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Any attorneys here?

NoleFan2U

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Sep 10, 2003
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Mouth of the Rat, FL
I have a delimma and need advice. My daughter (look through other threads for her pic if you must) was accepted to a top 20 law school in DC, where she wants to work. No scholarship, 100k per year. Figure 250k in student debt upon graduation.

She was just offered a full scholarship to FSU law, no debt upon graduation. Without turning this political, she wants to live anywhere but Florida.

So do you take the free ride in FL then try for connections in the DC area or suck it up, go to top 20 law school and basically have the job of your dreams at your feet?

I know this is a great problem to have and ultimately it will be her decision. I just don't know what advice to give. I am not an attorney and have no clue how hard it is after graduation to move elsewhere and get a decent job. In medicine it's pretty simple. Any advice for this confused mom? BTW, I would love another 3 years of tailgates with her at FSU! My Buckeye boyfriend is willing to pay her a 50k yearly stipend to move🤷‍♀️ (he is over the 800+ mile round trip drives and sh!thole hotels)
 
I have a delimma and need advice. My daughter (look through other threads for her pic if you must) was accepted to a top 20 law school in DC, where she wants to work. No scholarship, 100k per year. Figure 250k in student debt upon graduation.

She was just offered a full scholarship to FSU law, no debt upon graduation. Without turning this political, she wants to live anywhere but Florida.

So do you take the free ride in FL then try for connections in the DC area or suck it up, go to top 20 law school and basically have the job of your dreams at your feet?

I know this is a great problem to have and ultimately it will be her decision. I just don't know what advice to give. I am not an attorney and have no clue how hard it is after graduation to move elsewhere and get a decent job. In medicine it's pretty simple. Any advice for this confused mom? BTW, I would love another 3 years of tailgates with her at FSU! My Buckeye boyfriend is willing to pay her a 50k yearly stipend to move🤷‍♀️ (he is over the 800+ mile round trip drives and sh!thole hotels)
Not a lawyer, but I would check with FSU law school professors to see what connections they possess. That's a lot of money and debt compared to FSU. If there are connections at FSU into areas she is interested, then its a no-brainer. If not, then a harder decision.
 
I have a delimma and need advice. My daughter (look through other threads for her pic if you must) was accepted to a top 20 law school in DC, where she wants to work. No scholarship, 100k per year. Figure 250k in student debt upon graduation.

She was just offered a full scholarship to FSU law, no debt upon graduation. Without turning this political, she wants to live anywhere but Florida.

So do you take the free ride in FL then try for connections in the DC area or suck it up, go to top 20 law school and basically have the job of your dreams at your feet?

I know this is a great problem to have and ultimately it will be her decision. I just don't know what advice to give. I am not an attorney and have no clue how hard it is after graduation to move elsewhere and get a decent job. In medicine it's pretty simple. Any advice for this confused mom? BTW, I would love another 3 years of tailgates with her at FSU! My Buckeye boyfriend is willing to pay her a 50k yearly stipend to move🤷‍♀️ (he is over the 800+ mile round trip drives and sh!thole hotels)
Not a lawyer but if it were my kid I would tell her sometimes you have to make sacrifices. 250k in debt is a lot to incur over location especially if it involves politics. After graduation she could still get the job and location she wants without the debt.
 
I am an attorney, attended a private school before starting in the Army JAG Corps. Licensed in 4 states. As with any profession, you get out of it what you are willing to put into it. If I was making the decision, I would go to FSU in a heartbeat to avoid the debt.
Are you saying avoid the debt because she can get connections after graduation or just avoid the debt because it is a LOT of money to owe and have hanging over your head. I asked if any of her professors at FSU now are attorneys, and they are not. I am sure one of them has a connection in the law school where she can see if they have advice.

As a person who graduated post graduate school with no debt, I would love for her to be able to do the same. I had no worries about paying any loans back and was very lucky. BUT, she is not going to live in Florida after graduation and does want to have a career on Capitol Hill. That is why I am even debating pushing her to incur the debt.
 
