I was recently accepted to Georgetown as a transfer and I’m having some trouble deciding whether to transfer or to continue in UCSB’s Honors Program. Georgetown has some obvious pluses, being a private school with a “better reputation” and a strong government program. But since attending UCSB and meeting plenty of very intelligent people and fantastic professors, I’ve realized that its “poor” reputation is very baseless and its only real fault lies in its suburban location and occasionally larger class sizes.
I plan on probably attending law school, and I know for a fact my GPA at UCSB would be significantly higher than if I transferred to Georgetown (I currently have a 4.0 at UCSB and am feeling sufficiently challenged- I just work very hard). Since law school is largely a numbers game, and there have been plenty of UCSB alumni who attend USC/Columbia/Berkeley/even Harvard Law, I feel like my prospects of attending a great law school aren’t at all marred by staying here. I’m definitely comfortable, and while I don’t feel incredibly challenged by my peers, I have met tons of people whose intelligence far surpasses mine and the professors here really are top-knotch in almost every department.
Georgetown is, of course, more impressive to the average person, and I’m sure provides a fantastic educational experience in order to have gained that prestige. But I’m not sure if I can rationalize transferring and paying about $10-15k more a year if I want to go to law school in the end. I’m just so surprised and flattered to have gotten in that I feel like I can’t just disregard my acceptance and stay at UCSB that easily. I want to give it a lot of thought and I’m visiting for the first time next month.
I like Georgetown’s gov program, obviously, but I also feel very satisfied with UCSB’s Global Studies program. All my professors have come from Harvard or Columbia, are very open during office hours, and we’ve had countless guest speakers from the UN, former ambassadors, and grassroots leaders. I plan on studying abroad for a year at either LSE or UCL anyway, so I’m not sure if transferring is really necessary to gain that international experience. Clearly, I’m leaning towards UCSB but it’s hard to simply ignore an acceptance from one of the country’s most prestigious universities.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated, so long as it doesn’t bring in UCSB’s reputation as a reason to go to Georgetown. Among the academic and graduate school world, it means nothing. And I can defend UCSB night and day, so know that the reputation means very little to me.
Thanks in advance 
Save the money so you have more options for law school. Stay at UCSB.
Well, Gtown both on its own reputation coupled with being in the nation’s capital, is unsurpassed with both internships and actual entry level jobs in government and public policy. That would certainly be a consideration I would closely gauge…
You like UCSB, stay at UCSB.
Georgetown will give you far more opportunities and its locations is UNBEATABLE LIKE WOOHOO.
Will you be able to leave Georgetown with no debt? Law school is very expensive. UCSB honors is very good, and you have learned that first-hand. Georgetown may give you a slight edge in law school admissions, but that would be tempered by the savings UCSB represents.
What is the financial situation with your family? What are your law school plans? Hiring for law school graduates is not what it once was, so saving money now may pay off in the long run.
I personally don’t think the students at Georgetown are going to be markedly more intelligent than your honors peers at UCSB, if at all. However, Georgetown may have slightly better law placement overall, given its traditional strengths and location.
Both are great schools. You can’t go wrong at either school.
Most of GUs students spend their 3rd year studying abroad. Whether 1/2 year, full year, or for the summer, there are lots of options and opportunities.
https://studyabroad.georgetown.edu/program-types
Also, GU has an Early Assurance Program to their law school in which the LSAT is not required. Stats from 2008 - 2013 show an average of 22 admits each year, and an average 40% admit rate.
https://www.law.georgetown.edu/admissions-financial-aid/jd-admissions/early-assurance-program/
I would graduate Georgetown with about $15k in debt, and it would be $10k more a year out of pocket. UCSB would be debt free, and it’s even cheaper than we anticipated so there are savings. I think that’s valuable when it comes to LSAT practice tests and other eventual expenses like that. That being said I, as no freshman should be, am not 100% sure if I want to go to law school and I don’t know what industries I’m really interested in. I do know for sure that I want to live and work in LA so going to Georgetown for both undergrad and law school seems like it would kind of place me on the east coast. I don’t think I want a government or public policy job so I’m not sure that Georgetown would offer much of an advantage. Thank you all for the insight,
Where you end up for your career is dependent upon you. You won’t necessarily end up in the East Coast if you attend GU, or remain in SoCal if you stay at UCSB.
Some of my GU classmates went onto law schools at Yale, Columbia, GU, George Washington, William & Mary, etc and have gone to work all over the country and internationally. Other classmates by-passed grad/professional school and entered the Civil Service, Defense Contracting, private sector, taken international jobs, or joined the military. This is no different than at any other university.
As a rising Junior, it behooves you to focus on what your post graduation plans are. If you’re unsure of law school, that can wait… but not too long. Just make sure whatever path you choose, it prepares you for the next phase of your potential academic/professional goal(s).
That’s true @“SFS Rules” but coming from a Persian family in Los Angeles it’s certainly harder to swallow the prospect of spending both undergrad and grad school so far from family haha
I’m a rising sophomore so luckily I have a little bit more time to gauge what I want to do, but I’m almost positive that public policy is not an interest of mine. I did a fellowship thing with the United Nations Association and did enjoy that experience, and I’m sure Georgetown would be the far better choice for a prospective UN employee, but if I choose not to go that route I don’t know if it’d be worth it.
As far as internships, downtown Santa Barbara is booming with law firms and legal resource centers, so while it’s obviously not comparable to DC, I have some opportunities here as well.
I guess I’m just conflicted because I feel like no one in my position would stay at UCSB based off prestige alone. Almost everyone I’ve spoken to has been so impressed to hear about Georgetown, and so ambivalent about UCSB, that it almost feels like the only pull-factor towards Georgetown is the “obviousness” of my decision in the public perception. I’m sure I’d like the surrounding area loads more than I like Isla Vista since I don’t really like the SBCC students in the area and it can feel like a bit of an isolated wasteland at times, but again I’m not sure if that’s reason enough to take on some debt.
At georgetown I would also be doing work study, on top of balancing what I imagine to be harder academics in a more competitive environment, so I’m not sure if internships would even be very viable.
At this point I’m just thinking out loud because I’m really conflicted. It’s hard because I don’t love UCSB with all my being, but I can easily recognize its academic quality and I’m pretty sure I’ll be happier here next year since I’m familiar with everything. But I can also see myself being happy at Georgetown since the environment is much nicer and students are probably more intellectual than they are here. But then again transferring isn’t the easiest decision socially, and my GPA could drop amidst the big changes in competition and culture. And a bad GPA would pretty much rule out some of my law schools.
Well, familiar does not mean better–but that is something for you to personally assess.
^^^^ This.
Go where your instinct (or budget) tells you. Everything else will fall into place, for better or worst.