Top Law Schools

The schools you are considering.

NU and GULC

The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each.

NU ($0 scholly): around $240,000

GULC ($16,500 Dean's Grant/yr.): $190,000

*Note: Although Dean's Grant =/= scholly, it is NOT a loan and you pay it back when you're able to. I'm also expecting a small scholly from GULC because they let me apply for one last week.

How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings.

Loans, with a little bit of help from my family for housing/transport/etc.

Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any).

Strong ties to D.C. Established social and professional network (have been studying and working here a while).

Originally from FL--would primarily like Miami big law, but I'm open to D.C./NYC/Chicago for the first few years, then consider lateral (but who knows?).

Your general career goals

Not entirely sure, but would like to work in big law for a few years, pay off debt, save up some money, and then transition into public service role at city level. I've been thinking about a career in politics lately, too. But it's all up in the air.

Pros/cons of each (my perspective)

NU pros
-smaller class size
-great big law placement
-great city
-more collegial/laid back atmosphere compared to D.C.
-B school approach
-football team (hey, it's nice to have a team in Evanston for when the itch strikes)

NU cons
-no scholly
-move to a new city (even though I love Chi)
-COLD WINTERS
-older student body (I'm K-JD)

GULC pros
-commitment to public service
-solid LRAP, if I decide on PI/gov (not likely right now, but who knows)
-EXTERNSHIPS during 2L/3L fall/spring semesters
-dean of admissions has actually made a sincere effort to encourage me + other admits to come to GULC
-decent grant (I'll have to pay it back, but that's about $50K in debt I don't have to worry about immediately)

GULC cons
-large class size
-stiffer competition for big law (have to be in top 25 to 30 percent for major markets)
-afraid of impersonal nature of school because of big class
-afraid of too many gunners/competitive atmosphere because a) D.C. and b) large class size
-employment stats fill me w/ trepidation
-high COL in D.C.

Thanks in advance. I truly have no idea where to pick, and I have eight days to decide. After a few years in D.C., I thought I'd be gun-ho for GULC, but I've found that I really have no idea what to choose in this scenario because there's a lot that differentiates these two excellent schools. I'm blessed to be able to make this choice.

P.S.: only schools I'd consider attending over these are Chi, Columbia, and Stanford, prob at sticker too. ETA: haven't heard back from these yet, and will not be retaking.

NOne of the above.

Neither. I'd take FSU/UF for free over GULC at essentially sticker and NU at sticker if I wanted to work in FL.

Starting law school at 23 instead of 22 is not a big deal. Especially when you have a 3.8. RETAKE

Thanks, that's actually a good point and one I've thought of intensely. However, the situation is this: I don't have to go to law school right now, I want to. Yes, criticize my mentality, but I've already decided. Btw: I went up 20 points on the LSAT, and studied for six months (not B.S. studying, but real, real, real studying), so my point is that I don't think I'll benefit from taking a year off.

You know someone's K-JD when they will take a factor like "football team" seriously, but won't consider retaking for more money or going to a lower ranked school in their target markets when six-figure debt hangs in the balance.

BA414 wrote:Thanks, that's actually a good point and one I've thought of intensely. However, the situation is this: I don't have to go to law school right now, I want to. Yes, criticize my mentality, but I've already decided. Btw: I went up 20 points on the LSAT, and studied for six months (not B.S. studying, but real, real, real studying), so my point is that I don't think I'll benefit from taking a year off.

This sounds like an argument for retaking.

"I don't have to go to law school this year, I just want to."

"I did 20 pts better after 1 retake"

Can you explain this Dean's Grant a bit more? I don't get how it's not a loan if you're expected to pay it back.

If you must choose, I vote for NU.

dwil770 wrote:

BA414 wrote:Thanks, that's actually a good point and one I've thought of intensely. However, the situation is this: I don't have to go to law school right now, I want to. Yes, criticize my mentality, but I've already decided. Btw: I went up 20 points on the LSAT, and studied for six months (not B.S. studying, but real, real, real studying), so my point is that I don't think I'll benefit from taking a year off.

This sounds like an argument for retaking.

"I don't have to go to law school this year, I just want to."

"I did 20 pts better after 1 retake"

Sorry--by "wanting" to go to law school and not "having" to, I meant that it's an informed decision and I know that I'm not in a rush, or that it's necessary, or anything else. It's a real desire to continue learning and become a lawyer, which is what I'd like to do w/ my life for a number of reasons. Hope that explanation makes more sense.

californiauser wrote:Can you explain this Dean's Grant a bit more? I don't get how it's not a loan if you're expected to pay it back.

Sure--it's need-based aid. You receive a yearly award from the university through its general/alumni/friends of the law school fund. It's different from a loan in the sense that you don't have to start making payments on it after graduation and there's no interest, IIRC. It's essentially, to my understanding, a good faith gesture the university makes, knowing you'll pay it back when you can (the official language is that you have a "moral obligation" to pay it back when you're able).

BA414 wrote:

dwil770 wrote:

BA414 wrote:Thanks, that's actually a good point and one I've thought of intensely. However, the situation is this: I don't have to go to law school right now, I want to. Yes, criticize my mentality, but I've already decided. Btw: I went up 20 points on the LSAT, and studied for six months (not B.S. studying, but real, real, real studying), so my point is that I don't think I'll benefit from taking a year off.

This sounds like an argument for retaking.

"I don't have to go to law school this year, I just want to."

"I did 20 pts better after 1 retake"

Sorry--by "wanting" to go to law school and not "having" to, I meant that it's an informed decision and I know that I'm not in a rush, or that it's necessary, or anything else. It's a real desire to continue learning and become a lawyer, which is what I'd like to do w/ my life for a number of reasons. Hope that explanation makes more sense.

That makes even less sense. A "real desire to continue learning" (what) will still be there next year. What could also be there is the chance to go to NU (or somewhere else) for free.

Definitely don't go. This isn't a hard one. My friends from Michigan who got biglaw and borrowed around 200k have serious doubts about whether they made the right call. 240k is that much worse. And from Gerogetown you've got less than a 50/50 shot.

At today's absurd debt levels, acceptances without money are basically soft rejections. That said, I guess NU.

bumping for advice on where to actually go next year (but thanks everyone for being realistic/looking out).

None of the above. If your friend asked you "hey, I'm picking between this ferrari and this lamborgini", your response wouldn't be "ferrari" it would be "WHY ARE YOU SPENDING $200K ON A FUCKING SPORTS CAR?"

You are spending $200K on a fucking sports car.

Look at my other posts. I'm about as pro-debt, pro-attending as it comes on this board, and even I think that attending these schools at this price is unconscionably stupid. I am very happy to be a lawyer, financially stable, and still, your posts are giving me chills.

DO NOT DO THIS. Whatever reasoning has lead to your reasoned decision, it is bad reasoning and you are about to make a horrible, largely irrevocable mistake.

I'd probably take GULC over NU. But don't you dare pay back those "loans" to GTown. LOL at paying like 30k a year for school and them demanding a moral obligation in return.

Please retake. With a 3.8 GPA, a free LSAT opportunity at your fingertips, and the prime of your life about to be in full swing, there is no sensible justification for crippling yourself with more than 200k in debt.

Retake + get work experience. When you're through, you will be better situated in every conceivable regard to begin your legal education.

The Dean's Grant wording is kinda weird, but what I got from it is they want you to donate back so they can offer other need based scholarships at some point. So really, it's no different than any other request for a donation, not binding in any way.