George Washington 2L Taking Questions Forum

[GWc/o2017]

I've seen a few of these threads for other schools, but not one for GW. Happy to answer any questions that 0L's and 1L's may have.

[FSK]

I'm a 3L, and I'll also take Qs

[xspider]

I'm a 0L. Assuming no higher than median. What are my employment opportunities looking like?

I am an AA male as well. I hear plenty anecdotes of success on T14 URMs, but not much from T20.

[GWc/o2017]

It really depends what your employment goals are. If you are big law or bust and are sitting at median going into OCI (end of 1L summer), its going to be very, very difficult for you (unless, of course, you have some personal connection strings you can pull). That being said, there are a lot of GW law grads in DC doing public policy, public interest, and small to medium firm work, so not being in the top 15% is not a death sentence by any means. One of the best parts about GW is that you have all of DC at your fingertips during the school year. Being able to intern at a public policy organization or a gov. agency can give you experience that students at other schools only get during 1L or 2L summer. My point being that "median" at GW is only part of the equation that will determine your employment possibilities. As to your second inquiry, I'm not sure how being a URM will affect employment possibilities with a median GPA at GW.

[boslaw56]

Post Removed.

[GWc/o2017]

Not a big GW Deli fan. I stick to Au Bon Pain, Chiptole, and Dunkin,and then whole foods pizza when I want to splurge.

[dudders]

Not a big GW Deli fan. I stick to Au Bon Pain, Chiptole, and Dunkin,and then whole foods pizza when I want to splurge.

ABP is gross.
Bacon egg and cheese at GW Deli is the shit.

[xspider]

@2GWc/o2017

Thanks a ton for the advice. I wouldn't say I'm big law or bust, but that is the main objective.

Do you recommend living at Aston for the first year? Or any housing advice in general?

[WestWingWatcher]

@2GWc/o2017

Thanks a ton for the advice. I wouldn't say I'm big law or bust, but that is the main objective.

Do you recommend living at Aston for the first year? Or any housing advice in general?

I think URM in top 35% has a pretty good chance from what I've seen. Not sure about median.

No thoughts on Aston because I didn't live there, but I do know that if you calculate what the monthly rent would be compared to housing you could get elsewhere, its pretty ridiculous (at least it was when I compared when I was considering it). You should be able to get something in Foggy Bottom for 1,500-1,700 (which is cheaper than the Aston last time i looked) that is pretty nice.

[GWc/o2017]

@2GWc/o2017

Thanks a ton for the advice. I wouldn't say I'm big law or bust, but that is the main objective.

Do you recommend living at Aston for the first year? Or any housing advice in general?

I did not live in the Aston, but did spend a good amount of time there with friends. Simply put, the Aston is ok. The facilities are fine, the rooms are fine, and the furniture provided is typical freshman year of college stuff (twin bed). You can get better bang for your buck else where in DC, but you will have to put in the work. I spent a solid week doing nothing but scanning through craigslist and looking at apartments before I found a place I liked close to school. However, the Aston is definitely the easier option, especially for students who will be moving to DC from far away and do not have much time to come to DC and look for a place. The Aston is also quite expensive and you only have the apt until mid-May after your 1L year, it is not a 1 year lease. The one big benefit is that you are surrounded by a lot of people all going to school together, so you will make a lot of friends pretty quickly. That's not to say you are at a disadvantage in getting to meet people if you choose to live on your own, it's just that it is a tad bit easier to socialize with people right from the start of school. The Aston is also close[ish] to school, but there are plenty of places even closer and cheaper. I had a few friends who lived at the Empire Apts. on F street, right behind school and really liked it.

[xspider]

Thanks a bunch for answering my questions everyone.

Lastly, I am sure there is a bit of self-selection, how difficult is it for GW students to attain employment in California?

I assume big law is going to be the only way most people will get CA unless they have connections and/or ties.