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Are you saying avoid the debt because she can get connections after graduation or just avoid the debt because it is a LOT of money to owe and have hanging over your head. I asked if any of her professors at FSU now are attorneys, and they are not. I am sure one of them has a connection in the law school where she can see if they have advice.

As a person who graduated post graduate school with no debt, I would love for her to be able to do the same. I had no worries about paying any loans back and was very lucky. BUT, she is not going to live in Florida after graduation and does want to have a career on Capitol Hill. That is why I am even debating pushing her to incur the debt.
I would also have her do some research on careers on Capitol Hill. Many of the young attorneys there get their foot in the door through internships which are frequently low or unpaid positions until they can get on with a politician or legal firm.
 
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There are two possible sources from which you can get advice. Ann Landers (Ask Ann Landers) and Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby).
 
What is the HROT?

Iowa Rivals site, Hawkeye Report Off Topic. This is where many of us went into exile due to the overbearing lunatics who used to run this site (Miserychant.)

 
Not a lawyer.

But strictly financial... She will be so much better positioned in life financially to have a degree DEBT FREE.. And begin her career..

Unless DC can offer an enormous difference in earning potential where 250k won't matter, I would advise her to go to FSU where she will be debt free... Say that out loud again.. DEBT FREE
 
This is definitely a personal preference choice but I would be more than happy to speak with her. I am an attorney in Orlando, went to The Florida State for undergrad but made the decision to go out of state for law school at Wake Forest.
My goal of practicing in Florida was opposite of hers with leaving the state, but similar in the difficulties that can arise with getting a job out of state when the firms coming for OCIs were mostly NC firms. My e-mail is RWisneski@dsklawgroup.com
 
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I am an attorney and an FSU Law grad. I know several grads from FSU who got jobs in DC and elsewhere around the country. If she focuses her efforts for that kind of job, she can certainly do it. The FSU Law careers office can help, and so can the law school's alumni association.
I was between FSU and George Washington Law School, but seeing the debt I would graduate with if I went to GW, I chose FSU. I graduated with very little debt, and it significantly helped me after my graduation to not be saddled with those huge loans. I have no regrets in that decision.
 
I'm an attorney for 50 years, a retired Federal Judge, and an Adjunct Professor at FSU (though went to UM Law School). I've more questions than answers right now - if you wish, have her contact me (or you contact me) at stbrown2@fsu.edu.
iam an atty for 49 years. graduated from fsu undergrad and law school. went to new york and got an advanced tax degree while working for the irs. i have known judge and mrs brown and would encourage you to seek their counsel.
 
This is definitely a personal preference choice but I would be more than happy to speak with her. I am an attorney in Orlando, went to The Florida State for undergrad but made the decision to go out of state for law school at Wake Forest.
My goal of practicing in Florida was opposite of hers with leaving the state, but similar in the difficulties that can arise with getting a job out of state when the firms coming for OCIs were mostly NC firms. My e-mail is RWisneski@dsklawgroup.com
Thank you and appreciate your help. Will give her the information!
 
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My husband was an attorney in the NY area. I considered going to law school back in the early 90's, but my husband and I did the numbers and figured out the amount of time to pay it off.

I do have family within the beltway with connections, if that helps. And, I'm sure that many others do as well. One of the best connections can be state representatives, senators and judges.

A former boyfriend of mine attended BC undergrad and Villanova law school. He became a junior partner at Martin, Clearwater and Bell at age 33, and later became a full partner. He has a lot of accolades, and has won way more than he's lost.

My husband did RPI, NYU, then Fordham Law.

There are a number of really good law schools in the country.

I would make sure to have as little debt as possible.

And, actually, one makes a lot of connections anywhere from the organizations that they join, their moot court success, and law review, clerking for a judge, etc.

