Alabama vs Cornell undergrad Forum

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Marns

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Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by Marns » Thu Oct 04, 2018 11:53 pm

I’m a current high school senior applying to colleges. I have a full in-state acedemic scholarship to the University of Alabama. However, I will also be applying to Cornell, Dartmouth, UVA, and a few other top schools. Based on my academic profile, I’m not concerned that I will be denied from all of these colleges. My real question is if it worth my money to attend one of these prestigious institutions if it means draining my entire college fund. I would like to go to a top law school eventually, and am wondering if going to Alabama would put me at a disadvantage (I know that it has a pretty good law school on campus). Also, I am interested in hearing from anyone familiar with the quality of Alabama’s law school matriculation. All comments are appreciated. Thanks

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by QContinuum » Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:18 pm

Undergrad school prestige may give you a slight boost around the edges when it comes time to apply to law school, but the effect (if any) is likely to be small. Your undergraduate GPA and your LSAT score will be vastly more important than college prestige (e.g., totally making up numbers, but an applicant from Dartmouth with the exact same GPA/LSAT/softs as an applicant from Alabama might have the edge, but the applicant from Alabama would probably win if the Alabamian had a GPA higher by as little as 0.1 or an LSAT higher by as little as a point or two). In your shoes I'd go to Alabama - huge difference between attending college tuition-free and paying >$200k tuition to attend Dartmouth.

I also think that, while it's commendable you're thinking about this early, it's a bit too early to commit yourself to a narrow focus on pursuing law school. College is (and should be) a place for exploration and discovery. You may very well find that your interests lie more toward medicine, or finance, or engineering, or the arts, instead of the law. Even after graduation, it's increasingly common (and even preferable) for students to take a gap year or two to get some real-world WE before diving into law school. Don't limit yourself by committing to pursuing a J.D. from day one of freshman orientation. College may very likely surprise you.

(Incidentally, that might be one factor in favor of attending a school like Dartmouth - it'll likely open many more non-legal doors for you than a degree from Alabama. Management consulting, for example, is a common path for Ivy League graduates, but not so much from Alabama.)

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HenryHankPalmer

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by HenryHankPalmer » Sat Oct 06, 2018 12:51 am

How many SEC championships has Dartmouth won?

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by rwhyAn » Sat Oct 06, 2018 10:19 am

I’ve always tried to avoid debt like the plague. I went to a cheap state undergrad, and I went to law school for free at my state flagship university, a second tier school. I can tell you one thing—it’s an amazing feeling not having any debt. A 3.8 from UA would be better for law school admissions than a 3.7 from an Ivy. An ivy would probably be more advantageous if you weren’t looking at Law School, but then again, the debt might be crippling. I’d probably say Roll Tide in your situation.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by blackmamba8 » Sat Oct 06, 2018 2:41 pm

Bro, go to Alabama, have the time of your life, and save the college fund for law school. School prestige doesn't matter for law school applications. Going to Alabama won't hinder you when you're applying to schools. Just focus on getting a high GPA and LSAT score.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by sandyeggo » Fri Nov 02, 2018 2:25 pm

I went to Alabama undergrad (over several top 10 universities) and not only did I love it but I graduated debt free and was accepted to several T10 law schools with generous scholarships. Girls in my sorority are now at Yale and Stanford law too. Law schools DGAF were you went as long as you have a high GPA and LSAT that will make them look good. Save your college fund.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by Marns » Sun Feb 03, 2019 2:47 pm

Thanks for the input. I have decided to go Alabama

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by popgoestheweasel » Sun Feb 03, 2019 3:19 pm

Please reconsider that decision.

Ibanks, consulting firms, plenty of a fortune 500 training programs, and high caliber firms will never interview an Alabama graduate. If you go to Alabama (and come out w a lesser job because you didn't go to Dartmouth) and have to attend LS, interviewers will judge you for going there as opposed to an Ivy League school. I'm not trying to be an elitist but the advice you received is short sighted and comes from people who almost certainly didn't have a shot at working for Goldman Sachs or McKinsey.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by QContinuum » Sun Feb 03, 2019 4:31 pm

popgoestheweasel wrote:Please reconsider that decision.

