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SO.

Here's my exciting news in a nutshell:

I applied to the last cycle. I was accepted at three mediocre schools, denied from two really great schools, and wait-listed at three great schools. I ultimately decided to wait a year before going to law school. It would give me an opportunity to get some work experience, retake the LSATs, and actually get into a school that I would really want to attend. Because of this, I have been able to stay on the wait-lists at these schools without committing to any others.

Today I got a call from George Washington saying that a spot had opened up and that they were very impressed with my application.

I guess I'm writing on here because I'm looking for some advice from those who know the process of applying to law schools. I had been pretty set with the idea of not going to law school this year, but I think it would be pretty crazy not to take this opportunity. I had a pretty mediocre LSAT (160) and I can't be sure that I would be able to improve my LSAT enough that I could ever get into GW (or a school of equal caliber) again. On the other hand, I moved all the way from Michigan to California for a pretty exciting job, so moving to DC in a few weeks would be a pretty stunning and expensive change.

So, I guess my question is:

Would I be absolutely crazy to pass this up?

I am assuming you got into GW with no scholarship money. That being said, congrats on the acceptance to GW. However, trying to move from Cali to DC in three weeks is pretty daunting, and paying sticker to GW plus cost of living in DC is going to leave you with 200k+ debt. I don't really know how the rest of your application looked, so I guess it comes down to really how much you think you can improve on your LSAT. What are your career goals and where do you want to live, and what did your GPA/softs look like?

I can tell you one thing, it will not be easy to find decent housing on such short notice.

Too expensive without scholarship money. The cost of relocating again in such a short period of time combined with high housing & tuition costs make GWU an unwise choice for you at this time.

It would be incredibly stressful trying to move again (not to mention costly). You're excited about this job opportunity, so you should go for and try it out. Law school will still be there in a year or so, and if you have a couple of years to study you may improve enough to get into GW with $, which would be far better than going this year.

If you have a job that you are excited about doing for a year then I would stay where you are. Get some WE to add to your resume, study for the LSAT and you situation can really only improve. Are you planning on applying for the very next cycle? Like getting your apps out this september/november? Or are you waiting for another year?

Whatever exciting job you have >>> GW at sticker

if you are an IP person then GW at sticker is a safe bet and I say go.

If not you need to think harder, but I don't think you can go wrong here. Either work and try again or go off to a top-20 law school.

As far as moving to DC in a short time frame. It is doable, you should check and see if there are any spots open at the Aston (GW law dorm), even if there isn't check some of the other local places like Columbia Plaza, they always seem to have availability and special GW rates.

Congrats.

Congrats on getting accepted into GW!! It is absolutely possible to relocate from Cali to DC in a few weeks, but you have to be swift with your planning. A few years ago, I had to make a similar decision (Atlanta to New York) in two weeks. It was one of my best decisions to date! Go for it, don't miss this opportunity.