There are plenty of stories of people who attended the Ivies that did not necessarily live up to their degrees, (Harvard and Yale, for example) Then there are some pretty outstanding attorneys that attended law schools lower than the the top ten law schools that have done exceedingly well.

The debt is the killer, though. Times change and certain professions end up with huge extra costs, and that is unpredictable. IOW, the net gain fluctuates according to changes in everyday living.

Right now, for example, an IP attorney makes big bucks only by working at Big Pharma, but they are limited, as they cannot work for anyone else. Previously, they made big bucks by working for IBM as their IP attorney.

There are so many ins and outs, ups and downs, of law. If I were going to law school now, I'd be into Environmental Law.

But, no one gives you the answer to this question. What is the best area of law to study, the one that will always rake in a steady, substantial income for 50 years or more?
 
I have a delimma and need advice. My daughter (look through other threads for her pic if you must) was accepted to a top 20 law school in DC, where she wants to work. No scholarship, 100k per year. Figure 250k in student debt upon graduation.

She was just offered a full scholarship to FSU law, no debt upon graduation. Without turning this political, she wants to live anywhere but Florida.

So do you take the free ride in FL then try for connections in the DC area or suck it up, go to top 20 law school and basically have the job of your dreams at your feet?

I know this is a great problem to have and ultimately it will be her decision. I just don't know what advice to give. I am not an attorney and have no clue how hard it is after graduation to move elsewhere and get a decent job. In medicine it's pretty simple. Any advice for this confused mom? BTW, I would love another 3 years of tailgates with her at FSU! My Buckeye boyfriend is willing to pay her a 50k yearly stipend to move🤷‍♀️ (he is over the 800+ mile round trip drives and sh!thole hotels)
Hard question to answer in the abstract.

What are her goals? What does she REALLY want to do? WHERE does she want to do it? All of that is very relevant. If she wants to work with juveniles or government agencies, or in the criminal, personal injury or family law realms, she does not "need" to go an elite law school. She can thrive in those areas -- and others -- with FSU (or far lesser) credentials. You obviously don't need an Ivy League (or even FSU) law degree to be a prosecutor, public defender or city attorney, for instance. And if you want to be the best lawyer in the history of Bartow or Brooksville or Perry, that too does not require an Ivy League credential.

If she wants to REALLY get to the so-called "top of the profession" -- and that's subjective too -- FSU honestly provides a hard path to get there. Not impossible, at all, but the TRULY elite firms hire a pretty modest number of FSU students. And even if she gets hired by a blue-chip firm in a blue-chip market -- irrespective of her academic pedigree -- is she willing to make the INCREDIBLE sacrifices necessary to actually succeed at that hightest level? Think 60+ hours a week, almost every week, for 2-3 decades. Some incredible stress and unplanned emergencies along the way. Missed vacations, canceled weekend plans, scuttled family events, etc., etc. "BigLaw" fires tons of Harvard and Yale graduates every single day. So being brilliant and having great credentials guarantee nothing. Only she can answer what she is willing to do if/when she gets her opportunity, whatever that may be.

Does she want to have kids? When? That's not dispositive of anything, but it is relevant. I mean, why rack up $250,000 in student loans if she plans to start having children at age 28-30? Lots of female lawyers go "mommy track" and only practice part time. That's great and fine, but maybe not a great fiscal move if you racked up huge debt to get there.

What does "her person" do? What is her general financial profile? Being "comfortable" through a spouse (or family member) often influences how much people are willing to sacrifice. Lots of "rich kids" check out early, BECAUSE THEY CAN.

Law is a REALLY/REALLY tough profession, especially in 2022 and in the future. Way too many lawyers chasing a limited amount of truly desirable/profitable work. Some people will always do great, but the majority will not. And some super-successful lawyers go to objectively HORRIBLE law schools. Like with most things, it ultimately boils down to "want to." Does she really have THAT wiring? Can't answer that, obviously......but good luck.
 
Hard question to answer in the abstract.