Ibanks, consulting firms, plenty of a fortune 500 training programs, and high caliber firms will never interview an Alabama graduate. If you go to Alabama (and come out w a lesser job because you didn't go to Dartmouth) and have to attend LS, interviewers will judge you for going there as opposed to an Ivy League school. I'm not trying to be an elitist but the advice you received is short sighted and comes from people who almost certainly didn't have a shot at working for Goldman Sachs or McKinsey.
I agree that going to Cornell would give OP more options, esp. w.r.t. ibanking and consulting, and perhaps (to a lesser extent) certain F500 training programs. But it's manifestly untrue that BigLaw, BigFed, or other legal employers care about what college someone went to. Legal employers care about your law school and your law school grades. That is it. They don't care about your LSAT score, they don't care about your undergrad GPA, and they certainly don't care where you went to college. No legal employer is going to sneer at a (for example) Cornell Law student for having attended Alabama undergrad.

(At the extreme margins, sure, I can see a degree from a for-profit college raising eyebrows - but that's not remotely the case here. Alabama's a solid school.)

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by Wubbles » Mon Feb 04, 2019 5:43 pm

I wouldn't go to Cornell for undergrad if you plan on law school. Grade deflation is real there, and the school is stressful. A good state school that doesn't deflate is the perfect place to go before law school. Relax, have fun, learn about life, and get good grades. Then kill the LSAT and go to Penn or whatever.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by ughbugchugplug » Tue Feb 05, 2019 2:38 pm

Marns wrote:I’m a current high school senior applying to colleges. I have a full in-state acedemic scholarship to the University of Alabama. However, I will also be applying to Cornell, Dartmouth, UVA, and a few other top schools. Based on my academic profile, I’m not concerned that I will be denied from all of these colleges. My real question is if it worth my money to attend one of these prestigious institutions if it means draining my entire college fund. I would like to go to a top law school eventually, and am wondering if going to Alabama would put me at a disadvantage (I know that it has a pretty good law school on campus). Also, I am interested in hearing from anyone familiar with the quality of Alabama’s law school matriculation. All comments are appreciated. Thanks
I went to a state school for undergrad and then went to a T14. I agree that if you plan to go to law school it won’t make a difference, but you should consider that it will make a tremendous difference if you don’t continue schooling. I had trouble getting a job in general, including telemarketing, from my state school. Granted, we were in the middle of a big recession, but I know lots, probably more than 50%, of my old classmates that are struggling to make a living wage. That’s true whether they were biomedical engineers (lab work is one of the few options from there and pays horribly) or English majors or even chemistry masters.

You will not have that problem with an Ivy League education, but you may if you don’t. I know if feels like you’re invincible in high school, but lots of smart and driven young people come to realize after college that they will not rocket to success without ingraining themselves in the elite institutions that offer pathways into high paying jobs.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by The Lsat Airbender » Tue Feb 05, 2019 3:49 pm

ughbugchugplug wrote:
Marns wrote:I’m a current high school senior applying to colleges. I have a full in-state acedemic scholarship to the University of Alabama. However, I will also be applying to Cornell, Dartmouth, UVA, and a few other top schools. Based on my academic profile, I’m not concerned that I will be denied from all of these colleges. My real question is if it worth my money to attend one of these prestigious institutions if it means draining my entire college fund. I would like to go to a top law school eventually, and am wondering if going to Alabama would put me at a disadvantage (I know that it has a pretty good law school on campus). Also, I am interested in hearing from anyone familiar with the quality of Alabama’s law school matriculation. All comments are appreciated. Thanks
I went to a state school for undergrad and then went to a T14. I agree that if you plan to go to law school it won’t make a difference, but you should consider that it will make a tremendous difference if you don’t continue schooling. I had trouble getting a job in general, including telemarketing, from my state school. Granted, we were in the middle of a big recession, but I know lots, probably more than 50%, of my old classmates that are struggling to make a living wage. That’s true whether they were biomedical engineers (lab work is one of the few options from there and pays horribly) or English majors or even chemistry masters.

