Georgetown Law Student Taking Q's Forum

[NotHereMuch]

A little about me:

LSAT 169, GPA 3.73. Not an URM.
Started law school when I was 28.
Went to a big public university for undergrad.
I worked for about 7 years before starting law school.
I am not going the Big Law route (per my choice), though I did do on-campus interviews.

I'll update this as commonly asked questions appear.

[Hipster but Athletic]

What was the student body's reaction to the murder of Mark Waugh? Did you ever meet him?

[NotHereMuch]

I never met him. He was a 1L and I'm a 3L, so we didn't have any classes together.

I'm sure it hit his section (about 90 students) the hardest. The Dean sent out an email breaking the news to the student body and offering support resources.

[scifiguy]

A little about me:

LSAT 169, GPA 3.73. Not an URM.
Started law school when I was 28.
Went to a big public university for undergrad.
I worked for about 7 years before starting law school.
I am not going the Big Law route (per my choice), though I did do on-campus interviews.

I'll update this as commonly asked questions appear.

i.) Your numbers seem good enough to have possibly gotten you into other T14's. Did you have other acceptances you were deciding amongst in the T14? If so, what swayed you towards GULC?

ii.) I have heard the faculty at GULC is stellar. What are you own impressions?

iii.) What is the student culture like there?

iv.) What lessons did you learn your first year (and beyond) that you would want to impart to others who may attend law school?

v.) GULC's biglaw placement is lower than the typical T14 percentages. Are many at GULC not interested in the biglaw route?

vi.) I imagine the COL there is quite high. Is there any way around this from what you know?

vii.) What do you wish to do with your law degree? Have your goals changed at all from pre-law school to law school?

Thanks very much for doing this and have a nice one!

[Kellanj]

Thanks for doing this!

I've heard that GULC is pretty stingy with scholarships. Of course this will only be anecdotal, but are a lot of people you know attending at sticker price? Have you heard of anyone successfully negotiating with other offers to increase their financial aid package?

Also I'm interested in pursuing BigGov, do you have any knowledge on how Georgetown places in government positions?

[NotHereMuch]

i.) Your numbers seem good enough to have possibly gotten you into other T14's. Did you have other acceptances you were deciding amongst in the T14? If so, what swayed you towards GULC?

I didn't just blanket the T14 as there were some schools that just didn't make sense given my interests. Georgetown was always my top choice, but it came down to a close call between GULC and Michigan. I applied to Michigan because of a fee waiver and only really did research on it after I was admitted with a scholarship ($15K/year). Everyone only had great things to say about it, it would have cost a little less, and it was higher ranked ... but, alas, my heart was at Georgetown. It came down to a few factors. 1) The professors. I don't think you can beat Georgetown when it comes to profs with significant real world experience. 2) DC. I wanted to live in DC. 3) When I asked my adult lawyer friends (ie, partners), they said the rankings don't matter at that point and that I should go to Georgetown.


ii.) I have heard the faculty at GULC is stellar. What are you own impressions?

LOVE the faculty. I am constantly amazed at who is teaching, especially the adjuncts. We have the best of the best come in to teach after their day jobs end for the day.

iii.) What is the student culture like there?

I've been pleased. Everyone in my section was nice. I haven't dealt with overly competitive assholes. It's large enough that you'll find people with shared interests. I haven't noticed the snobby attitudes the school has a reputation for having (at least not in the law school ... the undergrad is another story).

iv.) What lessons did you learn your first year (and beyond) that you would want to impart to others who may attend law school?

Hmmm... Life is going to go on even if you don't get the grade you want. Take advantage of opportunities to network and find mentors! Go up to panelists and ask if you can meet them for coffee and pick their brains. Often they'll say yes.

v.) GULC's biglaw placement is lower than the typical T14 percentages. Are many at GULC not interested in the biglaw route?

Yes. A lot aren't interested in BigLaw. I'm not interested in BigLaw. A ton of us want to work in the public sector and Georgetown does a great job or nurturing that desire.

vi.) I imagine the COL there is quite high. Is there any way around this from what you know?

DC has a great metro system. You can live further away and commute in. That will save you a significant amount each month.

vii.) What do you wish to do with your law degree? Have your goals changed at all from pre-law school to law school?

I'm going to go into government/political work after I graduate. I pretty much knew that before I started, though I got a little caught up in the idea of BigLaw my first semester of 1L. I've developed an interest in national security law because of classes at GULC. I wasn't expecting that.

[NotHereMuch]

I've heard that GULC is pretty stingy with scholarships. Of course this will only be anecdotal, but are a lot of people you know attending at sticker price? Have you heard of anyone successfully negotiating with other offers to increase their financial aid package?

