Georgetown (sticker) v. WUSTL (15k/yr) Forum

[bluesky11]

I'm having a really difficult time choosing between these schools, and it's getting down to the wire. I was very happy to get into GULC, but I don't have much interest in DC, and I'd like to have a smaller law school experience. Unfortunately, I don't know where I want to settle after school, and the midwest wouldn't be high on my list. So I'd probably try to come back to California, which I know could be a challenge. My options in CA weren't great so I turned them down (wait listed at UCLA).

I'm primarily interested in health law, disability law, and medical malpractice. No aspirations of working in government or PI. I'm not interested in BigLaw either. My primary concerns are that I'll spend twice as much money at GULC and end up with a job no different than the one I'd get out of WUSTL or conversely that I'll go to WUSTL and regret passing down GULC when it comes time to work.

What do you think? I wish I had gotten more out of WUSTL. But 15k/yr is definitely significant to me. Thanks.

[abc12345675]

I'm having a really difficult time choosing between these schools, and it's getting down to the wire. I was very happy to get into GULC, but I don't have much interest in DC, and I'd like to have a smaller law school experience. Unfortunately, I don't know where I want to settle after school, and the midwest wouldn't be high on my list. So I'd probably try to come back to California, which I know could be a challenge. My options in CA weren't great so I turned them down (wait listed at UCLA).

I'm primarily interested in health law, disability law, and medical malpractice. No aspirations of working in government or PI. I'm not interested in BigLaw either. My primary concerns are that I'll spend twice as much money at GULC and end up with a job no different than the one I'd get out of WUSTL or conversely that I'll go to WUSTL and regret passing down GULC when it comes time to work.

What do you think? I wish I had gotten more out of WUSTL. But 15k/yr is definitely significant to me. Thanks.

If you are not dead set on the midwest than this is a non-issue- Georgetown. No brainer

[flem]

What are your numbers?

If you don't want biglaw work, then taking out 250K for Georgetown is dumb, but then again so is taking out 150K plus for WUSTL. If you want CA, then why are no CA schools options?

[bluesky11]

What are your numbers?

If you don't want biglaw work, then taking out 250K for Georgetown is dumb, but then again so is taking out 150K plus for WUSTL. If you want CA, then why are no CA schools options?

I don't have any good CA options. I'm on the WL at UCLA.

[flem]

I don't have any good CA options. I'm on the WL at UCLA.

Ah

And

What are your numbers?

[TTTehehe]

Ouch.

1. Any possible way to get a little more out of WUSL?

2. Stips on scholly?

[abc12345675]

What are your numbers?

If you don't want biglaw work, then taking out 250K for Georgetown is dumb, but then again so is taking out 150K plus for WUSTL. If you want CA, then why are no CA schools options?

I don't have any good CA options. I'm on the WL at UCLA.

If you don't want gov't work and you don't want biglaw and are looking for some random med mal firm you don't need to go to this good of a school. If you got into GULC you probably could get scholly at Davis or something and that'd be fine for your purposes in my opinion.

[bluesky11]

Ouch.

1. Any possible way to get a little more out of WUSL?

2. Stips on scholly?

I'm not sure there's much room left for negotiation. But I might try.

There are no stipulations. Guaranteed for all 3 years.

[TTTehehe]

Ouch.

1. Any possible way to get a little more out of WUSL?

2. Stips on scholly?

I'm not sure there's much room left for negotiation. But I might try.

There are no stipulations. Guaranteed for all 3 years.

Still rough. Bottom line COA of attending both schools?

Are you dead set on attending this year?

Edit: Meant COA for each school.

[top30man]

What are your numbers?

[flem]

WUSTL is too expensive at that price, Georgetown doesn't make sense for your small goals. What other options are on the table? And I'm guessing your ducking the numbers question because you have a high GPA and a (relatively) low LSAT score and you don't want retake responses.

[bluesky11]

WUSTL is too expensive at that price, Georgetown doesn't make sense for your small goals. What other options are on the table? And I'm guessing your ducking the numbers question because you have a high GPA and a (relatively) low LSAT score and you don't want retake responses.

That's pretty much the case, yeah.

I don't have many other options aside from a few appealing wait lists. But who knows if that will lead anywhere. It's too bad they can't offer me an additional 20 - 30k, as that would pretty much seal the deal.

[Ruxin1]

WUSTL is too expensive at that price, Georgetown doesn't make sense for your small goals. What other options are on the table? And I'm guessing your ducking the numbers question because you have a high GPA and a (relatively) low LSAT score and you don't want retake responses.

That's pretty much the case, yeah.

I don't have many other options aside from a few appealing wait lists. But who knows if that will lead anywhere. It's too bad they can't offer me an additional 20 - 30k, as that would pretty much seal the deal.

They WILL with just a few additional LSAT points...

[flem]

That's pretty much the case, yeah.

I don't have many other options aside from a few appealing wait lists. But who knows if that will lead anywhere. It's too bad they can't offer me an additional 20 - 30k, as that would pretty much seal the deal.

If you want to do small firm work, limiting your debt load and networking will be more important than the prestige of your degree. Taking out 250K or even 150K with the INTENTION of doing small town tort/personal injury/malpractice work that will pay you 50-60K a year (if you're lucky) is stupid.

Reevaluate your goals in light of your options, because the two don't match up.

Alternatively retake the LSAT to get more scholarship money.

[bluesky11]

WUSTL is too expensive at that price, Georgetown doesn't make sense for your small goals. What other options are on the table? And I'm guessing your ducking the numbers question because you have a high GPA and a (relatively) low LSAT score and you don't want retake responses.

That's pretty much the case, yeah.

