Crazy to Choose G'town over NYU?

[BurtsBees]

Not crazy.

<---Picking UT over Harvard.

Reasons?

What if you received $$$ from other t6 schools?

[SavoyTruffleShuffle]

A giant pile of money is a pretty compelling reason

[Katfid54]

Not crazy.

<---Picking UT over Harvard.

Reasons?

What if you received $$$ from other t6 schools?

It'd still be hard.  I love Texas and would be content to live there for the rest of my life.  Even if I didn't get into Biglaw, but got a 100k mid-law job, I'd be fine with that.

[BurtsBees]

edit

[nealric]

WHAT?! No one on LSD is content making 100k in a non-major market!!!! You must be crazy! To not use your gifts to carry out the dreams of everyone else on this board is a travesty.

Just know that the 100k midlaw job is a rare animal. 160k biglaw is a much more common, so is 50k smallaw. You can't just say "Oh well I didn't get biglaw, I'll just find a midlaw job". I know of several people who didn't get biglaw despite wanting it. Not a single one has managed to find one of these fabled midlaw jobs.  

Nothing wrong with going a non-biglaw route, but it probably won't pay 100k for the first few years.

I think Katfid54 is making a mistake unless there is a good bit of money involved at UT given that he/she seems to want biglaw. Bakerbotts and V&E will be tripping all over themselves to give you an offer from Harvard if you are a native Texan. Sure they will hire you from UT, but you had better be high in your class. In sum, you will have better job prospects in Texas from Harvard than from UTexas. 3 years goes by quick and may add some valuable perspective.

[BurtsBees]

WHAT?! No one on LSD is content making 100k in a non-major market!!!! You must be crazy! To not use your gifts to carry out the dreams of everyone else on this board is a travesty.

Just know that the 100k midlaw job is a rare animal. 160k biglaw is a much more common, so is 50k smallaw. You can't just say "Oh well I didn't get biglaw, I'll just find a midlaw job". I know of several people who didn't get biglaw despite wanting it. Not a single one has managed to find one of these fabled midlaw jobs.  

Nothing wrong with going a non-biglaw route, but it probably won't pay 100k for the first few years.

I think Katfid54 is making a mistake unless there is a good bit of money involved at UT given that he/she seems to want biglaw. Bakerbotts and V&E will be tripping all over themselves to give you an offer from Harvard if you are a native Texan. Sure they will hire you from UT, but you had better be high in your class. In sum, you will have better job prospects in Texas from Harvard than from UTexas. 3 years goes by quick and may add some valuable perspective.

My understanding is Midlaw =  BigLaw in a non-BigLaw market.

I live in mid-level city (three sports teams but not NYC, DC, Chicago, etc.), and the top law jobs here for entry level are the 100-125k range. I assume that what Katfid would "content" with.

[nealric]

I live in mid-level city (three sports teams but not NYC, DC, Chicago, etc.), and the top law jobs here for entry level are the 100-125k range. I assume that what Katfid would "content" with.

But Katfid is looking in Texas. Houston/Austin/Dallas are all at 160k. Also, those big law in non-biglaw market jobs are as hard or harder to get than biglaw jobs. I interviewed for several and got no callbacks despite having ties to the city and getting plenty of V100 callbacks. Many others have had similar experiences.

[BurtsBees]

I live in mid-level city (three sports teams but not NYC, DC, Chicago, etc.), and the top law jobs here for entry level are the 100-125k range. I assume that what Katfid would "content" with.

But Katfid is looking in Texas. Houston/Austin/Dallas are all at 160k. Also, those big law in non-biglaw market jobs are as hard or harder to get than biglaw jobs. I interviewed for several and got no callbacks despite having ties to the city and getting plenty of V100 callbacks. Many others have had similar experiences.

[/b]

Wow. PM Details? This is intriguing.

PS - First Austin Law Firm I found- Vinson & Elkins -- first 10 associates in alphabetical order:

Tulane - Cum Laude
Texas - High Honors
Harvard
Texas - Highest Honors
Texas - Highest Honors
Yale
Texas - Honors
Texas - Order of Coif
University of Houston
University of Houston - Magna Cum Laude

[Live Free or Die]

Just go where you think you'll be happiest.

I disagree with this bit of advice.  It's like telling someone that they should just go where the job prospects are the best regardless of happiness.  It doesn't take into account individual circumstances.  For example, perhaps OP does not greatly value his or her own happiness.  Or maybe he or she would be just slightly happier at one school over another.  In that case, it doesn't make sense to just go with the place where he or she will be happiest because it makes very little difference.

What I think the OP should do is consider how happy he or she will be at both places, then weigh whatever difference there might be against other factors such as job placement, etc.  He or she needs to decide for his or herself how important happiness, job prospects, various other factors are in the decision.

A lot of people are acting like Georgetown is a death sentence compared to NYU. Personally, I consider quality of life to be by far the most important consideration in picking a school. The difference between a 100K and a 160K job is not worth being miserable at your school, at least for me. NYU has better job prospects than Georgetown, but you'll be fine going to either school. If the prestige is really going to affect how satisfied you are with your experience, then go to NYU. Otherwise, go where you think you will live a better life.

[bt]

It sounds like you want to go to Georgetown, so go.  If I had ties to a school to the extent that I would be happiest there, I would probably make the same decision.  Just realize that you have reason to be more stressful at Georgetown, especially in the current economy.  I have no doubt that if you got into NYU as well, you will be a strong student at Georgetown and be fine.  But I still think you should be able to negotiate some money out of Georgetown since it is understood that they are not on the same footing as NYU.