Georgetown Law School housing vs living at home

[Anonymous]

GULC alum.

Your first year grades are incredibly important. Study groups are fairly important for law school. Particularly first year

I would spend the first year on campus even if it costs more

[Anonymous]

At GULC, I’d live on or near campus first year. Then I think it’s fine to live off the next two years. I’m not sure of the construction status there with Gewirz being slated for a tear down. Anyone know where students will be housed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Planning is great, but he sounds like a kid who is overly fixated on figuring out his life many years in advance. That’s not necessary in this case, and actually can spin into anxiety and analysis paralysis.

To put it bluntly, my advice is to slow down and focus on one step at a time. Here’s what that looks like:

(1) Apply this fall to Georgetown, GW, and other schools that interest him, too. Put his best foot forward and use all the resources his college provides, including the pre-law advisor etc.

(2) Find out in the spring where he is accepted. Hopefully that includes GW and Georgetown, if those are still his top choices. (But if he does not get into either school, this entire issue of living at home while going to law school in 2026 is moot.)

(3) Consider the pros and cons each school that accepted him, including cost. If Georgetown or GW are options, break down costs into two options: living at home vs. living independently.

(4) If Georgetown or GW are still in the mix, THIS is the time to learn more about whether he would be happier and better-served living at home vs. living independently.

So … here’s what he should do now:

Put a note in his planner to reconsider this question in March or April 2026, when it will be “ripe.”

“Parking” future issues where they belong is an excellent life skill that will serve him well as a lawyer and in life, more generally.

There is no need to “borrow problems from the future.” That is a distraction from more pressing and present decisions, and often a feeder for rumination and anxiety. Best to learn that now, as an undergrad, before diving into law school 15 months from now.

Good luck to him with his senior year in college and the law school admissions process!

What does the bolded portions mean ????

[Anonymous]

It is kind of ridiculous to have this thread when acceptance rates are getting lower for these law schools.

Georgetown has more applications than any other law school so good luck getting in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At GULC, I’d live on or near campus first year. Then I think it’s fine to live off the next two years. I’m not sure of the construction status there with Gewirz being slated for a tear down. Anyone know where students will be housed?

GU law built brand new housing, one side directly facing Gonzaga football field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ridiculous to have this thread when acceptance rates are getting lower for these law schools.

Georgetown has more applications than any other law school so good luck getting in.

Ha ha THAT’S not why this thread is ridiculous.

What’s ridiculous is that there are so many detailed responses to a mother asking whether her adult son should live at home during law school. Is this really something one needs to crowd source?

What’s also ridiculous is that the poor guy has to shell out 300k for law school because the parents wasted all that money on private schools and private colleges. With the amount of money that they wasted they could have bought the kid a condo!

There is just so much wrong with this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At GULC, I’d live on or near campus first year. Then I think it’s fine to live off the next two years. I’m not sure of the construction status there with Gewirz being slated for a tear down. Anyone know where students will be housed?

GU law built brand new housing, one side directly facing Gonzaga football field.

Gonzaga rents that building to Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Live at home and reduce his debt load. It's a no-brainer.

My ex-BIL lived at home during law school at U-Conn. It was great decision for him - home cooked meals, laundry, quiet place to study, not taking on extra debt, etc. In fact, it likely reduced his partying since he wasn't living with friends. By the time he graduated, he had a very good job lined up with a prominent Hartford area law firm and was engaged (got married a year later).

I think it was a good thing for him. Then again, he was always studious and responsible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private law school is expensive. Loans are a lot. Not everyone can or wants to break into biglaw, so starting salaries vary. Save money and live at home. Only move out if that doesn’t work out well for anyone involved.

In the mid-late 90s my Fed agency used to pay for law school nights—and grad school.

Most of us worked 9-5pm and then went to class. I got a Master’s- but so many of my co-workers got law degrees from Catholic, GU, GW, American, GMU. It was a great program.

My cousin’s law firm picked up her law school debt when she was hired. She had to work x number of years for them in the contract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At GULC, I’d live on or near campus first year. Then I think it’s fine to live off the next two years. I’m not sure of the construction status there with Gewirz being slated for a tear down. Anyone know where students will be housed?

GU law built brand new housing, one side directly facing Gonzaga football field.

Gonzaga rents that building to Georgetown.

GU holds a 99 year lease, about 97 remaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GULC alum.

Your first year grades are incredibly important. Study groups are fairly important for law school. Particularly first year

I would spend the first year on campus even if it costs more

GULC alum here too. I disagree. He should keep loans as low as possible by living at home. He doesn't want more debt.

I also think the on campus folks are particularly neurotic and feed on each other's anxiety. The folks who did best had some balance and perspective. I was older and married and routinely rolled my eyes at those panicking over exams.

[Anonymous]

I agree about keeping loans as small as possible. I borrowed enough for tuition only and cobbled together living expenses through savings from my college job and working 2 jobs over the summers. I was very grateful when my classmates all had 200k in debt and I had about $70k after financial aid, which I paid off in less than 2 years.

I would advise him to stay away from the Golden Handcuffs of too much debt, at any point in life.

[Anonymous]

He should live at home to save money. I don’t know where he could get money like that, and it’s a waste.
One of mine hopes to get into nearby med school with intent of living at home. Will save $30,000 a year.

[Anonymous]

I don’t live in the area so I’m not sure how inconvenient it is to live off campus, but living with you would be a huge benefit. Having less loaned out is the goal, especially with all the craziness about public service loan forgiveness being taken off the table. If anyone makes him feel bad for living at home, they’re just pretentious. My parents live in a college town and had I gotten into its PhD program, I would have tried to live at home a year or two to save money. If he absolutely hates it after a year, maybe he can live with friends in later years.

[Anonymous]

I think you’re really putting the cart before the carriage if he’s anticipating starting law school in fall 2026. He still needs to apply and be accepted. No need to start deciding on housing now. Figure that out later, in about a year!