Is GULC at a 90k discount worth it? Forum

[PDX4343]

I know TLS has some strong (not so good) feelings about GULC. But I want to know what people would do in my scenario.

Relevant info:

- I am patent bar eligible with a BS in CS so I plan on getting into IP biglaw.
- Due to having a SO who I can't ask to fly around the country with me, I need to live in a market that I can SA in.
- In order to be safe about this, that pretty much limits me to going to a school in either NY / DC / or maaybe LA because of ties to Cali. (born and raised)
- I have a 173 / 3.4, so there's a decent chance I could get either C or N at or very close to sticker, but probably won't get B because of my GPA
- Another option would be UCLA if they came through with a big scholly.

Or..(cue the point of this thread)

I could go to GULC at a discount. Say for the purpose of this thread and my decision making process, I were to receive $90k total from GULC. (which I think is entirely possible with a little negotion.)

The latest GULC LST score report says they are putting a little over 40% of their grads into biglaw, which isn't very good, but it's not as bad as it had been.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard that IP eligible students have an edge when it comes to OCI, which makes me feel a bit better about that 40% .
I'm thinking that in this rare scenario GULC at a discount might be the best option.

So what does everyone think? Would you go to GULC at a 90k discount over N or C at sticker in my situation? If not, what amount of money would make you pick GULC? What do people think about UCLA at a big discount? Thanks for the advice!

(Disclaimer: This thread is a bit premature since I won't be applying until next cycle, but my SO will be applying to grad schools soon and needs to know what cities she should be targeting.)

[AC Vegas]

Too speculative. Scholarships for a 3.4 are too hard to predict. In the scenario you propose it wouldnt be crazy to choose g but it seems unlikely that gulc will be your best option.

[PDX4343]

Fair enough. Thanks for the response.

[Nebby]

Anecdotal, from what I can tell via this forum there are a lot of folks that self-select PI and opt out of OCI/BigLaw altogether at GULC. With your CS background and getting good grades 1L you'll have very little of a problem getting an SA/offer. Unless you do one of these things: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=229338

[PDX4343]

Thanks that's what I was hoping to hear.

That thread is great btw.

[InTheHouse]

I am patent bar eligible with a BS in CS so I plan on getting into IP biglaw.

Does that mean you want to go into prosecution and not litigation? The advice you get will depend on what path you want to take. As someone who had similar numbers and wanted to go into prosecution, I took the money went to UCLA. There's no good reason to pay out the nose for law school with those numbers if you want to do prosecution.

p.s: Things might have changed, but I wouldn't be so sure about getting $90k from GULC. I got more money from NU and Michigan.

[DELG]

I am patent bar eligible with a BS in CS so I plan on getting into IP biglaw.

Does that mean you want to go into prosecution and not litigation? The advice you get will depend on what path you want to take. As someone who had similar numbers and wanted to go into prosecution, I took the money went to UCLA. There's no good reason to pay out the nose for law school with those numbers if you want to do prosecution.

p.s: Things might have changed, but I wouldn't be so sure about getting $90k from GULC. I got more money from NU and Michigan.

With a strong background for it, GULC is a pretty safe option for DC IP lit.

But I would be surprised if OP's cycle is as predictable as he hopes it will be.

[PDX4343]

Yeah this is definitely a bit of wishful thinking, but I've been curious about GULC for awhile now and wanted to know if this was a good idea in principle or not. Also to whom it may concern I'm primarily interested in going into lit.

[PDX4343]

I am patent bar eligible with a BS in CS so I plan on getting into IP biglaw.

Does that mean you want to go into prosecution and not litigation? The advice you get will depend on what path you want to take. As someone who had similar numbers and wanted to go into prosecution, I took the money went to UCLA. There's no good reason to pay out the nose for law school with those numbers if you want to do prosecution.

p.s: Things might have changed, but I wouldn't be so sure about getting $90k from GULC. I got more money from NU and Michigan.

I would possibly be interested in NU depending on how much $$ they came through with. I guess it just depends on how my cycle plays out.