You will not have that problem with an Ivy League education, but you may if you don’t. I know if feels like you’re invincible in high school, but lots of smart and driven young people come to realize after college that they will not rocket to success without ingraining themselves in the elite institutions that offer pathways into high paying jobs.
Disagree with the bolded. Plenty of Cornell grades struggled to find jobs during the recession. I would much rather have stayed in-state and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars if 2023 turns out to be as bad as 2010.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by popgoestheweasel » Tue Feb 05, 2019 5:08 pm

What it comes down to is this. A HS senior can only be so sure they want to be an attorney. The sage move is to go to as elite an undergrad as possible because it will keep infinitely more doors open and can lead to a high 5 figures/low 6 figures job post grad. An SEC school will not, repeat will not, carry water in many parts of the country, especially in big cities where those Cornell alums flock to. I am sure they are fine schools but like law, brand name matters. So why pidgeon hole yourself into having to go to LS because you chose a less prestigious undergrad? Leave the door open to get a great job and forgo grad school altogether.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by ughbugchugplug » Tue Feb 05, 2019 5:46 pm

The Lsat Airbender wrote:
ughbugchugplug wrote:
Marns wrote:I’m a current high school senior applying to colleges. I have a full in-state acedemic scholarship to the University of Alabama. However, I will also be applying to Cornell, Dartmouth, UVA, and a few other top schools. Based on my academic profile, I’m not concerned that I will be denied from all of these colleges. My real question is if it worth my money to attend one of these prestigious institutions if it means draining my entire college fund. I would like to go to a top law school eventually, and am wondering if going to Alabama would put me at a disadvantage (I know that it has a pretty good law school on campus). Also, I am interested in hearing from anyone familiar with the quality of Alabama’s law school matriculation. All comments are appreciated. Thanks
I went to a state school for undergrad and then went to a T14. I agree that if you plan to go to law school it won’t make a difference, but you should consider that it will make a tremendous difference if you don’t continue schooling. I had trouble getting a job in general, including telemarketing, from my state school. Granted, we were in the middle of a big recession, but I know lots, probably more than 50%, of my old classmates that are struggling to make a living wage. That’s true whether they were biomedical engineers (lab work is one of the few options from there and pays horribly) or English majors or even chemistry masters.

You will not have that problem with an Ivy League education, but you may if you don’t. I know if feels like you’re invincible in high school, but lots of smart and driven young people come to realize after college that they will not rocket to success without ingraining themselves in the elite institutions that offer pathways into high paying jobs.
Disagree with the bolded. Plenty of Cornell grades struggled to find jobs during the recession. I would much rather have stayed in-state and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars if 2023 turns out to be as bad as 2010.
Fair - I should have said he would be far less likely to have that problem. I’m sure you don’t disagree that going to Cornell would put a person in a far better position to compete for scarce jobs.

As for your second point, this might just be a personal preference, but I’d suggest my view is more rational. That debt you’d owe (and by the way, I owed substantial debt out of state school, as do most attendees) is deferrable and subject to income based repayment. I’d much prefer that plus a career to less debt but being a substitute teacher or waiter.

