Non-trad URM T14$$$ vs. strong regional for free Forum

[180kickflip]

...

[transferror]

BU for free.

Your career goals are kind of broad and generic, but I doubt my vote would change no matter your career goals. Minimizing risk (mainly debt) is important b/c you have a family. Your wife's career is a factor and plays into the "risk" category. BU gives you a shot at your current goals and having no debt gives you a huge safety net if you strike out. The main downside to BU is limited geographic flexibility, but you want to be in Boston and have roots there so it's not a big deal.

[trebekismyhero]

Normally I would say take NU or Berkeley with that amount of scholarship. But with a family in Boston, the safer bet is BU. Might not get the same exact results, but you won't have debt and won't uproot your family.

[KMart]

Normally I would say take NU or Berkeley with that amount of scholarship. But with a family in Boston, the safer bet is BU. Might not get the same exact results, but you won't have debt and won't uproot your family.

+1. Downside is your goal likelihood decreases, but it's a defensible call.

[Mack.Hambleton]

I would NOT go to BU with those goals.

[LawsRUs]

OP, what kind of work experience do you have?

[Skool]

Without a family, B.

I'm not sure I could really comment though since only you are in a position to know what's best for your wife and child. For instance, is your child school aged? Does y'all's family being close by provide advantages? I just don't know, op.

[180kickflip]

OP, what kind of work experience do you have?

[LawsRUs]

180KF, are child care expenses and 30k in savings accounted for in choices #2 and #3? Did you negotiate with Michigan, Berkeley, Gtown, or NU against UVA and BU and you explained your situation to them about having to take care of your kid and SO would have to relocate if you don't attend BU?

[180kickflip]

180KF, are child care expenses and 30k in savings accounted for in choices #2 and #3? Did you negotiate with Michigan, Berkeley, Gtown, or NU against UVA and BU and you explained your situation to them about having to take care of your kid and SO would have to relocate if you don't attend BU?

Choices 2 and 3 are only showing the scholy amounts, so they wouldn't change with savings/expenses. They were final though.

[LawsRUs]

180KF, are child care expenses and 30k in savings accounted for in choices #2 and #3? Did you negotiate with Michigan, Berkeley, Gtown, or NU against UVA and BU and you explained your situation to them about having to take care of your kid and SO would have to relocate if you don't attend BU?

Choices 2 and 3 are only showing the scholy amounts, so they wouldn't change with savings/expenses. They were final though.

Thanks for clarifying. I mistook them as COA. While people can give you more accurate advice if you calculate the full COA amounts, going to BU would put you at a better place if you strike out imo. Good luck, and congrats on getting the full scolly.

[redsoxfan1989]

Not sure why you say you want to work in Boston but also say you want fedgov. There simply aren't fedgov positions for graduating law students in Boston.

[chuckbass]

I would NOT go to BU with those goals.

[180kickflip]

Not sure why you say you want to work in Boston but also say you want fedgov. There simply aren't fedgov positions for graduating law students in Boston.

[landshoes]

Georgetown, but give your wife the opportunity to find a new job before she relocates. So you move for school, you commute home weekends or she visits weekends until she gets a job and can relocate. You're close to fedgov in DC so you can do school year internships.

Ultimately, your wife's opinion matters the most here. She might be aghast at the plan I described above or she might be thrilled. Divorces are expensive and time-consuming; avoiding one is usually a good career move.

[Glasseyes]

Georgetown, but give your wife the opportunity to find a new job before she relocates. So you move for school, you commute home weekends or she visits weekends until she gets a job and can relocate. You're close to fedgov in DC so you can do school year internships.

Ultimately, your wife's opinion matters the most here. She might be aghast at the plan I described above or she might be thrilled. Divorces are expensive and time-consuming; avoiding one is usually a good career move.

As someone in a ridiculously similar situation (rising 2L at Georgetown, also 10 years out of UG with a wife and kid), I would say GULC is your best bet to pursue your particular FedGov goals (though this depends if you're talking about ultra-elite Honors programs or just working at some random agency). But I also completely agree with the 2nd paragraph above, in that this largely boils down to what your wife thinks. "Happy wife=happy life" is utterly cliche but entirely true, at least in my experience. If you wanted Biglaw, I'd probably say Berkeley (Michigan is probably better than GULC, technically speaking, but starting to sound like more and more of a GULC-style crapshoot); but the proximity and availability of all things govt does make GULC a pretty logical choice for you, and at that price, it's not unreasonable. Keep in mind that DC is seriously expensive, even compared to Boston, so calculate the probable increase in rent when you do the overall tally.

Other observations from someone who just lived what you're about to experience: plan on having zero time to parent for (at least) your first year. Literally zero, since getting a job matters more than anything, and getting the job you want (vs the one you happen to get) requires killer grades pretty much everywhere, which requires a lot of goddamn work. I can't speak to the workload elsewhere, but GULC will absolutely crush you 2nd semester when you jump up to 17 credits. This is important to keep in mind as you consider leaving your family network and support system. My wife and mother-in-law did basically all the parenting, but even still you'll want to chip in here and there, or lose an hour out of the day to spend with your kid; I found there to be a constant tension between being a less-than-terrible parent in the present and wanting to ultimately provide for the family down the road. As the amount of help increases (we had more help 1st semester; far less in the 2nd), I felt like less of a terrible parent and was able to put more time into my studies, and my grades reflected that from first to second semester. Only you know your own family situation, but definitely consider the mechanics of parenting while trying to do an insane amount of work.

No matter where you go: good luck!