What are her goals? What does she REALLY want to do? WHERE does she want to do it? All of that is very relevant. If she wants to work with juveniles or government agencies, or in the criminal, personal injury or family law realms, she does not "need" to go an elite law school. She can thrive in those areas -- and others -- with FSU (or far lesser) credentials. You obviously don't need an Ivy League (or even FSU) law degree to be a prosecutor, public defender or city attorney, for instance. And if you want to be the best lawyer in the history of Bartow or Brooksville or Perry, that too does not require an Ivy League credential.

If she wants to REALLY get to the so-called "top of the profession" -- and that's subjective too -- FSU honestly provides a hard path to get there. Not impossible, at all, but the TRULY elite firms hire a pretty modest number of FSU students. And even if she gets hired by a blue-chip firm in a blue-chip market -- irrespective of her academic pedigree -- is she willing to make the INCREDIBLE sacrifices necessary to actually succeed at that hightest level? Think 60+ hours a week, almost every week, for 2-3 decades. Some incredible stress and unplanned emergencies along the way. Missed vacations, canceled weekend plans, scuttled family events, etc., etc. "BigLaw" fires tons of Harvard and Yale graduates every single day. So being brilliant and having great credentials guarantee nothing. Only she can answer what she is willing to do if/when she gets her opportunity, whatever that may be.

Does she want to have kids? When? That's not dispositive of anything, but it is relevant. I mean, why rack up $250,000 in student loans if she plans to start having children at age 28-30? Lots of female lawyers go "mommy track" and only practice part time. That's great and fine, but maybe not a great fiscal move if you racked up huge debt to get there.

What does "her person" do? What is her general financial profile? Being "comfortable" through a spouse (or family member) often influences how much people are willing to sacrifice. Lots of "rich kids" check out early, BECAUSE THEY CAN.

Law is a REALLY/REALLY tough profession, especially in 2022 and in the future. Way too many lawyers chasing a limited amount of truly desirable/profitable work. Some people will always do great, but the majority will not. And some super-successful lawyers go to objectively HORRIBLE law schools. Like with most things, it ultimately boils down to "want to." Does she really have THAT wiring? Can't answer that, obviously......but good luck.
I had to read this a number of times to grasp the meaning, and that is not on you. We often think the same thing, and express it totally differently.

At any rate, not all IP attorneys make a ton of money. It's hard on many levels. My husband felt that if you worked as a patent attorney for a company, you had no autonomy. You weren't allowed to listen to the young inventors, and walk them through their ideas.

So, a lot of it is, does she want to work for a big "white shoe" firm, and make junior partner, or does she want to work for a small firm or even be solo?

It's as FWTS said, above.
 
I have a delimma and need advice. My daughter (look through other threads for her pic if you must) was accepted to a top 20 law school in DC, where she wants to work. No scholarship, 100k per year. Figure 250k in student debt upon graduation.

She was just offered a full scholarship to FSU law, no debt upon graduation. Without turning this political, she wants to live anywhere but Florida.

So do you take the free ride in FL then try for connections in the DC area or suck it up, go to top 20 law school and basically have the job of your dreams at your feet?

I know this is a great problem to have and ultimately it will be her decision. I just don't know what advice to give. I am not an attorney and have no clue how hard it is after graduation to move elsewhere and get a decent job. In medicine it's pretty simple. Any advice for this confused mom? BTW, I would love another 3 years of tailgates with her at FSU! My Buckeye boyfriend is willing to pay her a 50k yearly stipend to move🤷‍♀️ (he is over the 800+ mile round trip drives and sh!thole hotels)

I get this question all the time from parents and students and I always answer it the same. There are some general categories of law schools and I think it’s always worth paying extra to jump up a category, but NOT worth paying more to go to another school in the same category. In other words if you can go to Yale or Stanford, you should go regardless of financial aid and cost. But if you had to pay more than a couple of grand to go to Vandy over North Carolina…regardless of USNews and WR ranking it’s not going to really pay off. Maybe you should pay at most $5k difference per year to go to your preferred school within each category.

