stay at gw or go to gulc? Forum

[zuluwarriors]

i was just admitted EA to GULC and really like DC and would love to stay in the city for law school. with that being said, i probably eventually want to return to the west coast (either right after graduation or after practicing in DC for a few years). i have around a 3.8 right now at GW (although I just BOMBED my contracts exam so its probably going down) and am an engineer.

even if i did potentially have a shot at Columbia/NYU (i.e. i didn't bomb this semester), i must prefer DC over NYC and can't see myself living in or practicing in NYC.

anyways, what do you guys think? also, would firms think its strange that i'm interested in IP and transferring out of GW to GULC? i'm not sure how i'd be able to explain that one except that GULC has a more national reach...

[270910]

i was just admitted EA to GULC and really like DC and would love to stay in the city for law school. with that being said, i probably eventually want to return to the west coast (either right after graduation or after practicing in DC for a few years). i have around a 3.8 right now at GW (although I just BOMBED my contracts exam so its probably going down) and am an engineer.

even if i did potentially have a shot at Columbia/NYU (i.e. i didn't bomb this semester), i must prefer DC over NYC and can't see myself living in or practicing in NYC.

anyways, what do you guys think? also, would firms think its strange that i'm interested in IP and transferring out of GW to GULC? i'm not sure how i'd be able to explain that one except that GULC has a more national reach...

Well... it's a fairly lateral move, and GW might actually position you better if you have some contacts and relationships with the profs. 3.8 closes in on the upper crust of the top of the class, the point where you start seeing access to choice prizes no matter what school you go to.

If you get HYS, or maaaaybbbe even CCN, jumping ship could help your future prospects and you'd get more employers at OCI. For any other jump, you might want to ride out GW. It's a good enough school that at the top of the class you're going to be taken seriously anywhere and for any jobb.

No worries re: IP and switching GW to GULC. Speciality rankings are a crock of shit. GW can be 'good at IP' all day and all night, no rational human would choose it over georgetown prior to going to law school (absent a truck full of cash) and no rational lawyer will question your more for that reason.

Keep in mind: firms aren't dumb, so if you (say) have a 3.82 at GW or a 3.82 at Goergetown, the only real difference for the purposes of on campus interviews will be the #of employers attending and the bidding process. No firm in the country is going to say "WELL I SAY, I wouldn't have hired this gentleman and his 3.82 from GW but now that he will not be returning he seems top flight!" What might happen is access to more firms at OCI and/or different protocol for getting bids - and of course you'll have the degree attached to your name for the rest of your career, which is a big factor.

The big spoiler: If you make LR at GW, I wouldn't give it up except for HYS or maaaaaybe CCN. LR is the great equalizer, LR + top flight GPA makes up for a whole lot us U.S. News points.

[nealric]

The main issue is going to be which firms show up and how many bids you will get. It may be that GULC will get you interviews at certain firms you won't get a GW. Either way, you are in good shape.

Thought of using GULC admission to leverage scholarship money?

[270910]

Thought of using GULC admission to leverage scholarship money?

My understanding is that this doesn't work at basically any tier 1 school, unfortunately. Never hurts to try though (casually... I'm sure trying to blackmail financial aid wouldn't go over too well).

[zuluwarriors]

thanks for your replies!

i'm operating under the assumption that i won't make LR because i wasn't happy at all with my journal competition entry.

one of the main reasons i applied to transfer was i think GULC may give me better access to my home secondary, west-coast market. none of the firms there recruit much out of the local market and through direct mailing this year, i felt that the firms wern't very familiar with gw (had several people ask "why did you go to gw?" "oh, they're good for IP? i did not know that...").

i guess i'm just trying to see if there is any way that transferring may be detrimental (assuming i won't be giving up a LR position). ive read some horror-story threads on here regarding transfers and OCI...

[270910]

one of the main reasons i applied to transfer was i think GULC may give me better access to my home secondary, west-coast market.

Smart and accurate.

Most transfer horror stories represent the tragic combination of being top of the class at a tier 2 or lower school, transferring to a T14 school, and the economy collapsing. Several anecdotes actually suggest upper Tier 1 (T25, T20, lower T14) transfers to upper T14 schools did fine.

It reinforces the idea that where you spent your first year isn't irrelevant if you transfer. Since you're at GW now, you're firmly in the 'can't lose' territory. Prudential considerations (re-location, firms coming to OCI, relationships (with professors, friends, SOs, family, etc), your sense of adventure, etc.) are probably chief given your status.

[bwv812]

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[zuluwarriors]

i think the opportunities (at least in DC) for someone with a 3.8 at GULC and GW are pretty similar... although I have heard of a number of people on law review here who struck out at fall OCI (i don't know the situation is any different at GULC). i'm pretty sure i won't make law review and im not sure what my gpa will be this semester

however, in terms of applying to jobs in my home secondary market (either right out of law school or after a few years of working in DC), i assume that GULC will look better than GW just because more people will have probably heard of Georgetown.

i'm mainly worried because i'm friends with several 2L who had transferred to GW (from schools between 50-100) who did well at their pre-transfer schools and got nothing from OCI here.

[bwv812]

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[yabbadabbado]

Any employment problems related to ITE are going to be similar at both of those schools in your situation.

When you transfer, your 3.8 at GW (or whatever you have at the end of this semester) is still going to be on your resume and that's what employers are likely going to focus on. If you jump ship to GULC or elsewhere, you're basically getting better nationwide name recognition and more access to employers.

I doubt GW will cough up $ for you to stay but it's worth a shot.

If you can make law review at GW, I'd think about staying, unless you can transfer higher than GULC. Then again, if you do make law review and then transfer, the fact that you made law review will look good on your resume. So, it might be a wash. This only works if you could find out about LR at GW before you actually enroll at GULC or some other school...I have no idea how LR at GW works. Basically, employers looking at transfers at the fall 2L recruiting stage are more concerned about whether you made LR, not that you will continue to be an LR member.

It may sound weird, but people transfer from GW to GULC all the time. Look at the transferapps yahoo group.

[mpasi]

GULC has the better reputation, and the neighborhood is much nicer. No Metro stop, but you can walk over from Foggy Bottom. I think you'd have more options there. Doesn't GW cost more?

[bwv812]

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[mpasi]

GULC has the better reputation, and the neighborhood is much nicer. No Metro stop, but you can walk over from Foggy Bottom. I think you'd have more options there. Doesn't GW cost more?

GW is foggy bottom.

I said that. Note the "...you can walk over from Foggy Bottom", as in, the Metro stop since there isn't one for G-town. And I really like the Georgetown neighborhood. Not as happening as Adams Morgan or U St, but the shops and restaurants are nice. :/ No need to be an ass over something so trivial.

[jack duluoz]

I don't have an answer for u, but congrats on your dilemma.

[apper123]

GULC has the better reputation, and the neighborhood is much nicer. No Metro stop, but you can walk over from Foggy Bottom. I think you'd have more options there. Doesn't GW cost more?

AFAIK GULC is about 5 mins from union station

it is not on the main gtown campus

[smartin]

GULC has the better reputation, and the neighborhood is much nicer. No Metro stop, but you can walk over from Foggy Bottom. I think you'd have more options there. Doesn't GW cost more?

GW is foggy bottom.

I said that. Note the "...you can walk over from Foggy Bottom", as in, the Metro stop since there isn't one for G-town. And I really like the Georgetown neighborhood. Not as happening as Adams Morgan or U St, but the shops and restaurants are nice. :/ No need to be an ass over something so trivial.

The GULC is not on main campus. It's over by Union Station, closer to NE than the G'town neighborhood.