Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go?? Forum

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Lawstudent3000

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Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by Lawstudent3000 » Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:30 pm

Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.

sparty99

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by sparty99 » Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:40 pm

Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
No.

acr

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by acr » Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:40 pm

Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Lawstudent3000

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by Lawstudent3000 » Thu Jun 29, 2017 1:58 pm

acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Thanks for the response, that's pretty much a good summary of the situation. It's the 100k debt (parents can cover apt/living expenses)

I realized you were right and put in two more apps, one at Columbia (super long shot) and Cornell (possible??). Obviously hoping for the best. I sent in the deposit to hold my seat and make the early OCI at Georgetown but I've got a lot of super nervous family/friends about me taking on the debt.

Leaning towards going at the moment, may be relying on the desire to be in a different city/prestige of it all. Just worry I'll look back 5-10 years and regret not going for it. :/

acr

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by acr » Thu Jun 29, 2017 2:11 pm

Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Thanks for the response, that's pretty much a good summary of the situation. It's the 100k debt (parents can cover apt/living expenses)

I realized you were right and put in two more apps, one at Columbia (super long shot) and Cornell (possible??). Obviously hoping for the best. I sent in the deposit to hold my seat and make the early OCI at Georgetown but I've got a lot of super nervous family/friends about me taking on the debt.

Leaning towards going at the moment, may be relying on the desire to be in a different city/prestige of it all. Just worry I'll look back 5-10 years and regret not going for it. :/
Yeah man it's totally your decision. I know it's a tough call. Your parents covering COL is huge, particularly because DC is a very expensive place to live. 100K debt is totally manageable on a firm salary, but getting the firm job is the first hurdle. If you end up going with Georgetown, I would just make sure to spend every waking moment networking until you land a firm gig. That means mass mailing NYC big law firms now, reaching out to Georgetown alums in Florida markets and setting up informational interviews/coffee, leveraging other personal/family connections you have, contacting firms in Miami (where you have connections), and mass mailing any market you could reasonably see yourself in ASAP. Have someone at Georgetown look over your resume and cover letter, and start doing as many mock interviews as you can. Some Miami firms might even be willing to set up mock interviews with you and give you feedback. Don't rely solely on Georgetown's OCI. You could very well land something from Georgetown's OCI and be fine, but be proactive and start taking matters into your own hands.

Last point, I recommend sending an app to Michigan. It seems like you don't want anything other than east coast, but Michigan is a great school and takes a lot of transfers.

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Lawstudent3000

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by Lawstudent3000 » Thu Jun 29, 2017 4:19 pm

acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Thanks for the response, that's pretty much a good summary of the situation. It's the 100k debt (parents can cover apt/living expenses)

I realized you were right and put in two more apps, one at Columbia (super long shot) and Cornell (possible??). Obviously hoping for the best. I sent in the deposit to hold my seat and make the early OCI at Georgetown but I've got a lot of super nervous family/friends about me taking on the debt.

Leaning towards going at the moment, may be relying on the desire to be in a different city/prestige of it all. Just worry I'll look back 5-10 years and regret not going for it. :/
Yeah man it's totally your decision. I know it's a tough call. Your parents covering COL is huge, particularly because DC is a very expensive place to live. 100K debt is totally manageable on a firm salary, but getting the firm job is the first hurdle. If you end up going with Georgetown, I would just make sure to spend every waking moment networking until you land a firm gig. That means mass mailing NYC big law firms now, reaching out to Georgetown alums in Florida markets and setting up informational interviews/coffee, leveraging other personal/family connections you have, contacting firms in Miami (where you have connections), and mass mailing any market you could reasonably see yourself in ASAP. Have someone at Georgetown look over your resume and cover letter, and start doing as many mock interviews as you can. Some Miami firms might even be willing to set up mock interviews with you and give you feedback. Don't rely solely on Georgetown's OCI. You could very well land something from Georgetown's OCI and be fine, but be proactive and start taking matters into your own hands.

Last point, I recommend sending an app to Michigan. It seems like you don't want anything other than east coast, but Michigan is a great school and takes a lot of transfers.
Just submitted App to Michigan, honestly don't know why I missed it on the first round.

Ya, will basically have to decide by Sunday. If I go I'll definitely try to get out of my comfort zone and be proactive in the job search.
Thanks for the help, will hopefully be able to update with good news regarding the other schools.

