Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
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Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Is Penn significantly better at any one thing? Their placement seems to be roughly the same even though Penn is ranked higher. If both are at sticker, does it make any sense to choose Cornell over Penn?
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Zeile wrote:Is Penn significantly better at any one thing? Their placement seems to be roughly the same even though Penn is ranked higher. If both are at sticker, does it make any sense to choose Cornell over Penn?
no.
- MrPapagiorgio
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Cornell did have better hiring in the NLJ 250 in the past year, but overall, I would say Penn > Cornell. Although, Veyron is at Penn, so I personally would choose Cornell. 

- jtemp320
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
I have no qualifications to say this except having spent way too much time on TLS but I'd say there is a difference but depending on your goals it may not be that significant. If, for example, your goal is NY biglaw [but not highest vault firm possible] and you'd actually prefer Cornell to Penn (bc of weather and isolation alone I know I wouldn't) then go ahead and pick Cornell - its not insane. That said no matter what its for Penn is probably going to have some kind of edge.
Last edited by jtemp320 on Tue May 17, 2011 5:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Yes, there are certain high prestige firms that recruit from Penn but not Cornell. If you want to work for one of those firms then you should consider that in your calculus.
Considering that you are asking this question, it probably shouldn't matter that much to you since you are probably not a prestige whore.
Considering that you are asking this question, it probably shouldn't matter that much to you since you are probably not a prestige whore.
- Rock-N-Roll
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
I think the OPs question might be an offshoot of the larger question of how to functionally (and meaningfully) categorize the T14:
HYS CCN MVPB DCNG
vs.
HYS CCNMVPBDCNG
HYS CCN MVPB DCNG
vs.
HYS CCNMVPBDCNG
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Short answer: pretty much no
Long answer:
HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
GT + UT
USC / UCLA / Vandy
Everyone else
I am of firm belief that the there is negligible difference between any schools ranked 7 - 13.
The real differences start to become apparent when you enter the CCN range and especially the HYS range.
Thus, it would not be crazy to choose Cornell over Penn if both were at sticker. If you would prefer to live in Ithaca rather than Philadelphia (not sure why anyone would), then choosing Cornell would be fine IMO.
Long answer:
HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
GT + UT
USC / UCLA / Vandy
Everyone else
I am of firm belief that the there is negligible difference between any schools ranked 7 - 13.
The real differences start to become apparent when you enter the CCN range and especially the HYS range.
Thus, it would not be crazy to choose Cornell over Penn if both were at sticker. If you would prefer to live in Ithaca rather than Philadelphia (not sure why anyone would), then choosing Cornell would be fine IMO.
- MrPapagiorgio
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
lawyerwannabe wrote:Short answer: pretty much no
Long answer:
HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
GT + UT
USC / UCLA / Vandy
Everyone else
I am of firm belief that the there is negligible difference between any schools ranked 7 - 13.
The real differences start to become apparent when you enter the CCN range and especially the HYS range.
Thus, it would not be crazy to choose Cornell over Penn if both were at sticker. If you would prefer to live in Ithaca rather than Philadelphia (not sure why anyone would), then choosing Cornell would be fine IMO.
Blatant anti-WUSTL trolling. That said, OP, you will be hard-pressed to find anyone on this board who will tell you to pick Cornell over Penn at the same cost.
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- Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 4:54 pm
Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Visit both & decide since the scant info. shared in your original post suggests that neither is a bad choice for you.
P.S. Congratulations !
P.S. Congratulations !
- dpk711
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
I see the gap as being similar to NYU vs. Penn. While NYU is higher ranked and has a slight edge over Penn, if you like Penn better you are better served going to Penn. I actually chose Penn over NYU since I have a personal affinity to Philly. Similarly, if you like Cornell better (to be honest though it's in Ithaca) then you should go there over Penn, although it lags behind slightly in rankings and prestigious firm hiring. But regardless, congrats!
- Grizz
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
lawyerwannabe wrote:HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
GT + UT
USC / UCLA / Vandy
Everyone else
Disgusting UT trolling.
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- Posts: 20072
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:06 pm
Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
rad law wrote:lawyerwannabe wrote:HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
GT + UT
USC / UCLA / Vandy
Everyone else
Disgusting UT trolling.
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- Posts: 945
- Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:39 pm
Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
bk1 wrote:rad law wrote:lawyerwannabe wrote:HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
GT + UT
USC / UCLA / Vandy
Everyone else
Disgusting UT trolling.
Lol. Would you like me to just combine the last two groupings?
Whether you agree or disagree with where I placed Texas, I was simply trying to illustrate the minimal difference between UPenn and Cornell to show OP he wouldn't be insane to take the latter over the former.
- Veyron
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
MrPapagiorgio wrote:Cornell did have better hiring in the NLJ 250 in the past year, but overall, I would say Penn > Cornell. Although, Veyron is at Penn, so I personally would choose Cornell.
But besides that, Penn is better in every way. You just have to ask yourself if you can live with that one major flaw.
- Moxie
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
MrPapagiorgio wrote:Cornell did have better hiring in the NLJ 250 in the past year, but overall, I would say Penn > Cornell. Although, Veyron is at Penn, so I personally would choose Cornell.
TITCR. And Cornell's NLJ250 placement was a very big change from the year before, so only time will tell if the latest stats were an anomaly or more indicative of Cornell's placement power. Either way, Veyron should be enough to deter you from Penn