I would agree that they are stingy with scholarships. That said, they have a great LRAP. People have definitely negotiated for scholarships -- I did. I recommend trying that route.

Also I'm interested in pursuing BigGov, do you have any knowledge on how Georgetown places in government positions?

I think it would be hard to find a better school for "BigGov," and I'm including HYS in that statement. Georgetown is imbedded in government offices, with a lot of governmental leaders also teaching here. Plus, you can get internships during the school year to gain more hands on experience and make more contacts.

[anubis1911]

Why is georgetown's bar passage rate below the average of other T16 schools?also, are there a lot of students who go from Georgetown to firms in Texas?

[NotHereMuch]

Why is georgetown's bar passage rate below the average of other T16 schools?also, are there a lot of students who go from Georgetown to firms in Texas?

I'm not sure why we have a lower bar passage rate. I actually didn't even know that was the case. The only thing I can think of is we may have a number of people who are taking the bar without actually NEEDING to take it. For instance, those going into certain non-lawyer government positions ...

[Kool-Aid]

Can you speak to placement in Texas from GULC? I imagine few people target Texas from there, but I'm interested to know how difficult it would be to get there.

[NotHereMuch]

I can't speak much to Texas, though I would expect that if you have good grades and some sort of connection to the state, you'll do fine.

Edit: I want to add one more thought. One of the (many) advantages of having such big classes is Georgetown alumni are everywhere -- including Texas. Hustle a little and it will work out. That goes for any market, really.

[desiballa21]

Do you have a job lined up? Know how many do in fed or state government? What kind of options do GULC grads have for going into state/fed government outside of the ultra competitive federal honors programs?

[NotHereMuch]

Do you have a job lined up? Know how many do in fed or state government? What kind of options do GULC grads have for going into state/fed government outside of the ultra competitive federal honors programs?

I'm actually staying a semester longer to get a joint degree, so I haven't been trying to line up a job yet since it's still a little early for me.

I don't know exact numbers of students going into state or federal government work. I assume those numbers would be available through the Office of Public Interest Career Services (OPICS). As far as available options, you have three years of going to school in the heart of the federal government. Many of the profs had (or have) leadership positions. You can intern for different government entities for three years, if you want. And you're going to school at the #1 game in town. The school isn't going to hand you a job, but they're there for the taking if you apply yourself.

[buttes]

Can you speak to placement in Texas from GULC? I imagine few people target Texas from there, but I'm interested to know how difficult it would be to get there.

GULC above median, from Texas, had about 3 Texas screeners at OCI that turned into 2 callbacks. I applied mostly in DC, and when I got an offer I declined my Texas callbacks. 2/3 screener -> callback is pretty good, but just to balance anecdotes I have a friend who targeted Texas exclusively with no bites. No clue what his stats were.

[BmoreOrLess]

How's going to school there entering at 28? I may be doing the same next year.

[Kool-Aid]

Can you speak to placement in Texas from GULC? I imagine few people target Texas from there, but I'm interested to know how difficult it would be to get there.

GULC above median, from Texas, had about 3 Texas screeners at OCI that turned into 2 callbacks. I applied mostly in DC, and when I got an offer I declined my Texas callbacks. 2/3 screener -> callback is pretty good, but just to balance anecdotes I have a friend who targeted Texas exclusively with no bites. No clue what his stats were.

Do you know if he had ties to Texas? Also, thanks for taking questions NotHere and buttes.

[ZipWhenSheMoves]

Thanks so much for doing this! I just got my acceptance today from Georgetown! I know it's a wonderful school, and it's good to hear your resounding approval of the faculty. My question- I hear from others who've gone there that students as a whole work themselves to death and are general unhappy with their lives. Obviously this is not everyone, and obviously law school in general is always going to be extremely difficult and time-consuming. I'm not looking to party for three years of course, but I do value a student body that, while there to try their hardest and give it their all, are also looking to embrace some balance in their lives and maintain their emotional health. Have you found that Georgetown has this "misery culture" that I've heard others describe, or are they speaking for a small portion of the student body? (it sounds like you, at least, have been very happy there!)

[desiballa21]

Thanks so much for doing this! I just got my acceptance today from Georgetown! I know it's a wonderful school, and it's good to hear your resounding approval of the faculty. My question- I hear from others who've gone there that students as a whole work themselves to death and are general unhappy with their lives. Obviously this is not everyone, and obviously law school in general is always going to be extremely difficult and time-consuming. I'm not looking to party for three years of course, but I do value a student body that, while there to try their hardest and give it their all, are also looking to embrace some balance in their lives and maintain their emotional health. Have you found that Georgetown has this "misery culture" that I've heard others describe, or are they speaking for a small portion of the student body? (it sounds like you, at least, have been very happy there!)