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UVA2B

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by UVA2B » Thu Jun 29, 2017 4:22 pm

Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Thanks for the response, that's pretty much a good summary of the situation. It's the 100k debt (parents can cover apt/living expenses)

I realized you were right and put in two more apps, one at Columbia (super long shot) and Cornell (possible??). Obviously hoping for the best. I sent in the deposit to hold my seat and make the early OCI at Georgetown but I've got a lot of super nervous family/friends about me taking on the debt.

Leaning towards going at the moment, may be relying on the desire to be in a different city/prestige of it all. Just worry I'll look back 5-10 years and regret not going for it. :/
If you're intending on relying on a school's OCI for a job, don't go to Cornell. They don't let transfers participate in their version of OCI.

Lawstudent3000

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by Lawstudent3000 » Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:18 pm

acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Thanks for the response, that's pretty much a good summary of the situation. It's the 100k debt (parents can cover apt/living expenses)

I realized you were right and put in two more apps, one at Columbia (super long shot) and Cornell (possible??). Obviously hoping for the best. I sent in the deposit to hold my seat and make the early OCI at Georgetown but I've got a lot of super nervous family/friends about me taking on the debt.

Leaning towards going at the moment, may be relying on the desire to be in a different city/prestige of it all. Just worry I'll look back 5-10 years and regret not going for it. :/
Yeah man it's totally your decision. I know it's a tough call. Your parents covering COL is huge, particularly because DC is a very expensive place to live. 100K debt is totally manageable on a firm salary, but getting the firm job is the first hurdle. If you end up going with Georgetown, I would just make sure to spend every waking moment networking until you land a firm gig. That means mass mailing NYC big law firms now, reaching out to Georgetown alums in Florida markets and setting up informational interviews/coffee, leveraging other personal/family connections you have, contacting firms in Miami (where you have connections), and mass mailing any market you could reasonably see yourself in ASAP. Have someone at Georgetown look over your resume and cover letter, and start doing as many mock interviews as you can. Some Miami firms might even be willing to set up mock interviews with you and give you feedback. Don't rely solely on Georgetown's OCI. You could very well land something from Georgetown's OCI and be fine, but be proactive and start taking matters into your own hands.

Last point, I recommend sending an app to Michigan. It seems like you don't want anything other than east coast, but Michigan is a great school and takes a lot of transfers.

Got in at Michigan!

Great problem to have, but now I feel absolutely overwhelmed... There are a couple things. First, I missed the journal write-on deadline by my own fault, is that a huge factor to be weighed?

Considering all the previous stuff, what do you think about Michigan? Has it ranked consistently in the top 10? (I just don't want Berkeley to come back and find Michigan in rank 12 or something next year... call me shallow but "top 10" means something to me). Is it on Penn's level or more like Cornell/Northwestern?

I'm honestly a little conflicted. I really hadn't heard of the school referred to in the "top school" context before this whole process, and while obviously it's seems like an incredible institution, I'm wondering whether it's a known brand? I feel like I know the TLS answer will be Michigan by a wide margin (I think) but considering the factors (i.e. no law review at Michigan... ugh), should I still be considering Georgetown? It's in D.C, law journal opportunity, closer to some family of mine, etc.

I'm gonna post a separate post for this, but you've been the most helpful so far. In fact, I wouldn't have even applied to Michigan had you not told me haha.
Thanks.

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perfunctory

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by perfunctory » Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:50 pm

I am a little biased since I am waitlisted at Gtown, but Michigan Law, I'm pretty sure, has a much better brand. Apparently it was historically ranked very high up. I don't think it fits in with the lower t14. Very jealous!

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sparty99

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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by sparty99 » Tue Jul 11, 2017 10:52 pm

Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Thanks for the response, that's pretty much a good summary of the situation. It's the 100k debt (parents can cover apt/living expenses)

I realized you were right and put in two more apps, one at Columbia (super long shot) and Cornell (possible??). Obviously hoping for the best. I sent in the deposit to hold my seat and make the early OCI at Georgetown but I've got a lot of super nervous family/friends about me taking on the debt.

Leaning towards going at the moment, may be relying on the desire to be in a different city/prestige of it all. Just worry I'll look back 5-10 years and regret not going for it. :/
Yeah man it's totally your decision. I know it's a tough call. Your parents covering COL is huge, particularly because DC is a very expensive place to live. 100K debt is totally manageable on a firm salary, but getting the firm job is the first hurdle. If you end up going with Georgetown, I would just make sure to spend every waking moment networking until you land a firm gig. That means mass mailing NYC big law firms now, reaching out to Georgetown alums in Florida markets and setting up informational interviews/coffee, leveraging other personal/family connections you have, contacting firms in Miami (where you have connections), and mass mailing any market you could reasonably see yourself in ASAP. Have someone at Georgetown look over your resume and cover letter, and start doing as many mock interviews as you can. Some Miami firms might even be willing to set up mock interviews with you and give you feedback. Don't rely solely on Georgetown's OCI. You could very well land something from Georgetown's OCI and be fine, but be proactive and start taking matters into your own hands.

