Georgetown Class of 2015 Forum

[volsi]

I know when it comes to skirts/dresses, formal dress code generally means it must be knee length but since no dress code is specified here would it be out of place to wear a shorter one? Im not sure how formal this thing is, really ..

I was told business casual by admissions. It's not that formal. I'll be in pants, FWIW.

[Sandrew]

The ask a law student threads for GULC seemed to be kind of dead, so I was wondering if Volsi/hipster or any other current students could answer my question. I was wondering if you, or anyone you knew, chose GULC over higher ranked schools, specifically NYU, Penn, or Mich, and why you chose it, and if you are happy with the choice. TLS tends to be kind of anti-GULC, but when I visited I made a pretty strong emotional connection and really loved it. I just don't know if that connection really outweighs the better job prospects coming out of NYU.

I'm a 1L who chose GULC over NYU and Columbia. Honestly, it mostly came down to an outside factor for me--i.e. my wife took a job in DC. That said, I considered as an alternative to defer for a year or two and take NYU with $90k. But GULC's placement in my field of interest being comparable to NYU's and their scholarship offer tilted the balance in its favor.

[Sammy841]

So everyone says GULC offers comparable need-based aid to HYS. What are we thinking their max would be assuming you and your folks have very low income of course?

[swtlilsoni]

It was nice meeting you volsi!!

[46nyc]

The ask a law student threads for GULC seemed to be kind of dead, so I was wondering if Volsi/hipster or any other current students could answer my question. I was wondering if you, or anyone you knew, chose GULC over higher ranked schools, specifically NYU, Penn, or Mich, and why you chose it, and if you are happy with the choice. TLS tends to be kind of anti-GULC, but when I visited I made a pretty strong emotional connection and really loved it. I just don't know if that connection really outweighs the better job prospects coming out of NYU.

I'm a 1L who chose GULC over NYU and Columbia. Honestly, it mostly came down to an outside factor for me--i.e. my wife took a job in DC. That said, I considered as an alternative to defer for a year or two and take NYU with $90k. But GULC's placement in my field of interest being comparable to NYU's and their scholarship offer tilted the balance in its favor.

Thanks for the advice everyone. NYU is out but I'm visiting the others in the next two weeks and I think that'll really help me decide too.

[dannyde7]

It was nice meeting you volsi!!

What did you guys think of the event?

[volsi]

It was nice meeting you volsi!!

It was great to meet you too! Glad we were able to chat.

My reactions:
Dean Bailin gave the same speech he gives every year about Above the Law, it was funny. Overall, I thought it was nice - I drank 2 glasses of wine, talked to a bunch of people. I thought that with the exception of two really snively dudes who were being rude during the speakers, everyone was smart, thoughtful. I got asked good questions.

[dannyde7]

It was nice meeting you volsi!!

It was great to meet you too! Glad we were able to chat.

My reactions:
Dean Bailin gave the same speech he gives every year about Above the Law, it was funny. Overall, I thought it was nice - I drank 2 glasses of wine, talked to a bunch of people. I thought that with the exception of two really snively dudes who were being rude during the speakers, everyone was smart, thoughtful. I got asked good questions.

Yeah, I liked the speeches and Dean Cornblatt seemed really nice and down to earth. One thing that troubled me was an associate who mentioned she works 100-110/week, was miserable from work, and said Georgetown was super competitive. Sorry we missed each other. I was the dude wearing green pants so maybe you saw me.

[swtlilsoni]

It was nice meeting you volsi!!

It was great to meet you too! Glad we were able to chat.

My reactions:
Dean Bailin gave the same speech he gives every year about Above the Law, it was funny. Overall, I thought it was nice - I drank 2 glasses of wine, talked to a bunch of people. I thought that with the exception of two really snively dudes who were being rude during the speakers, everyone was smart, thoughtful. I got asked good questions.

Yeah, I liked the speeches and Dean Cornblatt seemed really nice and down to earth. One thing that troubled me was an associate who mentioned she works 100-110/week, was miserable from work, and said Georgetown was super competitive. Sorry we missed each other. I was the dude wearing green pants so maybe you saw me.

Oh I saw you! I think I was the only Indian girl there you probably saw me

[dannyde7]

It was nice meeting you volsi!!

It was great to meet you too! Glad we were able to chat.

My reactions:
Dean Bailin gave the same speech he gives every year about Above the Law, it was funny. Overall, I thought it was nice - I drank 2 glasses of wine, talked to a bunch of people. I thought that with the exception of two really snively dudes who were being rude during the speakers, everyone was smart, thoughtful. I got asked good questions.

