ASU ($$$) vs GULC (Sticker) Forum

[BobbyWarz]

ASU Total COA - $65915
Georgetown Total COA - $294000
GPA 3.07 LSAT 170 (taken once. Retake is not an option).

Will be financing almost entirely with loans, although my parents have offered to pay any interest on my loans while I am in school. From Canada, but I have a small amount of family ties in both Fairfax, VA and in Phoenix. Would be happy in both DC or Phoenix in so far as work, although my parents are intending to retire to phoenix eventually. No significant interest in doing BigLaw for an extended period of time, would prefer government work most likely. Greater interest in opening my own firm one day. Work experience is in immigration, degree is in business. Areas of law that interest me are criminal or immigration, international trade, m&a or tax law. I've been throwing this back and forth quite a bit lately and I'm really not sure what my best option is in this situation.

[The Dark Shepard]

ASU seems fine here. GULC is a non-starter at that debt.

[UpandDown97]

ASU Total COA - $65915
Georgetown Total COA - $294000
GPA 3.07 LSAT 170 (taken once. Retake is not an option).

Will be financing almost entirely with loans, although my parents have offered to pay any interest on my loans while I am in school. From Canada, but I have a small amount of family ties in both Fairfax, VA and in Phoenix. Would be happy in both DC or Phoenix in so far as work, although my parents are intending to retire to phoenix eventually. No significant interest in doing BigLaw for an extended period of time, would prefer government work most likely. Greater interest in opening my own firm one day. Work experience is in immigration, degree is in business. Areas of law that interest me are criminal or immigration, international trade, m&a or tax law. I've been throwing this back and forth quite a bit lately and I'm really not sure what my best option is in this situation.

People are going to tell you not to go to law school. Be ready.

[hasangsu]

Bobby,

Given your situation. No interest in Big Law, no real interest in Corporate Law or federal government. I would say go to ASU since you will save money get a good education and since your parents want to retire in Arizona then you will be nearby and able to help them out or see them regularly. Take the $$$ ASU seems like the best option here to me.

[BobbyWarz]

ASU Total COA - $65915
Georgetown Total COA - $294000
GPA 3.07 LSAT 170 (taken once. Retake is not an option).

Will be financing almost entirely with loans, although my parents have offered to pay any interest on my loans while I am in school. From Canada, but I have a small amount of family ties in both Fairfax, VA and in Phoenix. Would be happy in both DC or Phoenix in so far as work, although my parents are intending to retire to phoenix eventually. No significant interest in doing BigLaw for an extended period of time, would prefer government work most likely. Greater interest in opening my own firm one day. Work experience is in immigration, degree is in business. Areas of law that interest me are criminal or immigration, international trade, m&a or tax law. I've been throwing this back and forth quite a bit lately and I'm really not sure what my best option is in this situation.

People are going to tell you not to go to law school. Be ready.

I'm aware. Not interested in that. Just gonna ignore those ones. More interested in an honest discussion between the two schools - particularly taking into account GULC's LRAP too. Should have mentioned that.

[UpandDown97]

Bobby,

Given your situation. No interest in Big Law, no real interest in Corporate Law or federal government. I would say go to ASU since you will save money get a good education and since your parents want to retire in Arizona then you will be nearby and able to help them out or see them regularly. Take the $$$ ASU seems like the best option here to me.

Agreed on this. Immigration is probably good practice in Arizona.

If you can ace tax or similar area, you can probably find a good job regardless since it's an in-demand area given that not a lot of people understand it.

[transferror]

Friends don't let friends do GULC at sticker
That COA is ok for ASU and your endgame is non-biglaw in Phoenix, so go for it.

Don't know much about GULCs LRAP but I can tell you that rolling a $300k dice on the fact that you'll be PI dedicated for ten years is a bad idea. Especially b/c you're interested in immigration/opening up shop/something similar, you could probs use the freedom that comes with small debt.

[Gray]

.

[usn26]

Yeah, go ASU.

LRAP is nice to have if you're forced into it, but you're banking on thirteen (fourteen?) straight years of the government not significantly altering the IBR/PSLF program, & that if/when they do they won't screw current borrowers. You have to ask yourself if you feel confident of the politics of massive government bailout program that benefits high-wage-potential earners from elite law schools. You might want to consider whether you'd feel the same way if it was 25 years instead of 10. You'd like to think they'd grandfather these programs, but who knows.

[BobbyWarz]

2 things - did you applied for need-based aid from GULC and get nothing? That's a calculation based on your income and parents' income that has nothing to do with numbers.

Also I have pretty similar numbers and got some merit $$ from them - have you tried to ask for a merit scholarship?

Applied to need-based, got zippo. That much was expected. Was a little disappointed with the lack of merit scholarship from GULC but I've exhausted that option as well. I REALLY liked GULC. Its just a lot of money.

[BigZuck]

Is there any issue getting a government job as a Canadian citizen? I really don't know how that works. You can't clerk, right? (I think that's what I heard)

[Gray]

.

[krads153]

Is there any issue getting a government job as a Canadian citizen? I really don't know how that works. You can't clerk, right? (I think that's what I heard)

Yeah you can't work for fed gov basically...

[BobbyWarz]

Is there any issue getting a government job as a Canadian citizen? I really don't know how that works. You can't clerk, right? (I think that's what I heard)

I'm Dual! Never lived in the US. But I have access to all that jazz. So that's good news.

[Gray]

.

[Winston1984]

ASU seems fine here. GULC is a non-starter at that debt.

[twenty]

While GULC has a very good LRAP, the best LRAP is the one where you don't have any debt at all. Your interests and goals are kind of all over the place, but short of a strong desire to work in biglaw, ASU seems like the clear winner here. Get your parents to pay the amount in interest they would have paid on your GULC debt towards your principal + interest on your ASU debt.

[hearsay77]

ASU seems fine here. GULC is a non-starter at that debt.

[Internetdan]

believe dat.

[CanadianWolf]

ASU is the easy answer in your situation. Approximately $300,000 of non-dischargeable student loan debt is too much of a burden for one to carry.

In the US, criminal law & immigration law often involve the same client. (Typically, the immigration issue arose after the accused was charged with a crime.) Overwhelming for many attorneys who prefer to stay in just one of the disciplines, but for one experienced in both fields it can bring in a lot of clients. However, if your familiarity is just with Canadian immigration issues, then you may not have any significant knowledge or experience that would be beneficial to your clients facing deportation from the US .

Regardless of what the right answer may be, Georgetown at sticker is clearly the wrong answer.

[cron1834]

Not GULC.