Last point, I recommend sending an app to Michigan. It seems like you don't want anything other than east coast, but Michigan is a great school and takes a lot of transfers.

Got in at Michigan!

Great problem to have, but now I feel absolutely overwhelmed... There are a couple things. First, I missed the journal write-on deadline by my own fault, is that a huge factor to be weighed?

Considering all the previous stuff, what do you think about Michigan? Has it ranked consistently in the top 10? (I just don't want Berkeley to come back and find Michigan in rank 12 or something next year... call me shallow but "top 10" means something to me). Is it on Penn's level or more like Cornell/Northwestern?

I'm honestly a little conflicted. I really hadn't heard of the school referred to in the "top school" context before this whole process, and while obviously it's seems like an incredible institution, I'm wondering whether it's a known brand? I feel like I know the TLS answer will be Michigan by a wide margin (I think) but considering the factors (i.e. no law review at Michigan... ugh), should I still be considering Georgetown? It's in D.C, law journal opportunity, closer to some family of mine, etc.

I'm gonna post a separate post for this, but you've been the most helpful so far. In fact, I wouldn't have even applied to Michigan had you not told me haha.
Thanks.
Dude. Who gives a shit if a magazine rates Michigan in the top 10. Obviously it is a good law, medical, and business school. I would focus on tuition and job prospects. I would do anything and everything to find out what type of jobs Michigan and Georgetown students land. I would also try NYU, Columbia, Uiv. Chicago, and Harvard if you have money. It could be a long shot, but its $50 or $75 down the drain, who cares.

acr

Silver
Posts: 803
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:14 pm

Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by acr » Fri Jul 14, 2017 4:20 pm

Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Thanks for the response, that's pretty much a good summary of the situation. It's the 100k debt (parents can cover apt/living expenses)

I realized you were right and put in two more apps, one at Columbia (super long shot) and Cornell (possible??). Obviously hoping for the best. I sent in the deposit to hold my seat and make the early OCI at Georgetown but I've got a lot of super nervous family/friends about me taking on the debt.

Leaning towards going at the moment, may be relying on the desire to be in a different city/prestige of it all. Just worry I'll look back 5-10 years and regret not going for it. :/
Yeah man it's totally your decision. I know it's a tough call. Your parents covering COL is huge, particularly because DC is a very expensive place to live. 100K debt is totally manageable on a firm salary, but getting the firm job is the first hurdle. If you end up going with Georgetown, I would just make sure to spend every waking moment networking until you land a firm gig. That means mass mailing NYC big law firms now, reaching out to Georgetown alums in Florida markets and setting up informational interviews/coffee, leveraging other personal/family connections you have, contacting firms in Miami (where you have connections), and mass mailing any market you could reasonably see yourself in ASAP. Have someone at Georgetown look over your resume and cover letter, and start doing as many mock interviews as you can. Some Miami firms might even be willing to set up mock interviews with you and give you feedback. Don't rely solely on Georgetown's OCI. You could very well land something from Georgetown's OCI and be fine, but be proactive and start taking matters into your own hands.

Last point, I recommend sending an app to Michigan. It seems like you don't want anything other than east coast, but Michigan is a great school and takes a lot of transfers.

Got in at Michigan!

Great problem to have, but now I feel absolutely overwhelmed... There are a couple things. First, I missed the journal write-on deadline by my own fault, is that a huge factor to be weighed?

Considering all the previous stuff, what do you think about Michigan? Has it ranked consistently in the top 10? (I just don't want Berkeley to come back and find Michigan in rank 12 or something next year... call me shallow but "top 10" means something to me). Is it on Penn's level or more like Cornell/Northwestern?

I'm honestly a little conflicted. I really hadn't heard of the school referred to in the "top school" context before this whole process, and while obviously it's seems like an incredible institution, I'm wondering whether it's a known brand? I feel like I know the TLS answer will be Michigan by a wide margin (I think) but considering the factors (i.e. no law review at Michigan... ugh), should I still be considering Georgetown? It's in D.C, law journal opportunity, closer to some family of mine, etc.

I'm gonna post a separate post for this, but you've been the most helpful so far. In fact, I wouldn't have even applied to Michigan had you not told me haha.
Thanks.
Sorry, I just noticed this message.