[GWc/o2017]

I did not apply for SA positions in Ca, so I'm not the best one to speculate on this. But, while I have a few friends who are going to LA and Palo Alto, they are the exception and not the rule. GW had two OCI interview programs out in Cali and each had only 4 (I think) employers recruiting at each. GW is not a school that is going to place large numbers in Cali without some serious networking and research on the individual student's part. If you are dead set on California, I'd recommend looking at schools out there. While regular GW OCI had firms come that had offices in CA, it seemed as though the hiring needs for Ca offices (except for the CA headquarter based firms) is quite small. And some of the more "medium" size firms are not going to be coming to GW OCI. If you are interested in IP work, the situation might be a little different. It seemed like all my IP friends were getting interviews all over the country (including CA) during pre-OCI and OCI.

[xspider]

I did not apply for SA positions in Ca, so I'm not the best one to speculate on this. But, while I have a few friends who are going to LA and Palo Alto, they are the exception and not the rule. GW had two OCI interview programs out in Cali and each had only 4 (I think) employers recruiting at each. GW is not a school that is going to place large numbers in Cali without some serious networking and research on the individual student's part. If you are dead set on California, I'd recommend looking at schools out there. While regular GW OCI had firms come that had offices in CA, it seemed as though the hiring needs for Ca offices (except for the CA headquarter based firms) is quite small. And some of the more "medium" size firms are not going to be coming to GW OCI. If you are interested in IP work, the situation might be a little different. It seemed like all my IP friends were getting interviews all over the country (including CA) during pre-OCI and OCI.

Gotcha, thanks a ton and everyone else that helped

[zozo1717]

Thanks for taking questions! I'm currently considering both GWU and GT (accepted at both, $$ offer from GWU). I'm looking to do patent/IP - undergrad in EE/CE/CS - and do either big law or potentially IP boutique type work. I also have five years work experience at a major engineering company. Do students at GWU fare pretty well in hiring with an IP background?

[4for44]

Asking for a friend who doesn't have an account:
I saw on the academic calendar that there is a week set aside for 1L Mid-Terms and "1L Fall Recess." Do most classes have midterms, and what do most people do with that recess?

[GWc/o2017]

Thanks for taking questions! I'm currently considering both GWU and GT (accepted at both, $$ offer from GWU). I'm looking to do patent/IP - undergrad in EE/CE/CS - and do either big law or potentially IP boutique type work. I also have five years work experience at a major engineering company. Do students at GWU fare pretty well in hiring with an IP background?

I'm not an IP person, but I have a number of friends who are. There is a very large IP community at GW and most tend to fair pretty well, but I can't speak specifically about it. The one thing I have seen about the IP community at GW is that they do an amazing job of promoting students and getting students in contact with employers (whether it be informational meetings, cocktail parties, or hiring events), much more so than the non-IP community at GW.

[GWc/o2017]

Asking for a friend who doesn't have an account:
I saw on the academic calendar that there is a week set aside for 1L Mid-Terms and "1L Fall Recess." Do most classes have midterms, and what do most people do with that recess?

1L's have one midterm in Civ Pro in the Fall semester. The other 1L classes do not. It's worth 15% of the grade and is only 1 hour. It has very little effect on your final grade and is really just in place to give 1L's a taste of what a law school final is like. The 1L midterm is usually on the Tuesday of 1L Fall Recess and then you have off until the Monday of the next week. Some people go home, others go on a quick vacation, and others just stay at school and study.

[4for44]

Asking for a friend who doesn't have an account:
I saw on the academic calendar that there is a week set aside for 1L Mid-Terms and "1L Fall Recess." Do most classes have midterms, and what do most people do with that recess?

1L's have one midterm in Civ Pro in the Fall semester. The other 1L classes do not. It's worth 15% of the grade and is only 1 hour. It has very little effect on your final grade and is really just in place to give 1L's a taste of what a law school final is like. The 1L midterm is usually on the Tuesday of 1L Fall Recess and then you have off until the Monday of the next week. Some people go home, others go on a quick vacation, and others just stay at school and study.

Hey- thanks for the response! This is super helfpul.

[AnAardvarkEatsAnts]

Hello,
I got accepted to George Washington Law a few days ago and I am really excited. : )
I was wondering if you had any information about housing?
Where do most students live their first year?
Do you know of any students who commuted to school (from Baltimore)?
Is this plausible?
Thank you !