Yeah, I liked the speeches and Dean Cornblatt seemed really nice and down to earth. One thing that troubled me was an associate who mentioned she works 100-110/week, was miserable from work, and said Georgetown was super competitive. Sorry we missed each other. I was the dude wearing green pants so maybe you saw me.

Oh I saw you! I think I was the only Indian girl there you probably saw me

I did! Too bad we didn't chat-- I never get to talk to as many people at these things as I would like.

[holden147]

Accepted and couldn't be happier. My LSAT is below median but my gpa is at the 75% percentile. GULC is my dream school and I'm hoping I receive need-based aid. I'm interested in public interest/human rights issues so the thought of $180k in debt, even with the LRAP, is terrifying.

I'll be visiting next week, so I'm excited to see the city, the school, and hopefully some of you!

Congrats fellow admits.

[smcphils]

Can someone please post some of the most popular/best apartments for Gtown law students. I'd love some input from current students!

[volsi]

It was nice meeting you volsi!!

It was great to meet you too! Glad we were able to chat.

My reactions:
Dean Bailin gave the same speech he gives every year about Above the Law, it was funny. Overall, I thought it was nice - I drank 2 glasses of wine, talked to a bunch of people. I thought that with the exception of two really snively dudes who were being rude during the speakers, everyone was smart, thoughtful. I got asked good questions.

Yeah, I liked the speeches and Dean Cornblatt seemed really nice and down to earth. One thing that troubled me was an associate who mentioned she works 100-110/week, was miserable from work, and said Georgetown was super competitive. Sorry we missed each other. I was the dude wearing green pants so maybe you saw me.

I did see you, sorry we didn't chat. I was wearing a short sleeve silk dark pink blouse, I was probably the only person in that color.

Hm. I didn't meet that associate, but I do wonder why she came (and how she had the time if she works 100 a week).

[dannyde7]

It was nice meeting you volsi!!

It was great to meet you too! Glad we were able to chat.

My reactions:
Dean Bailin gave the same speech he gives every year about Above the Law, it was funny. Overall, I thought it was nice - I drank 2 glasses of wine, talked to a bunch of people. I thought that with the exception of two really snively dudes who were being rude during the speakers, everyone was smart, thoughtful. I got asked good questions.

Yeah, I liked the speeches and Dean Cornblatt seemed really nice and down to earth. One thing that troubled me was an associate who mentioned she works 100-110/week, was miserable from work, and said Georgetown was super competitive. Sorry we missed each other. I was the dude wearing green pants so maybe you saw me.

I did see you, sorry we didn't chat. I was wearing a short sleeve silk dark pink blouse, I was probably the only person in that color.

Hm. I didn't meet that associate, but I do wonder why she came (and how she had the time if she works 100 a week).

She was going back to work afterward lol

[Witt]

Anybody else going to the Denver admitted student reception?

[TLSModBot]

Can someone please post some of the most popular/best apartments for Gtown law students. I'd love some input from current students!

I can't speak as an experience Georgetown student (I'm an incoming 1L myself), but as someone who's lived all around the District for a decade and is engaged to someone employed by Georgetown Law, here's my take:

Overall, it's best if you have a roommate. Studios and 1-Room places start at a high price, but the jump to 2 and 3 bedrooms is very minor considering you'll be splitting the cost. Also, it depends what your primary motivations are: cost of the place, amount of space, or proximity to the Law School? I've never lived in walking distance to Georgetown Law, so my suggestions start at the 15 minute commute level and go up (though 15 minutes is not that bad considering I've got an hour commute to work every day):

Takoma Park: Quite close to the Law School, it's a 15 minute commute by metro and there are a bunch of apartment complexes right by the metro station. Overall, it's a beautiful suburban area with an active community, very liberal and family-friendly. I lived around there for 4 years and it's very affordable with a range of places from small apartments to entire houses. The one downside is that there isn't much going on in Takoma Park nightlife-wise, but A. what social life will we realistically have anyway and B. that's what the rest of DC is for. I HIGHLY recommend this area overall.

Silver Spring: One stop away from Takoma Park is Silver Spring. There are more apartment complexes so you have more choice overall, and the area has a little more of a 'city-feel' than Takoma Park. There's more going on here in terms of bars/restaurants/shopping, and is a teensy bit farther from the law school than Takoma Park (say 20 minutes commute max)

Rockville/Shady Grove: All the way on the other end of the Red Line Metro is where I currently live, and I'm actually pretty psyched about being here. It's an hour commute to the law school, but there's a bunch of great housing right near the metro and it is big and affordable. I have a two-story townhouse (shared with a fiance and two dogs), and it's fantastic - there's parking, we get a lot of room for all of our clutter, and there's plenty of shopping and restaurants for those brief moments in which we get to have some non-work life. For those coming to school right out of undergrad, this might be a rougher adjustment, but anyone who has dealt with a daily commute anyway will love Rockville.