To briefly answer your first question, I wouldn't worry about missing journal write-on. However, you will still want an extracurricular on your resume, so I recommend (1) working for credit in one of Michigan's legal clinics; (2) participating in moot court/trial team; (3) setting up a research position with a professor; or (4) writing a journal note and trying to get it published.

And as a previous poster mentioned, you should not be worried about meaningless distinctions between Top 10, Top 13, Top 20, etc. All you should be worried about is cost of attendance and employment outcomes. But to humor you, yes, Michigan is a "known brand." Everyone (who pays any sort of attention to the world) knows that Michigan is in general a top flight school, and it is a perennial top 10 law school. This shouldn't matter at all to someone deciding whether to attend a school, but since it seems to matter to you so much, Michigan is just fine in the prestige category.

If anything, I would argue Michigan has a better "brand" than Georgetown. Since it's a huge Big Ten school with (usually) good sports teams and good graduate schools in all departments, the alumni network is unbelievably large and sweeping. The Michigan "brand" extends to all geographic locations.

To me, if you decide to transfer, the decision is clear-cut Michigan. But my reasoning is based solely on (1) Cost + (2) Employment. With any decision to transfer, you need to understand that the value in transferring is simply the potential to interview with more firms than would be possible at your current school. Sure, there are other marginal benefits (e.g. better professors? new city?) but it ultimately comes down to getting more interviews.

ladybug1989

Bronze
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:25 pm

Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by ladybug1989 » Fri Jul 14, 2017 4:43 pm

You should transfer to Michigan. People on TLS have become too paranoid about law school debt. No doubt it sucks, but even if you strike out at Michigan you still have a good chance (better than Miami) to land a nice 6 figure job. Assuming you're young, you can live modestly for a few years pay that off (especially if the 80% scholarship will cover your first year at Miami) and have a good school for the rest of your 30+ year career on your resume. You'll have better opportunities in the future and will likely come out on top had you otherwise stayed at Miami. Also, it's clear on TLS that most hate law, so even if you landed biglaw from your current law school, your options will be more limited in the future should you want out of law.

DolnaRay

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Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2017 9:00 am

Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by DolnaRay » Mon Jul 17, 2017 1:49 am

Of course it is. Don't even think twice. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

PotatoSalad

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Posts: 40
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Re: Accepted to Georgetown, worth to go??

Post by PotatoSalad » Wed Jul 19, 2017 6:52 am

Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:
acr wrote:
Lawstudent3000 wrote:Got accepted today to Georgetown. Basically, i have an 80% scholarship at university of Miami, and finished with a 3.538 (about top 12%). Is it worth it to go to Georgetown? I don't think I should waste time applying higher, I feel lucky to have gotten in on this.

I am open to big law, but not married to it. At the same time, I would love to live in a different city (I grew up in Miami) and the "prestige" (not Harvard, but still impresssive no?) is also something that is nice. Is it worth the money, and moving, etc.

Thanks to anybody who can help.
Err...the bolded threw me off. You're talking about a law school that will be on your resume for the rest of your life. That will come up in every interview. That will become part of your identity. That you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on. I highly recommend "wasting the time" and applying to some higher schools. You never know what will happen, and the only downside is losing a few hours and few hundred bucks. Transferring to, say, Michigan is significantly different (and better) than transferring to Georgetown. Seriously, you're doing yourself a disservice by not throwing some apps to the likes of Michigan, NU, etc.

But regarding your question, there is no clear answer. Transferring to Georgetown and paying sticker in DC seems like a risky proposition to me. Georgetown is an okay school, but finding a job from Georgetown with a salary that will allow you to service your (>$150,000) debt is no guarantee. Their employment numbers are okay but not that impressive, and half the class seems to struggle. Coming in as a transfer, you would start off with one strike against you. Even if you do land a big firm gig, you say you are not "married to big law." Would you be okay working in a job that many find miserable for five years at a minimum to pay off debt? For me personally, the move would be too risky, and the value of "living in a different city" and the "prestige" of Georgetown would not outweigh the financial risk.

And it's not like a good outcome for you isn't possible from Miami. With your performance, you should at least be able to get interviews at midsize firms in Florida. I'm not sure what exactly the opportunities are for someone in the top 15% at Miami, but with some networking, you can probably set yourself up for a pretty good career without debt.

Don't worry about short term issues like moving (which can be accomplished in a day), taking time to fill out apps (which can be accomplished in a few hours, especially since you've already applied to Georgetown), etc. Really focus on what school gives you the best opportunities for your career and personal preferences weighed against financial risk. I recommend filling out some more apps tonight and sending an email to Miami tomorrow trying to use your Georgetown acceptance to negotiate to bump up your scholarship to 100%. You don't have to go back to Miami, but you'll be in a better position.

