Law Schools, Money, Reader Polls, Student Loans, William and Mary School of Law

The Decision: Should I Go To Law School At All? Plus George Washington v. William & Mary

Help advise two prospective law students: one who's choosing between GW and William and Mary, and one who wonders whether she should go to law school at all.

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We’ll call this reader “Mother of Presidents” (in honor of her home state’s nickname). Here’s what Mother wants to know:

My dilemma isn’t as high-class/top-tier as Lucky Duck’s — a dilemma nonetheless, I’d appreciate some ATL guidance. I’m deciding between GWU at sticker and William & Mary in-state with a 50% scholarship.

I’m from Virginia and recently returned after living in NYC, so I was looking forward to a lower cost of living. I plan to go into government work, ideally in Washington, DC. I have some savings and family support, but will mostly be borrowing.

GWU obviously has a greater presence in DC and is higher ranked, but I’m not sure that’s worth 3x the debt. I’d also like a smaller school. Thoughts?

For your reference, as you advise Mother of Presidents:

  • Ranking: GW is #21 and William and Mary is #33 in the latest U.S. News rankings.
  • Cost: For 2011-2012 — it seems they need to update their website — GW has an estimated cost of attendance of $74,400 a year ($45,750 of that is tuition and fees). Meanwhile, for 2012-2013, William and Mary has an estimated cost of attendance of $44,100 for Virginia residents like Mother of Presidents ($27,800 of that is tuition and fees).
  • Size: GW Law has 1,351 full-time students, while William and Mary has 618 full-time students.

Both GW and William and Mary are great law schools. GW is higher ranked, but in my opinion, the rank differential isn’t big enough here to outweigh the additional cost and debt. Remember that Mother of Presidents is a Virginia resident and has a 50 percent scholarship from William and Mary. And if she wants a smaller school, W&M’s size should be the tiebreaker.

Am I wrong? Is my advice penny wise but pound foolish? Sound off in the comments and vote in our reader poll:

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With law school deposit deadlines fast approaching (some of them fall on Monday), we’re winding down this series of posts. But we might entertain a few more before we shut things down. If you’d like some help in deciding where to go to law school, feel free to email us, subject line “The Decision,” and describe your dilemma.

Earlier: The Decision: UVA v. Northwestern v. Minnesota
The Decision: NYU Law v. UVA Law at Half-Price Tuition?

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