Living in DC proper: Experiences will vary depending on exactly where in the District you live, but the commutes are quicker and there's a lot of housing that's actually in walking distance. You will not likely get a lot of space unless you are prepared to pay for it. Actually, even if you are not planning for a lot of space you will still be paying for it. I lived in Tenleytown, which was a nice area, and I've had plenty of friends in Dupont and Adams Morgan where all the night-life youthful-type action is, but have never lived right near the law school, so take this section with a grain of salt.

Living in Virginia along the western Blue/Orange/Yellow Line: I've lived in Falls Church briefly and it's very similar to Takoma but with a less-involved community and much farther away. Other parts along the Blue/Orange line strike me as very similar to my points on Silver Spring above but are all a bit farther of a commute to Georgetown. Overall I recommend sticking to the Red Line when considering a place to live but I'm probably biased on that point. There are some really lovely, spacious, and affordable options out towards Virginia, but the commute will be comparable to the Rockville/Shady Grove area.

Hope this helps!

[smcphils]

very helpful, thanks a lot!

[clarion]

Just checking in and thought I'd express my gratitude to you current students who took the time to answer questions here. Probably 80% certain (if not more) that I'll be at GULC, so it was nice to find some substantiated comments attesting to the quality of the school Maybe I'll be seeing some of you guys in the fall!

[ktsai4]

Anybody going to the event in San Diego in April? i think 4/3? or the event on 4/16 in LA?

[holden147]

So I visited and loved the campus and the people. GULC is my #1 choice right now and my most likely destination. I've been looking for apartments in the $1100 range and it seems impossible to find a decently reviewed place (I've looked in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and all around). I guess I'll just have to suck it up and try to get a roommate somehow. I figured finding someone in a town I've never lived in, combined with the fact that I'm from the midwest would make it plenty hard to find a roommate, but I guess I'll go to Craigslist or something.

Apartment hunting is stressful lol. Does anyone have recommendations of specific apartments they lived in? Most people suggest neighborhoods but from everything I've been able to find, the well-reviewed places are in the 2.5-3k range, which is way out of my range.

[volsi]

So I visited and loved the campus and the people. GULC is my #1 choice right now and my most likely destination. I've been looking for apartments in the $1100 range and it seems impossible to find a decently reviewed place (I've looked in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and all around). I guess I'll just have to suck it up and try to get a roommate somehow. I figured finding someone in a town I've never lived in, combined with the fact that I'm from the midwest would make it plenty hard to find a roommate, but I guess I'll go to Craigslist or something.

Apartment hunting is stressful lol. Does anyone have recommendations of specific apartments they lived in? Most people suggest neighborhoods but from everything I've been able to find, the well-reviewed places are in the 2.5-3k range, which is way out of my range.

I live in a studio in SW for 1250 a month, including utilities. My recommendation to all of you is to use a broker. They only cost 40 dollars, because they take their commission out of rent, not out of a fee you pay. Makes it much easier and gets you access to places you wouldn't otherwise.

[holden147]

So I visited and loved the campus and the people. GULC is my #1 choice right now and my most likely destination. I've been looking for apartments in the $1100 range and it seems impossible to find a decently reviewed place (I've looked in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and all around). I guess I'll just have to suck it up and try to get a roommate somehow. I figured finding someone in a town I've never lived in, combined with the fact that I'm from the midwest would make it plenty hard to find a roommate, but I guess I'll go to Craigslist or something.

Apartment hunting is stressful lol. Does anyone have recommendations of specific apartments they lived in? Most people suggest neighborhoods but from everything I've been able to find, the well-reviewed places are in the 2.5-3k range, which is way out of my range.

I live in a studio in SW for 1250 a month, including utilities. My recommendation to all of you is to use a broker. They only cost 40 dollars, because they take their commission out of rent, not out of a fee you pay. Makes it much easier and gets you access to places you wouldn't otherwise.

Thank you for the advice. I think that $40 is definitely going to be worth it if they can find me a place to live, especially in the $1250 range, which would be great.


Also, I've been searching for apartments and if anyone is looking for a roommate please let me know. I'm a laid back guy, like to cycle and be outdoors, and am looking for a roommate who is not a party animal and is easy to get along with. I'm coming from Ohio and am not big on the bar/party scene. I'll go out every now and then, but it's not my thing I guess. If anyone is interested in a roommate, PM me and we can talk over Facebook or something.

[swtlilsoni]

So whose going to the open house next week

[organicchemistry]

.

[dannyde7]

So whose going to the open house next week

I'll be there.