So far from misery culture.. so, so far. I mean, everyone works but it's not misery and people go out quite a bit. (1L here)

[yankeesjn]

I found this employment chart and I wanted to know what your opinion is.

http://www.law.georgetown.edu/careers/o ... ry-6-5.pdf

According to this, 314 (332-18) (You will see this written out below the charts) GULC students in the class of 2012 were able to secure employment that pays over 100k salary. Given that there were 626 students in the class of 2012, this means that more than half of Georgetown students graduating in 2012 had starting salaries that were over 100k. Most people believe that there are also many more students who obtain public interest positions by choice, who very well could be taking the 100k salary type jobs instead. So, if we take this chart and the information with it to be fact, the percentage of students who graduated Georgetown in 2012 who obtained "desirable" employment (by almost anyone's standards) is notably over 50%, (probably more like something in the 60's?).

What do you think?

Thanks a lot!

[hichvichwoh]

Thanks so much for doing this! I just got my acceptance today from Georgetown! I know it's a wonderful school, and it's good to hear your resounding approval of the faculty. My question- I hear from others who've gone there that students as a whole work themselves to death and are general unhappy with their lives. Obviously this is not everyone, and obviously law school in general is always going to be extremely difficult and time-consuming. I'm not looking to party for three years of course, but I do value a student body that, while there to try their hardest and give it their all, are also looking to embrace some balance in their lives and maintain their emotional health. Have you found that Georgetown has this "misery culture" that I've heard others describe, or are they speaking for a small portion of the student body? (it sounds like you, at least, have been very happy there!)

So far from misery culture.. so, so far. I mean, everyone works but it's not misery and people go out quite a bit. (1L here)

Another GULC student here, and I think this is pretty accurate. Everyone works, but it's not suffering (except as it gets close to finals).

[ZipWhenSheMoves]

Thanks so much for doing this! I just got my acceptance today from Georgetown! I know it's a wonderful school, and it's good to hear your resounding approval of the faculty. My question- I hear from others who've gone there that students as a whole work themselves to death and are general unhappy with their lives. Obviously this is not everyone, and obviously law school in general is always going to be extremely difficult and time-consuming. I'm not looking to party for three years of course, but I do value a student body that, while there to try their hardest and give it their all, are also looking to embrace some balance in their lives and maintain their emotional health. Have you found that Georgetown has this "misery culture" that I've heard others describe, or are they speaking for a small portion of the student body? (it sounds like you, at least, have been very happy there!)

So far from misery culture.. so, so far. I mean, everyone works but it's not misery and people go out quite a bit. (1L here)

Another GULC student here, and I think this is pretty accurate. Everyone works, but it's not suffering (except as it gets close to finals).

Thank you both for your responses; that's great to hear. I was also wondering if you have any information/thoughts on why Georgetown's clerkship percentages are low compared to other similar schools...is this just because fewer students are interested in being clerks? Or is it just an area that the school isn't strong in?

Thanks!

[linkx13]

tg for later read, but I will have questions for sure. thanks for post OP

[snapdragon25]

tg for later read, but I will have questions for sure. thanks for post OP

+1

I swear I'm not stalking you, linkx

[hambones12]

Hello,

Thank you so much for your help! I am applying to Georgetown this cycle and it is my first choice. My LSAT was a 169 and GPA was 3.6. I graduated from a top public school in 2011, and have been working in government since then. Decent extracurriculars/recs.

It seems like general opinion would be for me to apply to Georgetown regular decision to see if I can get money, but it doesn't seem like they're particularly generous with scholarships and I don't think that my numbers guarantee me admission to GULC, let alone aid. Should I apply ED? I feel the same way as you - that I even if I got into a higher-ranked school that offered me money, I would rather go to Georgetown at sticker price.

Thoughts/advice?

Thanks again!
Haley

[linkx13]

Hello,

Thank you so much for your help! I am applying to Georgetown this cycle and it is my first choice. My LSAT was a 169 and GPA was 3.6. I graduated from a top public school in 2011, and have been working in government since then. Decent extracurriculars/recs.

It seems like general opinion would be for me to apply to Georgetown regular decision to see if I can get money, but it doesn't seem like they're particularly generous with scholarships and I don't think that my numbers guarantee me admission to GULC, let alone aid. Should I apply ED? I feel the same way as you - that I even if I got into a higher-ranked school that offered me money, I would rather go to Georgetown at sticker price.

Thoughts/advice?

Thanks again!
Haley

So you aren't considering ANY other schools?

Also, this poster (unfortunately) has not been around for AWHILE now