The categories are:

Elite Schools: It’s only these five schools which rotate around each other in rankings. It’s Stanford, Yale, Chicago, Harvard and Columbia. I used to include only four dropping Columbia but it’s now inching up and I think is now firmly in the Elite school category. Even bottom 10% students from these schools will frequently take jobs from the majority of Regional Plus schools and be competitive against all students outside of the top 10% or so from National schools.

National Schools: The next 10 schools including Penn, UVA, Duke, Georgetown, etc…. Bottom 10% can usually find a good to at least decent legal job anywhere in the country.

Regional Plus: The next 25-30 or so schools including my own William and Mary, Emory, Vandy, Texas, UNC, Notre Dame, etc… These schools will float around from 15 to 35 with a lot of movement from year to year for the most part. But in general while one may excel in one area over another, they basically place their students about the same. The top 10% here will compete with top students from Elite and National schools for top jobs especially in their own state or region, but the next 80% will always lose out to the other two categories middle 80%. The bottom 10% here almost always find real legal jobs but are limited to their region.

Regional: The next 50 or so schools including FSU, Miami, Fordham, Wake Forest, Maryland, Texas A&M, Penn State, Case Western, etc…. The top 10% here aren’t usually winning jobs against top 10% from Elite, National and Regional Plus schools (MAYBE in their region but definitely not outside of it), but they are getting quality jobs over middle 80% from the above schools. The bottom 10% usually don’t find real legal jobs.

State: The next 50 or so schools including Stetson, Louisville, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Brooklyn, St Louis, Ole Miss etc… The valedictorian and maybe a couple other students who are top 10% with Moot Court and Law Review creds will compete for top jobs in their state and maybe close surrounding area. Top 25% usually get good jobs in the state while Bottom 25% usually do not get real legal jobs just corporate nonlaw gigs and bottom 10% usually find themselves jobless.

The others: Anything below the State level I do NOT recommend students go to unless they already have family connections to real legal jobs. Because only maybe the top 20-50% depending on the school even get legal jobs and they’re usually far from ideal. A majority of students either flunk out or don’t find a real legal job. So sure…if the potential student’s dad is a judge or aunt is a partner in a local law firm then go ahead and go because as long as they pass the bar they’ll have a legal job regardless of where they go. But if the potential student has no close family connections they can rely on, there are far better and cheaper options to make money than going to a %*%+ law school and trying to fight your way to the top 20% to get a $40-70k job. I had a job offer for more than that just coming out of undergrad at FSU with Finance and Economics dual degrees.

And I will point out that I didn’t follow the advice I‘ve since learned. I could have gone to Penn and Cornell for just about $10k more per year than I paid at Bill & Mary. And Washington in St Louis offered me a completely free ride which I turned down. (Now hindsight is 20/20 because Washington in St Louis is one of the VERY RARE examples of a school moving up categories and that was because an Anheuser-Busch heir died and left a massive amount (from memory a quarter to a half a BILLION dollars). Very rarely do schools actually shift up or down categories. And as a result their law school vaulted from 50-70s to top 15 in a year or two. But this literally never happens, it took FSU multiple decades to move from state to regional category).
 
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I have a delimma and need advice. My daughter (look through other threads for her pic if you must) was accepted to a top 20 law school in DC, where she wants to work. No scholarship, 100k per year. Figure 250k in student debt upon graduation.

She was just offered a full scholarship to FSU law, no debt upon graduation. Without turning this political, she wants to live anywhere but Florida.

So do you take the free ride in FL then try for connections in the DC area or suck it up, go to top 20 law school and basically have the job of your dreams at your feet?

