.

[coffeetablebook]

.

[Nelson]

Darrow. No question. The NY schools don't give you a big advantage for clerking over Michigan.

[WokeUpInACar]

I can't see any way that NYU is worth >$125k more than Michigan, and Columbia certainly isn't worth >$200k more. Michigan for sure.

[qwertyboard]

Michigan.... I thought about it for like .00001 seconds...

[bruinfan10]

I don't mean to be a douche, but are you a COMPLETE idiot? Do me a favor and go to Columbia at sticker so someone who understands the implications of getting Darrow can have it. Dean Z will be pissed, but she'll get over it.

And just to be a little constructive, although I don't know why I'm trying to sell you, Michigan punches above its weight for clerkships (i.e. really damn well), while Columbia's clerkship stats are an embarrassment. http://abovethelaw.com/2013/04/which-la ... lacements/

Edit: It's possible you're placing your partner's concerns over your own. If that's the case I'm the douche. But what people are trying to tell you is you'd be sacrificing a lot.

[wisdom]

I agree with the majority viewpoint. You're going to have to kill it at any of those three schools to clerk (probably 10-15 percent clerk in a normal year, closer to 10). See:

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/c ... clerkships

Michigan and NYU actually have better clerkship placement than Columbia and better than Penn, Chicago, etc., at least for the most recent year. So I think it's no question you go with Michigan if your goal is a combo of clerkship & law firm or government afterward. CLS is the top feeder for NYC corporate law firms, but unless you are DEAD set on that, I wouldn't even think of CLS. And even then I'd recommend Michigan, which is no slacker at placing its students.

[tabula rasa]

Send your Darrow offer to NYU/Columbia and negotiate for more aid. You lose nothing and there's only a risk they throw an extremely attractive offer your way.

[bruinfan10]

Send your Darrow offer to NYU/Columbia and negotiate for more aid. You lose nothing and there's only a risk they throw an extremely attractive offer your way.

That's a good idea. But from the info OP provided, it sounds like s/he happens to be the exact type of person Dean Z freaks out about. If s/he had typical Darrow numbers, s/he'd already have gotten better money from the NY schools and likely an offer from one of HYS. Some people don't know how good they have it.

[coffeetablebook]

good to hear my inclination confirmed by the hive mind.