Pitt Full Scholarship vs. Georgetown Full Tuition? Forum

[RS30]

I got accepted to GLCU but I'll have to pay sticker price. No merit/need scholarship.

Also, got accepted to Pitt U with a full ride. Totally free Law school, not a penny.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life working/living on Pittsburgh though. I happen to love DC, and the idea of learning/working there.

Also, I'm not sure I want to work insane hours at biglaw. Government and/or a 9 to 5 lawyer job is more what I'm angling for. Though, I can't knock big law till I've tried it, I'm somewhat adverse to high stress and insane hours or work/overtime. But, I want to make a decent living... And, I love a challenge (and a job which challenges me). So... conflicting desires.

[Biglaw1990]

I got accepted to GLCU but I'll have to pay sticker price. No merit/need scholarship.

Also, got accepted to Pitt U with a full ride. Totally free Law school, not a penny.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life working/living on Pittsburgh though. I happen to love DC, and the idea of learning/working there.

Also, I'm not sure I want to work insane hours at biglaw. Government and/or a 9 to 5 lawyer job is more what I'm angling for. Though, I can't knock big law till I've tried it, I'm somewhat adverse to high stress and insane hours or work/overtime. But, I want to make a decent living... And, I love a challenge (and a job which challenges me). So... conflicting desires.

A government DC might be very difficult to get from Pitt. What are your stats?

[RS30]

I'm a reverse splitter. High GPA, slightly lower LSAT.

[Biglaw1990]

.

[Itwasluck]

You can pm me too. Went to Pitt on full ride and transferred after 1 year. Still very close to a lot of people at Pitt and happy to give you honest answers to whatever you want to know

[Paul Campos]

Sticker at GULC is now $318K debt-financed.

[cron1834]

This is the Platonic form of a retake scenario.

[Roundhill]

It's not going to be fun paying back 300k+ in debt with a government/PI job...

[zot1]

It's not going to be fun paying back 300k+ in debt with a government/PI job...

It's not, but you also don't pay a lot of it because of loan forgiveness and school help.

The biggest problem is that you can't will yourself into a government job. There's just not a lot of government jobs available and a lot of people applying for them. So no one should make law schools plans with the idea that they will get a government job.

That aside, those are not good choices, OP. Retake.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Georgetown w/o $ is just crazy

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Georgetown w/o $ is just crazy

[nosurprises23]

Georgetown w/o $ is just crazy

[oil]

Georgetown w/o $ is just crazy

[acr]

Georgetown w/o $ is just crazy

[Effingham]

I'm a reverse splitter. High GPA, slightly lower LSAT.

There is no such thing as a reverse splitter, I don't understand how people are still using that term. It's just code for making poor decisions.

[rwhyAn]

There are worse decisions than choosing Pitt at a full scholarship. GULC at full tuition would be one of them. Worst case scenario at Pitt is you waste 3 years of your life and rack up some small debt that you are able to pay back. GULC at full tuition has a very strong possibility of ruining your life. $300k+ in debt will make it hard to get married, get loans, have kids, or ever enjoy any luxuries, unless you manage to (1) get the big law job/salary and (2) keep that job (without getting fired, burned out, etc.) long enough to make a big dent in those loans. If you'll enjoy spending the rest of your time on Earth paying back loans so that you can say you graduated from GULC, then go ahead. Just think, when you start repayment, you'll be paying roughly $20k per year in interest alone.

[thexfactor]

I would aim for retake.

However, I think people on this board discount the fact the "career" factor. Your career prospects are maybe 4x as strong out of GT vs Pitt. Yes there is the factor of debt, but the chances of getting big law or a nice government job is a lot higher out of GT. With IBR, at high debt loads, it just becomes a number. If you graduate median from Pitt, you will be likely to not have a job or a job that pays 30-50k. At GT if you graduate median you will have a shot at big law still. Even if you miss the boat and worse case at GT, you will prob get a job that pays 30-50k. With IBR, only about 3-5k comes off each year in terms of loan payments.

I think people are forgetting that for most people, your first job essentially sets the tone for your whole career.

Your upside potential is much higher at GT even with the cost.

[krads153]

There are worse decisions than choosing Pitt at a full scholarship. GULC at full tuition would be one of them. Worst case scenario at Pitt is you waste 3 years of your life and rack up some small debt that you are able to pay back. GULC at full tuition has a very strong possibility of ruining your life. $300k+ in debt will make it hard to get married, get loans, have kids, or ever enjoy any luxuries, unless you manage to (1) get the big law job/salary and (2) keep that job (without getting fired, burned out, etc.) long enough to make a big dent in those loans. If you'll enjoy spending the rest of your time on Earth paying back loans so that you can say you graduated from GULC, then go ahead. Just think, when you start repayment, you'll be paying roughly $20k per year in interest alone.

Second this.

I'd probably reapply, but going to GULC at full price would be life ruining.

[RS30]

Sorry for the delayed response.

In the interim, I was offered $10K/yr scholarship to attend GULC.

Also, I'm out of re-takes.

[Shootin]

I would aim for retake.

However, I think people on this board discount the fact the "career" factor. Your career prospects are maybe 4x as strong out of GT vs Pitt. Yes there is the factor of debt, but the chances of getting big law or a nice government job is a lot higher out of GT. With IBR, at high debt loads, it just becomes a number. If you graduate median from Pitt, you will be likely to not have a job or a job that pays 30-50k. At GT if you graduate median you will have a shot at big law still. Even if you miss the boat and worse case at GT, you will prob get a job that pays 30-50k. With IBR, only about 3-5k comes off each year in terms of loan payments.

I think people are forgetting that for most people, your first job essentially sets the tone for your whole career.

Your upside potential is much higher at GT even with the cost.

I agree with this. GT at sticker might be crazy, but going to a TT with crap employment prospects instead of t-14 is even crazier. Unless of course, you are happy with a 60k job in Pittsburgh.

[RS30]

One extra point: I have an extremely unmarketable degree. As in, I literally can't get a job in any sector outside of law (following law school).

[RS30]

I would aim for retake.

However, I think people on this board discount the fact the "career" factor. Your career prospects are maybe 4x as strong out of GT vs Pitt. Yes there is the factor of debt, but the chances of getting big law or a nice government job is a lot higher out of GT. With IBR, at high debt loads, it just becomes a number. If you graduate median from Pitt, you will be likely to not have a job or a job that pays 30-50k. At GT if you graduate median you will have a shot at big law still. Even if you miss the boat and worse case at GT, you will prob get a job that pays 30-50k. With IBR, only about 3-5k comes off each year in terms of loan payments.

I think people are forgetting that for most people, your first job essentially sets the tone for your whole career.

Your upside potential is much higher at GT even with the cost.

I agree with this. GT at sticker might be crazy, but going to a TT with crap employment prospects instead of t-14 is even crazier. Unless of course, you are happy with a 60k job in Pittsburgh.

No. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Pittsburgh. /pray.