Obviously those aren’t the only outcomes - many state school students succeed, and many Ivy League students fail. But as this site has consistently driven home with regard to law school, you do not know ahead of time which person you’re going to be.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by The Lsat Airbender » Wed Feb 06, 2019 4:17 am

I'm not saying the reputation of an Ivy League college isn't valuable. But the difference in outcomes isn't across-the-board. If OP, as a plan B to law school, really wants to live outside the Deep South and/or really wants to break into one of a handful of particular careers (investment banking and consulting have been discussed upthread), then going to an elite private school might be advantageous or even necessary. But OP has given no indication that they're interested in any of those things. If they're fine with a normal entry level job in Alabama or a neighboring state then it'd be nuts to spend well over $100k for the privilege of freezing one's ass off in the Northeast. Especially if they're going to UAlabama's honors college, which the full ride implies, then they're not going to be doomed to waiting tables. And if they do decide to go to law school, the massive pot of money they will have saved absolutely shits on any difference in outcomes. It's like comparing a Butler at Columbia to ... Columbia at sticker.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by Npret » Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:55 am

Go to Alabama and enjoy no debt. I see no reason to pay money to go to Cornell for undergrad. Most people don’t even know it’s an Ivy League school if you’re concerned about impressing the random person at a cocktail party. (No offense Cornell)

There is a decent chance you will stay in the South or return there if you are from there originally. Going to a school everyone knows for undergrad could help you get back if you go to law school out of state. My understanding is that hiring is very ties focused in Alabama and the South in general.

If you prefer to work in NYC, no one will care that you went to Alabama for undergrad if your law school and grades meet the requirements.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by Npret » Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:04 am

ughbugchugplug wrote:
The Lsat Airbender wrote:
ughbugchugplug wrote:
Marns wrote:I’m a current high school senior applying to colleges. I have a full in-state acedemic scholarship to the University of Alabama. However, I will also be applying to Cornell, Dartmouth, UVA, and a few other top schools. Based on my academic profile, I’m not concerned that I will be denied from all of these colleges. My real question is if it worth my money to attend one of these prestigious institutions if it means draining my entire college fund. I would like to go to a top law school eventually, and am wondering if going to Alabama would put me at a disadvantage (I know that it has a pretty good law school on campus). Also, I am interested in hearing from anyone familiar with the quality of Alabama’s law school matriculation. All comments are appreciated. Thanks
I went to a state school for undergrad and then went to a T14. I agree that if you plan to go to law school it won’t make a difference, but you should consider that it will make a tremendous difference if you don’t continue schooling. I had trouble getting a job in general, including telemarketing, from my state school. Granted, we were in the middle of a big recession, but I know lots, probably more than 50%, of my old classmates that are struggling to make a living wage. That’s true whether they were biomedical engineers (lab work is one of the few options from there and pays horribly) or English majors or even chemistry masters.

You will not have that problem with an Ivy League education, but you may if you don’t. I know if feels like you’re invincible in high school, but lots of smart and driven young people come to realize after college that they will not rocket to success without ingraining themselves in the elite institutions that offer pathways into high paying jobs.
Disagree with the bolded. Plenty of Cornell grades struggled to find jobs during the recession. I would much rather have stayed in-state and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars if 2023 turns out to be as bad as 2010.
Fair - I should have said he would be far less likely to have that problem. I’m sure you don’t disagree that going to Cornell would put a person in a far better position to compete for scarce jobs.

As for your second point, this might just be a personal preference, but I’d suggest my view is more rational. That debt you’d owe (and by the way, I owed substantial debt out of state school, as do most attendees) is deferrable and subject to income based repayment. I’d much prefer that plus a career to less debt but being a substitute teacher or waiter.

Obviously those aren’t the only outcomes - many state school students succeed, and many Ivy League students fail. But as this site has consistently driven home with regard to law school, you do not know ahead of time which person you’re going to be.
I disagree that a Cornell grad would have an easier time getting a job in the South than an Alabama grad. In the recession, no one was getting jobs because jobs didnt exist. The only reliable way to get hired was through personal or family connections.

I know Columbia and NYU grads who couldn’t find a decent job in NYC. I don’t think any school was immune.

