GW $$ Vs Vandy $ Forum

[sickofwaiting77]

I'm from the northeast and would really rather be in DC than in Nashville. I got 30K a year to GW and 27k from Vandy. I know Vanderbilt is ranked better so I sent an email to GW asking to have scholarship reconsidered, by their response I wouldn't be surprised at a modest increase. The real question is, is the difference between the schools quality (assuming vanderbilt is better) worth being in a less preferable place. I have seen employment statistics and even though vanderbilt wins it seems that by being in top 20% at GW you end up in about the same place. Anyone have any experience with these two??

[existentialcrisis]

I'm from the northeast and would really rather be in DC than in Nashville. I got 30K a year to GW and 27k from Vandy. I know Vanderbilt is ranked better so I sent an email to GW asking to have scholarship reconsidered, by their response I wouldn't be surprised at a modest increase. The real question is, is the difference between the schools quality (assuming vanderbilt is better) worth being in a less preferable place. I have seen employment statistics and even though vanderbilt wins it seems that by being in top 20% at GW you end up in about the same place. Anyone have any experience with these two??

There's no way you can count on being in the top 20% at GW. Vandy has much better employment prospects.

[cavalier1138]

Yeah, stop comparing outcomes for the top 20% of the class, and focus on the median outcome.

[goldenbear2020]

even though vanderbilt wins it seems that by being in top 20% at GW you end up in about the same place.

So in other words, there's an 80% chance that you'd be better off taking Vanderbilt over GW.

[sickofwaiting77]

even though vanderbilt wins it seems that by being in top 20% at GW you end up in about the same place.

So in other words, there's an 80% chance that you'd be better off taking Vanderbilt over GW.

My LSAT put me in the 98th percentile at GW. Given that LSAT is intended to be a predictor of your 1L year do you really think it is unfair to assume top 50% at a school like that? Clearly Vandy wins in employment statistics but the question now is whether it is enough to persuade someone who doesnt want to be in the south.

[cavalier1138]

even though vanderbilt wins it seems that by being in top 20% at GW you end up in about the same place.

So in other words, there's an 80% chance that you'd be better off taking Vanderbilt over GW.

My LSAT put me in the 98th percentile at GW. Given that LSAT is intended to be a predictor of your 1L year do you really think it is unfair to assume top 50% at a school like that? Clearly Vandy wins in employment statistics but the question now is whether it is enough to persuade someone who doesnt want to be in the south.

I don't know how you figured out which specific percentile your LSAT puts you in, but the LSAT isn't a perfect predictor. So yes, it would be dumb to assume you will be in the top 20% (which has much different outcomes from the top half of the class). Vanderbilt has better employment outcomes, period. Yes, even in DC.

[UVA2B]

even though vanderbilt wins it seems that by being in top 20% at GW you end up in about the same place.

So in other words, there's an 80% chance that you'd be better off taking Vanderbilt over GW.

My LSAT put me in the 98th percentile at GW. Given that LSAT is intended to be a predictor of your 1L year do you really think it is unfair to assume top 50% at a school like that? Clearly Vandy wins in employment statistics but the question now is whether it is enough to persuade someone who doesnt want to be in the south.

Yes, it is unfair to equate your LSAT to success at a given school. At best, the correlation between LSAT and law school GPA is 0.25-0.4, which is a pretty weak correlation. The majority of students (like 60-80% but dependent on school) will be right around the median GPA, with another 10-20% who over/under-perform. So while it's nice to employ confirmation bias that LSAT=law school grade success, the reality is you should assume you'll be in that 60-80%, not in the 10-20% above/below median. That's why every law student/lawyer around here will advise that you should assume before starting that you'll be in that amorphous mass in the middle, not an outlier.

[UVA2B]

even though vanderbilt wins it seems that by being in top 20% at GW you end up in about the same place.

So in other words, there's an 80% chance that you'd be better off taking Vanderbilt over GW.

My LSAT put me in the 98th percentile at GW. Given that LSAT is intended to be a predictor of your 1L year do you really think it is unfair to assume top 50% at a school like that? Clearly Vandy wins in employment statistics but the question now is whether it is enough to persuade someone who doesnt want to be in the south.

I don't know how you figured out which specific percentile your LSAT puts you in, but the LSAT isn't a perfect predictor. So yes, it would be dumb to assume you will be in the top 20% (which has much different outcomes from the top half of the class). Vanderbilt has better employment outcomes, period. Yes, even in DC.

I don't even know anymore, but I'm assuming their 170 is now the 98th percentile of all test takers? That's my best guess anyway.

[existentialcrisis]

even though vanderbilt wins it seems that by being in top 20% at GW you end up in about the same place.

So in other words, there's an 80% chance that you'd be better off taking Vanderbilt over GW.

My LSAT put me in the 98th percentile at GW. Given that LSAT is intended to be a predictor of your 1L year do you really think it is unfair to assume top 50% at a school like that? Clearly Vandy wins in employment statistics but the question now is whether it is enough to persuade someone who doesnt want to be in the south.

Well originally you said top 20%. I do think It's probably fair to assume median. I'd much rather be median at Vandy than at GW. Especially because GW apparently has a ton of IP bros who are probably snagging a good number of the desirable jobs.

[AlbertParsons]

Have you visited Nashville? You seem to want people to validate your decision to not have to go to the objectively better school because you don't want to be in the South. I grew up in NYC and live in Richmond, VA and the cities in the South are actually pretty great and you'll appreciate the cost of living.

[jbagelboy]

Vanderbilt is the better school.

[mist4bison]

Have you visited Nashville? You seem to want people to validate your decision to not have to go to the objectively better school because you don't want to be in the South. I grew up in NYC and live in Richmond, VA and the cities in the South are actually pretty great and you'll appreciate the cost of living.

This, and Nashville is also not what I'd call a "Southern city" to be honest. It's more like a trendy, uppity suburb. I would visit both if you haven't. I'm at vandy now and there are a number of D.C. opportunities. It's not like you can't get D.C. If you're in Nashville

[AJordan]

Isn't the D.C. COL going to zap any scholarship difference as well? Thread title seems misleading. Use COA.

[34iplaw]

Isn't the D.C. COL going to zap any scholarship difference as well? Thread title seems misleading. Use COA.

Without even researching COL in Nashville, I cannot fathom that GW will not end up being significantly more expensive than Vandy... way more than $3,000 over three years.

Nashville is also supposed to be awesome.