I know this is a great problem to have and ultimately it will be her decision. I just don't know what advice to give. I am not an attorney and have no clue how hard it is after graduation to move elsewhere and get a decent job. In medicine it's pretty simple. Any advice for this confused mom? BTW, I would love another 3 years of tailgates with her at FSU! My Buckeye boyfriend is willing to pay her a 50k yearly stipend to move🤷‍♀️ (he is over the 800+ mile round trip drives and sh!thole hotels)
Article in WSJ this week about how lives are dramatically changed for those who have student debt vs no student debt…regardless of profession….luck always plays a part in any career, I say avoid the debt and network heavily
 
Her student debt payment would come before rent, car payment, food, entertainment, etc. Not being $250k in debt goes a long way toward quality of life.
I think in terms of flexibility and later options in life after graduation. With no debt she can do whatever she wants, move wherever she wants and opportunities are limitless. With 250k in debt her opportunities are much smaller. The "Golden Handcuffs"

Side note a friend bought up an interesting point the other day. Those who go to college should have financed their debt with credit cards and then simply walked away. The bad debt gets off their credit record in 7 years
 
I think in terms of flexibility and later options in life after graduation. With no debt she can do whatever she wants, move wherever she wants and opportunities are limitless. With 250k in debt her opportunities are much smaller. The "Golden Handcuffs"

Side note a friend bought up an interesting point the other day. Those who go to college should have financed their debt with credit cards and then simply walked away. The bad debt gets off their credit record in 7 years
Can a college student get that much credit? Would a college take a credit card for payment?
 
She can take the loans, I can charge them on my AMEX, get the points and go to Tahiti when she graduates, for free!! Win win!
Skip the points. Try a cash back credit card paying 1.5% (I have) or more and buy your airline tickets and hotels. Always better to book hotels and airlines directly with the company. No need to mess with a third party trying to coordinate all those charges in trip if something goes wrong.

Maybe Amex gives better rewards. I just got a sapphire preferred and get $600 in credit for flights. Pay a $95 annual fee. I'll drop the card now that I have met their minimum spend requirements to get flight credits.
 
Great question! @NoleFan2U.

Any update??

I'm not a lawyer but live in the D.C. area. My Dad was a lawyer and graduated from University of Maryland Law school ages ago. I have two personal attorneys that I hope to never need. :)

What did you post about your Buckeye boyfriend giving her $50K a year?

That has to factor in.

I'm assuming your daughter was accepted into Georgetown, AU or GW law school?

It looks like FSU law school is ranked #47 in America. Not bad.

Has she visited both law schools? That would give her a good idea of her preference.

Florida State law school wouldn't be as respected around D.C. as the others I mentioned. But, $250K is a lotta dough. Free law school is amazing.

If your daughter doesn't care about the reputation, I'd go to FSU.
 
Great question! @NoleFan2U.

Any update??

I'm not a lawyer but live in the D.C. area. My Dad was a lawyer and graduated from University of Maryland Law school ages ago. I have two personal attorneys that I hope to never need. :)

What did you post about your Buckeye boyfriend giving her $50K a year?

That has to factor in.

I'm assuming your daughter was accepted into Georgetown, AU or GW law school?

It looks like FSU law school is ranked #47 in America. Not bad.

Has she visited both law schools? That would give her a good idea of her preference.

Florida State law school wouldn't be as respected around D.C. as the others I mentioned. But, $250K is a lotta dough. Free law school is amazing.

If your daughter doesn't care about the reputation, I'd go to FSU.
Here is the update as of 1-31-23.

She has been accepted to George Washington, American and FSU. She was waitlisted by Boston College, so basically as good as a no. We are still waiting on Emory, Boston University, Northeastern and Fordham.

FSU has called her a few times and she did ask some important questions. She was told that only 9 graduates work in DC, that they are aware of. We talk about the free education at FSU, Her answer to me was very straightforward and honest. I could not argue with it. She told me the next 3 years are going to define her life...The trajectory of her career, finding her bridesmaids and maybe her husband. None of those are in Tallahassee. She is most likely right about all of it.

Her dream was to go to DC. Not sure why, I was born in Suburban Hospital, grew up in Potomac and went to Frostburg for 2 years before moving to South Florida. Don't understand the appeal of DC area but it isn't my life. She was researching GW law and jobs and was not impressed with what she found.