That said, comparing jobs now to a world wide recession is unreasonable.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by ughbugchugplug » Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:44 am

Npret wrote:
ughbugchugplug wrote:
The Lsat Airbender wrote:
ughbugchugplug wrote:
Marns wrote:I’m a current high school senior applying to colleges. I have a full in-state acedemic scholarship to the University of Alabama. However, I will also be applying to Cornell, Dartmouth, UVA, and a few other top schools. Based on my academic profile, I’m not concerned that I will be denied from all of these colleges. My real question is if it worth my money to attend one of these prestigious institutions if it means draining my entire college fund. I would like to go to a top law school eventually, and am wondering if going to Alabama would put me at a disadvantage (I know that it has a pretty good law school on campus). Also, I am interested in hearing from anyone familiar with the quality of Alabama’s law school matriculation. All comments are appreciated. Thanks
I went to a state school for undergrad and then went to a T14. I agree that if you plan to go to law school it won’t make a difference, but you should consider that it will make a tremendous difference if you don’t continue schooling. I had trouble getting a job in general, including telemarketing, from my state school. Granted, we were in the middle of a big recession, but I know lots, probably more than 50%, of my old classmates that are struggling to make a living wage. That’s true whether they were biomedical engineers (lab work is one of the few options from there and pays horribly) or English majors or even chemistry masters.

You will not have that problem with an Ivy League education, but you may if you don’t. I know if feels like you’re invincible in high school, but lots of smart and driven young people come to realize after college that they will not rocket to success without ingraining themselves in the elite institutions that offer pathways into high paying jobs.
Disagree with the bolded. Plenty of Cornell grades struggled to find jobs during the recession. I would much rather have stayed in-state and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars if 2023 turns out to be as bad as 2010.
Fair - I should have said he would be far less likely to have that problem. I’m sure you don’t disagree that going to Cornell would put a person in a far better position to compete for scarce jobs.

As for your second point, this might just be a personal preference, but I’d suggest my view is more rational. That debt you’d owe (and by the way, I owed substantial debt out of state school, as do most attendees) is deferrable and subject to income based repayment. I’d much prefer that plus a career to less debt but being a substitute teacher or waiter.

Obviously those aren’t the only outcomes - many state school students succeed, and many Ivy League students fail. But as this site has consistently driven home with regard to law school, you do not know ahead of time which person you’re going to be.
I disagree that a Cornell grad would have an easier time getting a job in the South than an Alabama grad. In the recession, no one was getting jobs because jobs didnt exist. The only reliable way to get hired was through personal or family connections.

I know Columbia and NYU grads who couldn’t find a decent job in NYC. I don’t think any school was immune.

That said, comparing jobs now to a world wide recession is unreasonable.
Except I didn’t compare now to a worldwide recession - I said, which continues to be true to this day, that approximately half of my state school friends do not have a career. That’s true across majors - finance people have it better (not perfect, but better) but hard science majors, humanities, and everything in between are not doing so hot. I know for a fact that Ivy League job outcomes are very different.

Also, unless you’re from Alabama and know something I don’t, I’m not sure why you’re so confident in employment outcomes from the state schools down there. There’s an assumption that employers hire out of some kind of state school pride or because they’re grads, but that’s not realistic. My state school graduated 15,000 people a year - everyone applying for every job was from there. It gave no leg up. And you’re assuming there’s some kinda dang yankee feel where they wouldn’t want an Ivy leaguer when the far more prevalent feeling (at least among boomers) is that going to an Ivy means you’re smarter and more competent. Again, could be different in Alabama, but where’s the proof?

As for me, I wasn’t trying to find work in NYC when I graduated college, I was trying to find a job in my home state, and really struggled. With grades and ability that later got me into a T14. And this wasn’t in 2010 or 2011, but I’ll admit the recession was still a factor when I was applying.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by popgoestheweasel » Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:54 am

Npret wrote:Go to Alabama and enjoy no debt. I see no reason to pay money to go to Cornell for undergrad. Most people don’t even know it’s an Ivy League school if you’re concerned about impressing the random person at a cocktail party. (No offense Cornell)

There is a decent chance you will stay in the South or return there if you are from there originally. Going to a school everyone knows for undergrad could help you get back if you go to law school out of state. My understanding is that hiring is very ties focused in Alabama and the South in general.

