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I'm really struggling deciding between the two. I'm getting similar scholarship (each about 3/4s) but my Gtown offer is half financial aid and will go away 3rd year if I get biglaw 2L Summer. Is Gtown biglaw outcomes considerably better than WashU? Is Gtown worth 60k more than Washu? Help.

Where do you want to work? What type of Biglaw interests you?

When you say GULC is half financial aid and will go away 3rd year, what exactly does that mean? And what are your COA at both schools?

GULC gives you a better opportunity for Biglaw generally, but even that should caveat that neither gives you better than a 50% of Biglaw.

Your goals matter here, and your COA matters very much. Flesh out the those two things before ever expecting quality advice on the better option.

Where do you want to practice? Unless you really want to work for a 3-letter agency in DC or a unicorn PI job, G-Town is not worth the extra 60k. The difference in BL+clerkship placement btw the two schools is negligible.

UVA2B wrote: When you say GULC is half financial aid and will go away 3rd year, what exactly does that mean?

She's talking need-based aid, I take it.

Rigo wrote:

UVA2B wrote: When you say GULC is half financial aid and will go away 3rd year, what exactly does that mean?

She's talking need-based aid, I take it.

Fair assumption, I almost entirely gloss over need-based aid when it's not HYS since that's all they do. But there are so many other questions that need to be answered before any decision makes sense.

snowball17 wrote:Where do you want to practice? Unless you really want to work for a 3-letter agency in DC or a unicorn PI job, G-Town is not worth the extra 60k. The difference in BL+clerkship placement btw the two schools is negligible.

I wouldn't call 10+% negligible.
Georgetown is a better school with better outcomes. Not saying that is worth $60k more, but it might be to some people.

UVA2B wrote:

Rigo wrote:

UVA2B wrote: When you say GULC is half financial aid and will go away 3rd year, what exactly does that mean?

She's talking need-based aid, I take it.

Fair assumption, I almost entirely gloss over need-based aid when it's not HYS since that's all they do. But there are so many other questions that need to be answered before any decision makes sense.

Yeah Georgetown is actually surprisingly fairly generous when it comes to need aid, or at least they have been anecdotally.

Rigo wrote:

snowball17 wrote:Where do you want to practice? Unless you really want to work for a 3-letter agency in DC or a unicorn PI job, G-Town is not worth the extra 60k. The difference in BL+clerkship placement btw the two schools is negligible.

I wouldn't call 10+% negligible.
Georgetown is a better school with better outcomes. Not saying that is worth $60k more, but it might be to some people.

WUSTL released their unofficial 2016 employment numbers during ASW, over 40% biglaw placement. I would definitely take that number with a grain of salt, but I really don't think there is a 10% difference btw the two schools.

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snowball17 wrote:

Rigo wrote:

snowball17 wrote:Where do you want to practice? Unless you really want to work for a 3-letter agency in DC or a unicorn PI job, G-Town is not worth the extra 60k. The difference in BL+clerkship placement btw the two schools is negligible.

I wouldn't call 10+% negligible.
Georgetown is a better school with better outcomes. Not saying that is worth $60k more, but it might be to some people.

WUSTL released their unofficial 2016 employment numbers during ASW, over 40% biglaw placement. I would definitely take that number with a grain of salt, but I really don't think there is a 10% difference btw the two schools.

I was going off of the c/o 2015 data since that's all I have access to. That's quite an improvement if true.

I'm not sure where I would like to work but I currently have no interest in government/PI. Half is need-based, sorry for not being more specific. Would you say that Gtown has a considerably better alumni network? Would career advancement be easier as a Gtown grad than a WashU grad? If new outcomes for WashU are true and considering I want to work in BigLaw is WashU the better option considering COA?

JordanLaw15 wrote:I'm not sure where I would like to work but I currently have no interest in government/PI. Half is need-based, sorry for not being more specific. Would you say that Gtown has a considerably better alumni network? Would career advancement be easier as a Gtown grad than a WashU grad? If new outcomes for WashU are true and considering I want to work in BigLaw is WashU the better option considering COA?

