Here are things to consider about graduating early:
Pros:
1) Saving a year of tuition.
2) A year of experience is worth more than double that in school.
3) Earning from the internship/job will supplement the money you saved on school.
Cons:
1) Senior year rocks (like it did in High School). Missing out on it could be a sad thing.
-Ankur
Pros:
1) Saving a year of tuition.
2) A year of experience is worth more than double that in school.
3) Earning from the internship/job will supplement the money you saved on school.
Cons:
1) Senior year rocks (like it did in High School). Missing out on it could be a sad thing.
-Ankur
anxman - Thank you for the pros and cons - some of the same things I had been considering.
I did the same thing in h.s., worked my ass off for the first three years, then sat back and vegged my senior year. I am now in the same situation that I was in then (could've graduated early (well, gone to a cc a year early)).
So, what do I do? I'm taking the LSAT no matter what. I could do that, see how I do, then if I like the grade, I could just decide to stay an extra year anyway - do a law firm internship, or maybe spend the whole time studying for the CPA exam. I'd then have my CPA license (minus the experience and the actual license,
) by 22 and then be able to go to law school right after. I might stand a better chance of getting a job at whatever law school I attend (not to mention getting in).
I do have a scholarship that pays tuition (well, it did before all the tuition hikes,isgust, so I'd be paying ~$500 a quarter for tuition plus this next summer.
Hmmm, now that I'm thinking about it, the cost itself doesn't really go one way or the other. If I could get into a low-cost law school, and I worked two jobs every summer, I might stand a better chance of coming out with low debt, and I'd have the extra year to work/do internships with a law degree.
I did the same thing in h.s., worked my ass off for the first three years, then sat back and vegged my senior year. I am now in the same situation that I was in then (could've graduated early (well, gone to a cc a year early)).
So, what do I do? I'm taking the LSAT no matter what. I could do that, see how I do, then if I like the grade, I could just decide to stay an extra year anyway - do a law firm internship, or maybe spend the whole time studying for the CPA exam. I'd then have my CPA license (minus the experience and the actual license,
) by 22 and then be able to go to law school right after. I might stand a better chance of getting a job at whatever law school I attend (not to mention getting in).I do have a scholarship that pays tuition (well, it did before all the tuition hikes,
isgust, so I'd be paying ~$500 a quarter for tuition plus this next summer. Hmmm, now that I'm thinking about it, the cost itself doesn't really go one way or the other. If I could get into a low-cost law school, and I worked two jobs every summer, I might stand a better chance of coming out with low debt, and I'd have the extra year to work/do internships with a law degree.
Looking at this from a different perspective - taking a fourth year would let me graduate with honors from economics, even though it would only raise my cumulative GPA to a 3.55. I do not know how much of an impact that would have in law school/scholarship decisions.
You should also look at what kind of schools people in the field you want to go into come out of.
I.e. big firms that do corporate law only recruit from the top 20 schools...
I'm not certain, but I think that a lot of public policy lawyers come from the top 20 schools...
I.e. big firms that do corporate law only recruit from the top 20 schools...
I'm not certain, but I think that a lot of public policy lawyers come from the top 20 schools...
go for the fourth year. the way i see it, whats the rush of graduating? if u graduate now, you'll be stuck in a tough economy. might as well keep on learning and come out when there are plenty of jobs available.
Well, it's not as if I would be working right away - I'm going to be going to law school no matter what, unless I really like the CPA work on its own merit.
do you care what kind of work? george mason.. might as well be dc, it's expensive there. but.. william and mary is better, williamsburg isn't so spendy.. and the colonial area is right there by campus, right next door.. there's all kinds of work you can do there, if you're not choosy and don't mind wearin' knickers..
The way I have it worked out, if I decide to stay an extra year (assuming I don't get into the schools I want), I would take an intensive accounting class over the summer between my jr and sr year that would allow me to sit for the CPA exam within the couple years after, then take 12 credits a quarter for that last year - they'd be easy classes, I would have a chance to graduate with departmental honors, do an econ paper or two, etc. Cost is the biggest factor: I think the scholarship I have currently pays around $1,300 (of $1650 total cost) per quarter, but I am not sure - future increases in tuition are also a factor. I'd have to pay for that summer quarter, however, along with regular living expenses.
On the other hand, since I'd only be doing 12 credits/qtr my senior year, I could also get an internship or something similar working three or four days a week, get some experience and earn some money.
What I have in mind is something similar to what I have now as a Community Assistant (or Resident Adviser, if you will). I've already had correspondence with GMU, they do have Graduate Assistants, but not in the same availability as regular RA's. Depending on how rigorous and demanding the schedule is each quarter, I may just get a job on campus as well, to ease costs and decrease my debt load.
GMU has cheaper tuition; I would love to go to W&M, as my sister went there, but I do not know if I could afford tuition there. Likewise, I do not know my chances of getting accepted.
if you can live on campus then george mason probably won't be too awful, cost wise.. if you have to find housing off campus it's going to hurt. both my nephews are at william and mary now (undergrads, senior and freshman).. but i tell ya, ya oughta look at usc! as places to live go, columbia's pretty cheap! and.. campus is right next to the state house.. we're swimmin' in lawyers, legislators and policymakers and.. that kinda stuff.
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