If you prefer to work in NYC, no one will care that you went to Alabama for undergrad if your law school and grades meet the requirements.
If you go to dmouth/Cornell, you will not care about the opinions of those who don't know Cornell is a prestigious college. You will be too busy working a prestigious and high income job to care what they think, a job you will not get from bama. There's a reason people the world over and from Tony suburbs fight tooth and nail to go to Cornell, but don't at bama. They're not delusional.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by The Lsat Airbender » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:06 pm

popgoestheweasel wrote:If you go to dmouth/Cornell, you will not care about the opinions of those who don't know Cornell is a prestigious college.
Sure. And the exact same thing is true of Alabama.
You will be too busy working a prestigious and high income job to care what they think, a job you will not get from bama.


Again, if OP were even slightly interested in working for Deloitte, this would be an interesting angle to consider. But they don't seem to be, so it isn't.
There's a reason people the world over and from Tony suburbs fight tooth and nail to go to Cornell, but don't at bama. They're not delusional.
I grew up in one of those suburbs, and went to one of those colleges. They're completely delusional.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by albanach » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:07 pm

You're way too young to be committing to law school. What if you can't excel at the LSAT? A top law school could be out of reach? What if you don't graduate with a high GPA?? What if AI replaces 30% of lawyers in ten years?

Going to a school with a low debt burden is good in that it sets you up for many future career paths, including those that don't pay 1st years $200k. Similarly though, some of those top schools might do a better job at setting up other career paths.

Look at all your options and pick the one that will give you the most exit routes. By all means avoid unnecessary debt, but if a top school with scholarships isn't significantly more expensive than staying nearby, it may still be the better long-term option.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by Npret » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:16 pm

I’m very sure that Alabama hiring is ties based. It’s insular at all levels. You can disagree, probably OP knows better.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by Npret » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:22 pm

popgoestheweasel wrote:
Npret wrote:Go to Alabama and enjoy no debt. I see no reason to pay money to go to Cornell for undergrad. Most people don’t even know it’s an Ivy League school if you’re concerned about impressing the random person at a cocktail party. (No offense Cornell)

There is a decent chance you will stay in the South or return there if you are from there originally. Going to a school everyone knows for undergrad could help you get back if you go to law school out of state. My understanding is that hiring is very ties focused in Alabama and the South in general.

If you prefer to work in NYC, no one will care that you went to Alabama for undergrad if your law school and grades meet the requirements.
If you go to dmouth/Cornell, you will not care about the opinions of those who don't know Cornell is a prestigious college. You will be too busy working a prestigious and high income job to care what they think, a job you will not get from bama. There's a reason people the world over and from Tony suburbs fight tooth and nail to go to Cornell, but don't at bama. They're not delusional.
I’m certain that not every grad from Cornell has a prestigious and high income job. Why would you think that?

I grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, trust me I know prestige obsession. Cornell undergrad is considered a back up Ivy League school very slightly above Brown. Again, no offense Cornell. People are idiots.

At any rate my advice is based on OP going to law school and the impact Alabama v Cornell will have in law school admissions. I’m not going to try to project all possible jobs for OP.

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by popgoestheweasel » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:40 pm

Npret wrote:
popgoestheweasel wrote:
Npret wrote:Go to Alabama and enjoy no debt. I see no reason to pay money to go to Cornell for undergrad. Most people don’t even know it’s an Ivy League school if you’re concerned about impressing the random person at a cocktail party. (No offense Cornell)

There is a decent chance you will stay in the South or return there if you are from there originally. Going to a school everyone knows for undergrad could help you get back if you go to law school out of state. My understanding is that hiring is very ties focused in Alabama and the South in general.