If the rumored data is true, then WUSTL for cheaper could make sense if geographically you'd prefer to end up in the Midwest more than likely. It all depends on your goals for geographic placement. And don't worry about the alumni network, because your work experience will likely play a much larger role in any future employment opportunities after the first job than any perceived alumni network difference. Focus on the data for the first job, build your career from there.

JordanLaw15 wrote:I'm not sure where I would like to work but I currently have no interest in government/PI. Half is need-based, sorry for not being more specific. Would you say that Gtown has a considerably better alumni network? Would career advancement be easier as a Gtown grad than a WashU grad? If new outcomes for WashU are true and considering I want to work in BigLaw is WashU the better option considering COA?

How is half your aid need based? Georgetown gives you the higher amount of what you received-merit or need based- you don't get to keep both

Ive seen the most recent employment data, but I'm pretty skeptical of the idea that WUSTL and GULC are peer schools in the eyes of big law firms.

Anecdotally it seems like a median Georgetown student bidding NYC is better shape than someone median at WUSTL.

jlc058 wrote:

JordanLaw15 wrote:I'm not sure where I would like to work but I currently have no interest in government/PI. Half is need-based, sorry for not being more specific. Would you say that Gtown has a considerably better alumni network? Would career advancement be easier as a Gtown grad than a WashU grad? If new outcomes for WashU are true and considering I want to work in BigLaw is WashU the better option considering COA?

How is half your aid need based? Georgetown gives you the higher amount of what you received-merit or need based- you don't get to keep both

You get to use both if the merit aid is an opportunity scholarship.

hegotmoneyyyyy wrote:

jlc058 wrote:

JordanLaw15 wrote:I'm not sure where I would like to work but I currently have no interest in government/PI. Half is need-based, sorry for not being more specific. Would you say that Gtown has a considerably better alumni network? Would career advancement be easier as a Gtown grad than a WashU grad? If new outcomes for WashU are true and considering I want to work in BigLaw is WashU the better option considering COA?

How is half your aid need based? Georgetown gives you the higher amount of what you received-merit or need based- you don't get to keep both

You get to use both if the merit aid is an opportunity scholarship.

Oh gotcha great deal. If you got your merit aid before need based can you ask for it to be turned into an opportunity scholarship?

jlc058 wrote:

hegotmoneyyyyy wrote:

jlc058 wrote:

JordanLaw15 wrote:I'm not sure where I would like to work but I currently have no interest in government/PI. Half is need-based, sorry for not being more specific. Would you say that Gtown has a considerably better alumni network? Would career advancement be easier as a Gtown grad than a WashU grad? If new outcomes for WashU are true and considering I want to work in BigLaw is WashU the better option considering COA?

How is half your aid need based? Georgetown gives you the higher amount of what you received-merit or need based- you don't get to keep both

You get to use both if the merit aid is an opportunity scholarship.

Oh gotcha great deal. If you got your merit aid before need based can you ask for it to be turned into an opportunity scholarship?

I'm not sure. I got my need based first and during the first round of merit scholarships I was told I wasn't getting any and to assume I won't at all. Then a few weeks later they emailed me offering merit and said it was an opportunity scholarship so I could combine the two. It doesn't hurt to ask though!

hegotmoneyyyyy wrote:

jlc058 wrote:

hegotmoneyyyyy wrote:

jlc058 wrote:

JordanLaw15 wrote:I'm not sure where I would like to work but I currently have no interest in government/PI. Half is need-based, sorry for not being more specific. Would you say that Gtown has a considerably better alumni network? Would career advancement be easier as a Gtown grad than a WashU grad? If new outcomes for WashU are true and considering I want to work in BigLaw is WashU the better option considering COA?

How is half your aid need based? Georgetown gives you the higher amount of what you received-merit or need based- you don't get to keep both

You get to use both if the merit aid is an opportunity scholarship.

Oh gotcha great deal. If you got your merit aid before need based can you ask for it to be turned into an opportunity scholarship?

I'm not sure. I got my need based first and during the first round of merit scholarships I was told I wasn't getting any and to assume I won't at all. Then a few weeks later they emailed me offering merit and said it was an opportunity scholarship so I could combine the two. It doesn't hurt to ask though!

cool thanks I had no idea this even existed!

Does the need-based portion go away if you land biglaw in the second Summer?