[DELG]

IMO, with a strong IP background, all the t14s are a fairly safe bet for biglaw based on how the IP lit hiring market is now. So if 90k off would be comfortable from Penn or Columbia, it should be comfortable from GULC. You can't eat prestige; other schools are only "worth more" to the extent they improve your odds and your odds are already good.

Now if the bottom fell out of the IP lit market or something...

[kcdc1]

FWIW, those numbers are likely to win scholy $$ at NU if you have WE or if you do well in the interview.

[PDX4343]

Good to hear. I'm really not that privy on the state of the IP lit employment market right now, although I have read a few threads on here that seem to think that the IP 'boom' could be slowing down. Know if there's any truth to that? Specifically curious about the demand for CS backgrounds (for obvious reasons).

[DELG]

FWIW, those numbers are likely to win scholy $$ at NU if you have WE or if you do well in the interview.

Since when does the interview impact scholly money?!

At any rate, PDX, you're going to need to apply to a lot of schools, so you get money offers, so you have leverage. So do that and come back when you have your offers. Nothing about this hypo matters for decision-making today.

[bk1]

You can't just live apart from your wife for 10 weeks during the summer and then have her move with you after school?

[rayiner]

The IP boom is slowing down. Wilmer laid off a bunch of IP litigators. I don't think the bottom fell out, but I know people who had a rough time getting an IP lit job with a CS degree. That said, 3.4/174 should have options. GULC is okay, but they usually don't give enough money to justify taking them over Cornell or NU.

[twenty]

If your options are this or sit out, I'd do GULC.

edit> didn't realize OP didn't actually have this option yet. probably ED to GWU.

[JustMe83]

Doesn't GWU have a well-regarded IP program? You could probably get a full scholarship if you waited next till next cycle and applied ED, and I've heard there's pretty close to full placement for IP grads

[Crowing]

I think GULC for IP at that cost is worth it, but I wouldn't speculate on any amount of aid from GULC which is notoriously stingy and unpredictable.

[A. Nony Mouse]

You can't just live apart from your wife for 10 weeks during the summer and then have her move with you after school?

I wondered this, too.

[dabigchina]

I could go to GULC at a discount. Say for the purpose of this thread and my decision making process, I were to receive $90k total from GULC. (which I think is entirely possible with a little negotion.)

I'm not sure if the central premise of your post is sound. GULC is notoriously stingy with scholarship money. This, coupled with its large class size is why people accuse it of being run like a TTT.

[BigZuck]

I'm also wondering why the OP thinks he/she will get 90K at GULC

[InTheHouse]

Doesn't GWU have a well-regarded IP program? You could probably get a full scholarship if you waited next till next cycle and applied ED, and I've heard there's pretty close to full placement for IP grads

No.

[Elston Gunn]

You can't just live apart from your wife for 10 weeks during the summer and then have her move with you after school?

Yeah. Doing this currently. It sucks, but it's 10 weeks, man.

[PDX4343]

To those questioning why I think I can get a 90k scholly, I clearly stated that this was a hypothetical intended only to to gauge the overall sentiment on these boards of GULC. Yes GULC is is stingy when it comes to scholarship help, but if you look at mylsn's GULC scholarship graph you'll see that candidates with numbers similar to mine have been pulling close to, or at 90k. I definitely am not banking on getting that much (or anything) from GULC, but it was a number that I felt if I were about to get it, might make GULC worth it.

To those saying I should just leave my SO for the duration of my SA I think that this might be TCR here. I actually didn't realize that SA's were only 10 weeks so that would make it a lot easier.

Thanks everyone for the advice though, this has definitely helped!

[DELG]

You can't just live apart from your wife for 10 weeks during the summer and then have her move with you after school?

Yeah. Doing this currently. It sucks, but it's 10 weeks, man.

My husband and I lived in different cities for 5 months. While I was pregnant/had a newborn.

Plus lots of people who try to get their SA in a particular city fail to do so any end up in some other city. Depending on what the COAs end up being, some buttercups may need to suck it up.