If you prefer to work in NYC, no one will care that you went to Alabama for undergrad if your law school and grades meet the requirements.
If you go to dmouth/Cornell, you will not care about the opinions of those who don't know Cornell is a prestigious college. You will be too busy working a prestigious and high income job to care what they think, a job you will not get from bama. There's a reason people the world over and from Tony suburbs fight tooth and nail to go to Cornell, but don't at bama. They're not delusional.
I’m certain that not every grad from Cornell has a prestigious and high income job. Why would you think that?

I grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, trust me I know prestige obsession. Cornell undergrad is considered a back up Ivy League school very slightly above Brown. Again, no offense Cornell. People are idiots.

At any rate my advice is based on OP going to law school and the impact Alabama v Cornell will have in law school admissions. I’m not going to try to project all possible jobs for OP.
I agree, it's not Harvard. Solely based on LS, sure, go for bama. It doesn't matter for admissions or for jobs. But I am very very very skeptical any 18 year old can be sure law is a good fit. I strongly recommend working after undergrad to know what work environment you'd excel in and a law firm may not be it.

Outside of the LS context, OP is from Alabam. He probably doesn't know what Deloitte is or Evercore or KPMG etc. etc. (whereas growing up on the UES, you'd probably hear about these options even if the understanding may lack some nuance being in HA). I advise Cornell/dmouth as the safer route to keep options open because it is impossible to know LS is what he will ultimately want. Is a lower Ivy a golden ticket? Absolutely not, but the job outcomes are so disparate it's almost irresponsible to recommend not going.

Npret

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Re: Alabama vs Cornell undergrad

Post by Npret » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:54 pm

popgoestheweasel wrote:
Npret wrote:
popgoestheweasel wrote:
Npret wrote:Go to Alabama and enjoy no debt. I see no reason to pay money to go to Cornell for undergrad. Most people don’t even know it’s an Ivy League school if you’re concerned about impressing the random person at a cocktail party. (No offense Cornell)

There is a decent chance you will stay in the South or return there if you are from there originally. Going to a school everyone knows for undergrad could help you get back if you go to law school out of state. My understanding is that hiring is very ties focused in Alabama and the South in general.

If you prefer to work in NYC, no one will care that you went to Alabama for undergrad if your law school and grades meet the requirements.
If you go to dmouth/Cornell, you will not care about the opinions of those who don't know Cornell is a prestigious college. You will be too busy working a prestigious and high income job to care what they think, a job you will not get from bama. There's a reason people the world over and from Tony suburbs fight tooth and nail to go to Cornell, but don't at bama. They're not delusional.
I’m certain that not every grad from Cornell has a prestigious and high income job. Why would you think that?

I grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, trust me I know prestige obsession. Cornell undergrad is considered a back up Ivy League school very slightly above Brown. Again, no offense Cornell. People are idiots.

At any rate my advice is based on OP going to law school and the impact Alabama v Cornell will have in law school admissions. I’m not going to try to project all possible jobs for OP.
I agree, it's not Harvard. Solely based on LS, sure, go for bama. It doesn't matter for admissions or for jobs. But I am very very very skeptical any 18 year old can be sure law is a good fit. I strongly recommend working after undergrad to know what work environment you'd excel in and a law firm may not be it.

Outside of the LS context, OP is from Alabam. He probably doesn't know what Deloitte is or Evercore or KPMG etc. etc. (whereas growing up on the UES, you'd probably hear about these options even if the understanding may lack some nuance being in HA). I advise Cornell/dmouth as the safer route to keep options open because it is impossible to know LS is what he will ultimately want. Is a lower Ivy a golden ticket? Absolutely not, but the job outcomes are so disparate it's almost irresponsible to recommend not going.
I can’t predict OPs future. I agree Alabama is the right call for law school.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


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