I would take Miami here as the safe option, but that's just me. Only you can weigh whether Georgetown is worth it in your situation.

Thanks for the response, that's pretty much a good summary of the situation. It's the 100k debt (parents can cover apt/living expenses)

I realized you were right and put in two more apps, one at Columbia (super long shot) and Cornell (possible??). Obviously hoping for the best. I sent in the deposit to hold my seat and make the early OCI at Georgetown but I've got a lot of super nervous family/friends about me taking on the debt.

Leaning towards going at the moment, may be relying on the desire to be in a different city/prestige of it all. Just worry I'll look back 5-10 years and regret not going for it. :/
Yeah man it's totally your decision. I know it's a tough call. Your parents covering COL is huge, particularly because DC is a very expensive place to live. 100K debt is totally manageable on a firm salary, but getting the firm job is the first hurdle. If you end up going with Georgetown, I would just make sure to spend every waking moment networking until you land a firm gig. That means mass mailing NYC big law firms now, reaching out to Georgetown alums in Florida markets and setting up informational interviews/coffee, leveraging other personal/family connections you have, contacting firms in Miami (where you have connections), and mass mailing any market you could reasonably see yourself in ASAP. Have someone at Georgetown look over your resume and cover letter, and start doing as many mock interviews as you can. Some Miami firms might even be willing to set up mock interviews with you and give you feedback. Don't rely solely on Georgetown's OCI. You could very well land something from Georgetown's OCI and be fine, but be proactive and start taking matters into your own hands.

Last point, I recommend sending an app to Michigan. It seems like you don't want anything other than east coast, but Michigan is a great school and takes a lot of transfers.

Got in at Michigan!

Great problem to have, but now I feel absolutely overwhelmed... There are a couple things. First, I missed the journal write-on deadline by my own fault, is that a huge factor to be weighed?

Considering all the previous stuff, what do you think about Michigan? Has it ranked consistently in the top 10? (I just don't want Berkeley to come back and find Michigan in rank 12 or something next year... call me shallow but "top 10" means something to me). Is it on Penn's level or more like Cornell/Northwestern?

I'm honestly a little conflicted. I really hadn't heard of the school referred to in the "top school" context before this whole process, and while obviously it's seems like an incredible institution, I'm wondering whether it's a known brand? I feel like I know the TLS answer will be Michigan by a wide margin (I think) but considering the factors (i.e. no law review at Michigan... ugh), should I still be considering Georgetown? It's in D.C, law journal opportunity, closer to some family of mine, etc.

I'm gonna post a separate post for this, but you've been the most helpful so far. In fact, I wouldn't have even applied to Michigan had you not told me haha.
Thanks.
You should seriously ask yourself where you want to work.

I would say going into GULC with every intention to bid and work in NY would be fine given your stats. GULC's on campus recruiting generally struck me as transfer friendly anecdotally reading through past years threads on TLS (Usually it seemed as though transfers performed noticably better than median GULC students, which would put you in the "top half" designation of concern an earlier poster mentioned). But, it would probably be a mistake to bid any location other than NY in great amounts. GULC EIW bidding process strikes me as one that greatly favors the top 10% of the class as well as those that conservatively bid a ton of NY instead of DC - something many GULC students are hesitant to do (many came to GULC with the intention of working in DC).

Michigan would probably do the same for you in NY as well as open a few doors in Chicago (but probably less in DC which is generally a very competitive market with small class sizes). I can't speak to Michigan prospects beyond what can be determined from an ABA/NALP form.

But if you intend on working in Florida it looks like top 10% at Miami would put you in a good place for that based on ABA forms. I'm not sure heading to GULC or Michigan would legitimately do you any favors in that regard. In fact I wonder if it would put up a red flag to FL employers that you might hop to a different geographic market after a year or two for better opportunities. I'd consider what was previously mentioned and try to negotiate for 100% scholarship given your transfer success rates - I'm not sure what would be in it for Miami since it probably won't improve their job placements (your job would be given to the next person) but it would be worth a shot.

Takeaways: consider where you want to work and let that guide you. Michigan will have a lot of Midwest presence (according to LinkedIn, roughly 3,600/12,000 alumni are in Detroit/Chicago) and NYC. GULC will open some doors to DC and it will be quite competitive, but NYC should be fine. Miami might be the place to stay if you want to be in Florida.

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