I don't have many other options aside from a few appealing wait lists. But who knows if that will lead anywhere. It's too bad they can't offer me an additional 20 - 30k, as that would pretty much seal the deal.

They WILL with just a few additional LSAT points...

I know you're right. Unfortunately, I think waiting until 2013 will be a big waste for me. The sooner i can get back into the workforce the better.

[TTTehehe]

This is pretty rough. GULC sticker is a tough pill to swallow. Tack on COL for the DC area and you're going to feel the pain.

Same deal with WUSL, but at least they're giving you 45k with no stip. COL is less, but you're still coming out of there with a lot of debt.

You have to either retake to get more money, or try to defer the WUSL offer for a year and work during that year off. Put a lion's share of that salary towards WUSL, and get your student loans sub 100k.

[bluesky11]

That's pretty much the case, yeah.

I don't have many other options aside from a few appealing wait lists. But who knows if that will lead anywhere. It's too bad they can't offer me an additional 20 - 30k, as that would pretty much seal the deal.

If you want to do small firm work, limiting your debt load and networking will be more important than the prestige of your degree. Taking out 250K or even 150K with the INTENTION of doing small town tort/personal injury/malpractice work that will pay you 50-60K a year (if you're lucky) is stupid.

Reevaluate your goals in light of your options, because the two don't match up.

Alternatively retake the LSAT to get more scholarship money.

My goal isn't to do small town personal injury. I'm interested in health law in general. I just don't have any interest in working in a 250 - 500 attorney firm.

[flem]

My goal isn't to do small town personal injury. I'm interested in health law in general. I just don't have any interest in working in a 250 - 500 attorney firm.

The spike on the right is biglaw work. The spike on the left is small firm work. Everything in between is most likely large firms in small markets (Denver, Seattle, St Louis, Grand Rapids).

It's feast or famine dude. You either snag biglaw work to service that debt or you go on IBR and await a tax bomb at a small firm. There aren't very many midsize firms that pay really well, it's usually one extreme or the other.

[Doorkeeper]

That's pretty much the case, yeah.

I don't have many other options aside from a few appealing wait lists. But who knows if that will lead anywhere. It's too bad they can't offer me an additional 20 - 30k, as that would pretty much seal the deal.

If you want to do small firm work, limiting your debt load and networking will be more important than the prestige of your degree. Taking out 250K or even 150K with the INTENTION of doing small town tort/personal injury/malpractice work that will pay you 50-60K a year (if you're lucky) is stupid.

Reevaluate your goals in light of your options, because the two don't match up.

Alternatively retake the LSAT to get more scholarship money.

My goal isn't to do small town personal injury. I'm interested in health law in general. I just don't have any interest in working in a 250 - 500 attorney firm.

You don't want to do biglaw, gov't work, PI, or small firm work.

WTF do you want to do? Magically land a counsel job at a major hospital right out of law school? That shit doesn't happen.

[TTTehehe]

It's feast or famine dude. You either snag biglaw work to service that debt or you go on IBR and await a tax bomb at a small firm. There aren't very many midsize firms that pay really well, it's usually one extreme or the other.

Pretty much sums it up. HUGE gamble still, and OP is going to have bloody ulcers with GULC full sticker hanging over his/her head. If he/she doesn't snag BigLaw, he/she is up the creek with no paddle.

At least with WUSL OP will have a more shallow hole to dig out of. If OP chooses WUSL, it would be wise to defer a year and front load the debt service by working FT and OT during that year. If he/she can get that debt to as close to sub 100k as possible, then BigLaw won't be a must, and OP can pursue the original career goal.

That being said, attending WUSL with the paltry scholly this year is a bad choice, too.

[flem]

At least with WUSL OP will have a more shallow hole to dig out of. If OP chooses WUSL, it would be wise to defer a year and front load the debt service by working FT and OT during that year. If he/she can get that debt to as close to sub 100k as possible, then BigLaw won't be a must, and OP can pursue the original career goal.

That being said, attending WUSL with the paltry scholly this year is a bad choice, too.

LST has you at an estimated 205K in the hole even with scholarship. At that point, just go to Georgetown since you're fucked either way if you miss out on meaningful legal work, but at Georgetown your odds are better.

Both are incompatible with what you want, dude.

[CanadianWolf]

OP: Did you turn down UC-Hastings with a 25% scholarship & Colorado with a 50% scholarship ?

Georgetown doesn't make sense for you at sticker price. WashUStL isn't in your target market of California & is unlikely to get you there. UCLA is worth pursuing, however.

[TTTehehe]

LST has you at an estimated 205K in the hole even with scholarship. At that point, just go to Georgetown since you're fucked either way if you miss out on meaningful legal work, but at Georgetown your odds are better.

Both are incompatible with what you want, dude.

That's pretty much the bottom line. 205k with scholly this year at WUSL is crazy. 250k (I've seen that # float around) at GULC is just as crazy. If you defer at WUSL, work, and get 205k down to 150-ish k, still kind of crazy, but that's 100k less you have to worry about.

Bottom Line: GULC ONLY if you plan to do BigLaw; WUSL ONLY if you plan on deferring a year to work. Otherwise, don't go to either.

[Tom Joad]

Where are Hastings and UCI and Davis? If you want CA and strike out at UCLA and USC that is probably what you are looking for.

[bluesky11]

OP: Did you turn down UC-Hastings with a 25% scholarship & Colorado with a 50% scholarship ?

Georgetown doesn't make sense for you at sticker price. WashUStL isn't in your target market of California & is unlikely to get you there. UCLA is worth pursuing, however.

Yeah, I turned down Hastings. I didn't think the scholarship they offered was competitive. Colorado is still an option, but I'm not sure that leaves me any better off.

I'm really not dead set on California, but it would be nice to have as an option because I have many ties there.