<p>I figured this would be a good place to ask since most of you are adults and seem to have a better gauge for how professionals view certain schools. </p>
<p>I am deciding between the University of Southern California and The George Washington University as a transfer.</p>
<p>USC admitted me for Spring 2015 (which is a bummer), and GWU admitted me for Fall 2014 (good)</p>
<p>I am majoring in Political Science, but I figure both are in cities that could get me internships easily.</p>
<p>It seems to me that USC is a wonderful up-and-coming university while GWU may be losing a lot of it's "respect" recently with the scandal thing a few years ago and it's admittance rate going from ~33% to 43% this year.</p>
<p>USC will also be 2-3k more expensive a year than GW for me. This is not a huge deal for me. </p>
<p>So my question is, is GW about a tier below USC when people look at them academically/reputation wise? How do they match up?</p>
<p>I want to go to law school after, it that's worth anything.</p>
<p>I think if you like USC more and feel like you would be happier at USC then you should go with USC, especially since you said the price isn’t an issue.</p>
<p>Both are excellent schools. Here is my opinion…if you would like to someday work in the greater DC area, go to GW. If you want to work on the west coast, go to USC.</p>
<p>Both are well regarded schools so I wouldn’t get too caught up in the ratings or a slight blip in acceptance rates. You can get into a fine law school from either place if you do well. Go to the school you prefer. Think about what is important to you in terms of starting date, location, do you want a school with big time sports etc. I do agree that if you want to settle in the east coast GW has a bigger alumni base and if you want to stay in CA then USC has the better alumni base.</p>
<p>Personally I’d chose GW so I could get started in the fall, because the area surrounding campus is nicer, and because DC is a great place to study political science. But that is my opinion and the only opinion that should count is yours! </p>
<p>How far along in school are you? (Transferring as a sophomore or junior or other?) What is your current school? </p>
<p>If you are transferring as a junior, an extra semester of delay could have a big impact on when you would be able to graduate. As a sophomore, there may still be an impact, but probably not as big. </p>
<p>The differences in prestige between the schools is small, and won’t have any real impact on law school admissions. Which school do you like better? Which geographic area would you like to settle in?</p>
<p>One of DD1’s best friends was admitted spring term to UC Berkeley. At the time, it seemed like a tragedy, but she used the ever-so-brief break to take courses that would, at a minimum, transfer to UCB as elective credit. This may not be an option if you already have the AA degree. You could also use the time for a gap year (semester) experience with travel, community service abroad, an internship in the legal field (if possible), etc. If USC is the priority, then this little blip will be only that. </p>
<p>Since you have the option of both universities, I would GO to them now and drill down all details. Talk with the department chair of each, talk with students in your intended major, etc. Get the feel of the campus. Both are very urban, but USC is more of a campus, so that may matter to you. Law school is all about grades and LSAT, as previously stated, so either is probably fine, but you might look at your aspirational law schools, too, and see who they accept from the various universities across the country. Begin with the end in mind! </p>