement. There is very little "big law" in the mountain west, so if that's your plan I'd stay away. If not, that is a good price and I would take CU.

[Rex777]

....where are you from?

From Maine originally, so applied to BU as a close to home option.

I live and work at a start-up in DC now, thus GW..

I applied to CU because I could definitely see myself in the Mountain West, I am an active/outdoors person being from Maine. Thought I would be able to get the best money at CU, so applied thinking with enough money plus the quality of life in Colorado it would be worth it to trek across country.

I have no undergrad. debt and am blessed enough to have parents there to bail me out if absolutely necessary so the debt mountain isn't as scary for me as it could be.

[romothesavior]

36k for tuition. Don't forget 50-60k in COL. And interest. We're talking 90k+.

If you're from Colorado I might consider it but I still think the prices of these three schools are too high to justify the investment.

[mrwarre85]

36k for tuition. Don't forget 50-60k in COL. And interest. We're talking 90k+.

If you're from Colorado I might consider it but I still think the prices of these three schools are too high to justify the investment.

Colorado is full of transplants -- over half of the law school and half of the undergrad is OOS. I would worry less about trouble from an insular market here..

If you work at all during school, you should be able to get those debt totals down at all three.

I bet you could do CU for 70k, BU for 130k, and GW for 160k. Of course, getting a big law summer gig would kick all these down another 20/25k or so, but that is unlikely especially from CU. Market is 160k in Denver, but you'd need to be in the top 10/15% or so.

[Rex777]

....where are you from?

Yeah this. The schools you picked are quite random.

At those prices I wouldn't go to any of them. BU is the only one I'd consider but you're essentially locked into biglaw, which is like a 1/3 shot ITE. Do ya feel lucky, punk? Well do ya?

Why is BU the only one you would consider? Obviously my situation isn't exactly ideal, but I want to put myself in the best position to find success. Success for me would be a transactional law position I can leverage to move back into a counsel position at a startup.

[thelawyler]

Because BU places the best into big law firms and has shown to have an edge on GW in that regard.

[romothesavior]

Because BU places the best into big law firms and has shown to have an edge on GW in that regard.

This. And its cheaper.

[Rex777]

Thanks for everyone's input, appreciate the different perspectives. Tough decision any way you make it.

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

It may just be because I have Campos for Property, but I think your screwed no matter what.

[tlsposter]

BU for Boston.
CU for Colorado.
GW for anywhere else.

[Rex777]

Update 5/7:
BC $60k total
GW $48k total
NU hold
UCLA WL
Vandy WL

BC came through with the most total $$ so far. Is BC the "best" of all these risky choices?

Anyone dare to make the case for GW? Is my lean towards GW just a pipe dream of more opportunities at a slightly higher ranking that could sink me in debt?

My work experience as a paralegal on bankruptcy litigation IP sales and at a tech start-up has me interested in soft IP, but will GW (patent lovers) even help me crack IP law without a hard science background?

[gravityrides0]

I had a similar BU v GW dilemma (without $ to either), and I was leaning GW due to location... I think of DC as having many more opportunities for networking/internships/jobs, but what do I know...