- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 9010
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Fri Aug 28, 2020 8:28 am
#78505
Below is a law school choice question posed by a student, Jake, and a response from PowerScore CEO Dave Killoran.
Jake: "Hi! I’m currently a couple days from making a final call. It’s weird timing, as classes start next week at both schools, but the circumstances are kind of unique. I am currently choosing between Harvard and Georgetown. I am using the GI Bill, so there is no money issue here. But here’s the lay of the land as I see it:
GEORGETOWN:
– Marginal cost (GI Bill + scholarship covers about 99% of cost)
– I’ve been admitted to Georgetown’s evening program, which means I will be able to stay in the Navy and keep both my commission and my full salary while I’m in law school. The downside is that working and school at the same time will be a lot. The upside is that living expenses are covered, and I’ll finish law school with enough saved to buy a house. Also, while I am not a Navy “lifer,” I do like it, and would miss it if I left just yet.
– Love DC. Been stationed here before. Enjoy the city, though it has started to feel a bit stale.
– Like the idea of going to school with other working professionals. I’m in my early 30s, so seems like we may have more in common.
– Georgetown has a broader range of courses in an area I’m super passionate about (National Security Law)
HARVARD
– The prestige is tempting. In a big way.
– I’m interested in clerking and I’m interested in academia (though I’m not married to either of these, and have very little need to clerk for the Supreme Court or teach at a prestigious law school. Clerking at a district court or teaching in a place with a decent LGBT community is just fine).
– The network. I have some long term career goals that I think a network like Harvard’s could help me achieve in a way that I’m not sure a lower ranked school’s could.
– The idea of being able to focus on myself and school for a bit is a positive. Taking work out of the equation might leave a little time to…ya know…date.
– The GI Bill + Yellow Ribbon covers everything, but the ~$29k a year housing stipend from the GI Bill allows me to just scrape by vs the ~105k salary I’d keep at Georgetown. Wouldn’t be doing a lot of saving at Harvard (which would follow separating from the Navy ie. a pension)
– Living in Boston/Cambridge is very appealing. I really like New England and would like to try living somewhere new.
PERSONAL GOALS:
– I am pretty flexible, and have a lot of confidence that I can get myself where I need to go regardless of where I go to school. But I’m mindful that I may discover some as-of-yet unknown passion that is better served by a better network or more prestigious name.
– Very interested in working in policy in DC, especially in National Security or Education policy; OR moving home to North Carolina to practice (child advocacy or maybe trying to work for the state or the US Attorney’s Office). Pretty broad interests. Long term (10-15 years down the road) I definitely want to be in NC, but how long it takes to get there is flexible.
– Not opposed to some detours along the way to clerk or live in a new city (NYC, LA, etc…)
Currently leaning towards Georgetown, but definitely looking for someone to sanity check this call. Thanks!"
Dave Killoran: "Hi Jake,
Thanks for the message! Great rundown of your situation as well, so thanks very much for that
I think your current lean to Georgetown is entirely reasonable and defensible. There’s nothing that Harvard gives you in a concrete way that outweighs what you know you would get at Georgetown. The benefits of Harvard here are a step up in prestige and job outcomes (and that’s nice, but it’s not as if Gtown is some slacker school) vs the hard cash benefit of keeping a job you like and still receiving your salary in a town you like and where you’d love to practice (not to mention already being settled there, so no mad dash up to Cambridge). If you were committed to academia or federal clerking, I’d say Harvard would better serve you, but even then Georgetown is not terrible. So, for me, I think you are sane and thinking in a level way
Congrats on the great acceptances and best of luck in law school!"
Jake: "Hi! I’m currently a couple days from making a final call. It’s weird timing, as classes start next week at both schools, but the circumstances are kind of unique. I am currently choosing between Harvard and Georgetown. I am using the GI Bill, so there is no money issue here. But here’s the lay of the land as I see it:
GEORGETOWN:
– Marginal cost (GI Bill + scholarship covers about 99% of cost)
– I’ve been admitted to Georgetown’s evening program, which means I will be able to stay in the Navy and keep both my commission and my full salary while I’m in law school. The downside is that working and school at the same time will be a lot. The upside is that living expenses are covered, and I’ll finish law school with enough saved to buy a house. Also, while I am not a Navy “lifer,” I do like it, and would miss it if I left just yet.
– Love DC. Been stationed here before. Enjoy the city, though it has started to feel a bit stale.
– Like the idea of going to school with other working professionals. I’m in my early 30s, so seems like we may have more in common.
– Georgetown has a broader range of courses in an area I’m super passionate about (National Security Law)
HARVARD
– The prestige is tempting. In a big way.
– I’m interested in clerking and I’m interested in academia (though I’m not married to either of these, and have very little need to clerk for the Supreme Court or teach at a prestigious law school. Clerking at a district court or teaching in a place with a decent LGBT community is just fine).
– The network. I have some long term career goals that I think a network like Harvard’s could help me achieve in a way that I’m not sure a lower ranked school’s could.
– The idea of being able to focus on myself and school for a bit is a positive. Taking work out of the equation might leave a little time to…ya know…date.
– The GI Bill + Yellow Ribbon covers everything, but the ~$29k a year housing stipend from the GI Bill allows me to just scrape by vs the ~105k salary I’d keep at Georgetown. Wouldn’t be doing a lot of saving at Harvard (which would follow separating from the Navy ie. a pension)
– Living in Boston/Cambridge is very appealing. I really like New England and would like to try living somewhere new.
PERSONAL GOALS:
– I am pretty flexible, and have a lot of confidence that I can get myself where I need to go regardless of where I go to school. But I’m mindful that I may discover some as-of-yet unknown passion that is better served by a better network or more prestigious name.
– Very interested in working in policy in DC, especially in National Security or Education policy; OR moving home to North Carolina to practice (child advocacy or maybe trying to work for the state or the US Attorney’s Office). Pretty broad interests. Long term (10-15 years down the road) I definitely want to be in NC, but how long it takes to get there is flexible.
– Not opposed to some detours along the way to clerk or live in a new city (NYC, LA, etc…)
Currently leaning towards Georgetown, but definitely looking for someone to sanity check this call. Thanks!"
Dave Killoran: "Hi Jake,
Thanks for the message! Great rundown of your situation as well, so thanks very much for that
I think your current lean to Georgetown is entirely reasonable and defensible. There’s nothing that Harvard gives you in a concrete way that outweighs what you know you would get at Georgetown. The benefits of Harvard here are a step up in prestige and job outcomes (and that’s nice, but it’s not as if Gtown is some slacker school) vs the hard cash benefit of keeping a job you like and still receiving your salary in a town you like and where you’d love to practice (not to mention already being settled there, so no mad dash up to Cambridge). If you were committed to academia or federal clerking, I’d say Harvard would better serve you, but even then Georgetown is not terrible. So, for me, I think you are sane and thinking in a level way
Congrats on the great acceptances and best of luck in law school!"