[trulytorn]

Is GW at sticker price a defensible decision for someone seeking Big Law who won't need to take on any debt to go to law school (family financed)?

[GWc/o2017]

Hello,
I got accepted to George Washington Law a few days ago and I am really excited. : )
I was wondering if you had any information about housing?
Where do most students live their first year?
Do you know of any students who commuted to school (from Baltimore)?
Is this plausible?
Thank you !

Most students live in Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle. There are also a fair amount who live in Virginia along the blue orange and silver lines, which make the commute to school pretty easy. There are a number of apartment buildings in Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle with websites advertising availability. I found my place through craigslist, which took some time, but I think was worth it. There is also Gw housing at the Aston (see above discussion). I have heard about 1 student living in Baltimore, but I would advise against it. It's a pretty long commute and as a 1L you really want to use your time wisely. Spending an hour or more communing each day is a huge waste of time.

[GWc/o2017]

Is GW at sticker price a defensible decision for someone seeking Big Law who won't need to take on any debt to go to law school (family financed)?

It's hard to give you a solid answer without more info. Are you Big Law or bust? In what city are you looking to do Big Law? GW is very feast or famine. The top 20% fairs pretty well at OCI, but nothing is guaranteed. After that, things become more of a toss up. Many people will say that any school at sticker is not worth it, but if your family has the money to send you at sticker and you are comfortable making that commitment, then it doesn't matter if that is a "bad choice" in someone else's mind. The one thing I would point out is that DC is an expensive city. While tuition is somewhere around $54K a year, tuition + COL is closer to $80K a year. If you google search GW Law 2015 509 form, it should give you info on what percentage of students get a partial scholarship and for how much. That information might help you decide if GW at sticker is worth it. I'm not sure how many people pay sticker, but I have a feeling that GW gives out a lot of partial scholarships.

[CousinBo]

I've seen a few of these threads for other schools, but not one for GW. Happy to answer any questions that 0L's and 1L's may have.

Are you happy with your overall decision?

GW has one of the biggest class sizes for a top 20 school, is that something you considered before going there? And now that you are there, is it still a something you think about?

[GiveMeLiberty]

Thanks for taking questions! I'm currently considering both GWU and GT (accepted at both, $$ offer from GWU). I'm looking to do patent/IP - undergrad in EE/CE/CS - and do either big law or potentially IP boutique type work. I also have five years work experience at a major engineering company. Do students at GWU fare pretty well in hiring with an IP background?

2L here. GW is pretty strong for IP. I'm not in IP, but they have a lot of opportunities for IP-focused students. There's an IP journal, and IP moot court competition each year, plenty of IP classes, an IP student group, etc. Being in DC, there are lots of opportunities for internship and externship for IP students, as well as the Easter nudist of VA and Federal Circuit Court, where most of the IP stuff happens. Also a lot of IP firms in DC that come to OCI, so if you want IP Biglaw, there's definitely plenty of chances for that.

[GWc/o2017]

I've seen a few of these threads for other schools, but not one for GW. Happy to answer any questions that 0L's and 1L's may have.

Are you happy with your overall decision?

GW has one of the biggest class sizes for a top 20 school, is that something you considered before going there? And now that you are there, is it still a something you think about?

Yes and no. I was very happy during 1L (or at least as happy as one can be during 1L) and had a good deal of success despite the large class size. The large class size did not bother me at first and was not something that, when I was choosing schools, I thought would really impact my law school experience. But now I realize how hard it has been to grow personal relationships with professors. I've had many professors announce on the first day of class (for large classes) that they are not going to know anyone's name and won't bother to try learning them. If you are outgoing and dedicated to putting in extra effort by going to office hours, then this isn't so much of a concern. But for your average student, its a bit difficult. The large class size also means there are a lot of students to compete against for top grades, skills boards, LR, etc., so in some ways the "rat race" is even worse at GW. That being said, the large class size also means that there will be a lot of students who have a harder time than you will and give you some cushion on the curve. In sum, I'm not a big fan of the large class size (the class size actually gets larger after 1L once transfers come), but I don't think the large class size is reason enough to turn down GW.