- dpk711
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- Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:24 pm
Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Veyron wrote:MrPapagiorgio wrote:Cornell did have better hiring in the NLJ 250 in the past year, but overall, I would say Penn > Cornell. Although, Veyron is at Penn, so I personally would choose Cornell.
But besides that, Penn is better in every way. You just have to ask yourself if you can live with that one major flaw.
Even with NLJ250 numbers, Penn traditionally does better than Cornell. Further, a lot more prestigious firms come for OCI to Penn than Cornell.
- glewz
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Veyron wrote:MrPapagiorgio wrote:Cornell did have better hiring in the NLJ 250 in the past year, but overall, I would say Penn > Cornell. Although, Veyron is at Penn, so I personally would choose Cornell.
But besides that, Penn is better in every way. You just have to ask yourself if you can live with that one major flaw.
Veyron, you crack me up

OP, both schools are excellent - visit them though, as the environments are dramatically different. Beyond costs, I sincerely think that environment trumps any potential concerns about (minor) fluctuations in career prospects.
- johnnyutah
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Zeile wrote:Is Penn significantly better at any one thing?
Penn is significantly better at being in a place that is not Ithaca.
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
johnnyutah wrote:Zeile wrote:Is Penn significantly better at any one thing?
Penn is significantly better at being in a place that is not Ithaca.
LOL
and for what its worth
HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
G
- coldshoulder
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
T14FM wrote:
HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
G
Fucking troll.

- Blindmelon
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- Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:13 am
Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
bk1 wrote:rad law wrote:lawyerwannabe wrote:HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
GT + UT
USC / UCLA / Vandy
Everyone else
Disgusting UT trolling.
And USC trolling.
- dpk711
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:24 pm
Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Blindmelon wrote:bk1 wrote:rad law wrote:lawyerwannabe wrote:HYS
CCN
MVPBDCN
GT + UT
USC / UCLA / Vandy
Everyone else
Disgusting UT trolling.And USC trolling.
USC's placement in SoCal is almost identical to UCLA's.
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
Ithaca or Philadelphia
(I would chose death over either option)
(I would chose death over either option)
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Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
I feel uniquely qualified to answer this, having been at Florida State during the end of Bowden's tenure there:
Penn has been hurting over the past few years, sure, but things will start looking up immediately when Paterno retires. He's just too old to do the job anymore; people don't realize how hands-on and personalized a recruiting campaign has to be to be effective, and JoePa just doesn't have the juice to recruit nationally these days.
But it's a storied program, kids will still want to go there, and you'll see them rise to the top of the Big 10 again in no time once it happens. I say go to Penn!
Penn has been hurting over the past few years, sure, but things will start looking up immediately when Paterno retires. He's just too old to do the job anymore; people don't realize how hands-on and personalized a recruiting campaign has to be to be effective, and JoePa just doesn't have the juice to recruit nationally these days.
But it's a storied program, kids will still want to go there, and you'll see them rise to the top of the Big 10 again in no time once it happens. I say go to Penn!
- Renne Walker
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- Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:12 am
Re: Is there any difference between Penn and Cornell?
flcath wrote:Penn has been hurting over the past few years, sure, but things will start looking up immediately when Paterno retires. I say go to Penn!
That hits me as funny. . . some people think UPenn and Penn State are the same!
I chose NYU over Penn (it was a close call), but I would have selected Penn over Cornell. Mainly because of location and the school’s ranking. To directly answer your question, I would assume Penn has a little more going for it on the OCI level because of its big city location, ditto NYU.
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