She definitely wants a big city, thus DC, Boston and NYC. Also does not want a "College Town". If she is not accepted to any other school, she has a choice to make. Considering this is her last chance to live elsewhere, without really being an adult, I understand why she wants to go.

This weekend her friends father, who is a partner in a national law firm, is coming to visit. He has told her multiple times to get her law degree and pass the bar, then he will hire her. She is not sure if he means in Tampa where he practices or at any location. Told to ask if he can get her an internship in DC. That could change things but....what if he dies before she graduates? Has a medical issue? Goes crazy and says F-it and moves to New Zealand? You can't count on that 100%. But its a good option to have, for sure!

I have spoke to a few judges here in Florida that I know, as well as a law professor at St Thomas University. They all say go for the free ride. I am very torn on what advice to give her. I had some great advice via DMs from posters here and I have relayed the information to her. She is waiting for answers from all the schools before she really thinks about. I am not sure she clearly understands the impact 300k (or even 100K if she gets scholarships) in loans can have on her. I plan to retire early and since i got her through undergrad free and clear (as a single mom with no help from dad), I am done. I am looking for a get rich quick idea and the only thing I can come up with is running for Congress. :p

I will post an update when she decides!
 
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Wow! Small world. I grew up in Bethesda. :)

The appeal of the D.C. area is, IMO:

1.) A booming economy

2.) A highly educated population

3.) Near mountains, the beach, sports teams, fishing, NYC

4.) Different seasons and a lack of natural disasters like hurricanes, tornados, fires, etc.


It sounds like a coin toss. If she visits both, and really prefers one, that would help her choose.

Good luck to her!
 
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Here is the update as of 1-31-23.

She has been accepted to George Washington, American and FSU. She was waitlisted by Boston College, so basically as good as a no. We are still waiting on Emory, Boston University, Northeastern and Fordham.

FSU has called her a few times and she did ask some important questions. She was told that only 9 graduates work in DC, that they are aware of. We talk about the free education at FSU, Her answer to me was very straightforward and honest. I could not argue with it. She told me the next 3 years are going to define her life...The trajectory of her career, finding her bridesmaids and maybe her husband. None of those are in Tallahassee. She is most likely right about all of it.

Her dream was to go to DC. Not sure why, I was born in Suburban Hospital, grew up in Potomac and went to Frostburg for 2 years before moving to South Florida. Don't understand the appeal of DC area but it isn't my life. She was researching GW law and jobs and was not impressed with what she found.

She definitely wants a big city, thus DC, Boston and NYC. Also does not want a "College Town". If she is not accepted to any other school, she has a choice to make. Considering this is her last chance to live elsewhere, without really being an adult, I understand why she wants to go.

This weekend her friends father, who is a partner in a national law firm, is coming to visit. He has told her multiple times to get her law degree and pass the bar, then he will hire her. She is not sure if he means in Tampa where he practices or at any location. Told to ask if he can get her an internship in DC. That could change things but....what if he dies before she graduates? Has a medical issue? Goes crazy and says F-it and moves to New Zealand? You can't count on that 100%. But its a good option to have, for sure!

I have spoke to a few judges here in Florida that I know, as well as a law professor at St Thomas University. They all say go for the free ride. I am very torn on what advice to give her. I had some great advice via DMs from posters here and I have relayed the information to her. She is waiting for answers from all the schools before she really thinks about. I am not sure she clearly understands the impact 300k (or even 100K if she gets scholarships) in loans can have on her. I plan to retire early and since i got her through undergrad free and clear (as a single mom with no help from dad), I am done. I am looking for a get rich quick idea and the only thing I can come up with is running for Congress. :p

I will post an update when she decides!
I went high school in Falls Church. I don't see the draw either.
You might have her talk to those judges that said go for the free ride. Let her here it from the horse's mouth so to speak.
 
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