Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to? Forum

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timetoleave

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Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by timetoleave » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:34 am

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Last edited by timetoleave on Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

dissonance1848

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by dissonance1848 » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:40 am

You need to focus on killing your second semester. Then consider transferring or staying.

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KMaine

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by KMaine » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:41 am

Sorry to hear that you do not like it at Cornell. It sounds like you really hate it, so I will not try to dissuade you. I honestly don't think it will hurt you to transfer (it could even help you slightly, especially in the clerkship context). I may not have read carefully enough, but I am not really sure why you are only applying to two places. I think you have a good chance at Harvard, so that is good. I am with you in prefering Columbia over NYU, but NYU may be easier. Why not Harvard, Columbia, NYU? Good luck. Get on those aps., and I hope that your last 2 months in Ithaca are a little less miserable.

timetoleave

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by timetoleave » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:49 am

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Last edited by timetoleave on Thu Jan 24, 2013 3:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.

timetoleave

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by timetoleave » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:50 am

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ph14

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by ph14 » Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:57 am

Does your professor have any connection to Harvard/Columbia/NYU? If not I don't really see how the targeted letter really helps. I think I would ask one of the professors to write you a generic letter of recommendation. If you really are that unhappy at Cornell, then you should send more than two applications out.

CanadianWolf

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by CanadianWolf » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:17 am

Tough to offer appropriate advice without knowing what you dislike about your current law school & what & where you would like to practice.

mighttransfer

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by mighttransfer » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:48 am

You really should apply to both Columbia and NYU. I understand that you want your letters catered towards a particular school, but why foreclose potential options for that reason (a reason that I don't think will be a substantial benefit)? Also, crush this semester.

Additionally, you're probably going to need 2 letters for each school. So you're going to need another prof to write a generic letter, or just get both profs to write generic letters. I really don't think that a narrowly tailored letter will provide a substantial benefit.

kaiser

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by kaiser » Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:28 pm

I would definitely apply to both NYC schools. If you are that unhappy at Cornell, why wouldn't you? Chances at NYU and Columbia are essentially same. Remember that they have almost the exact same admissions standards to begin with, and take transfer classes that are both close to the same size (large). So given the large class sizes and similar admissions standards, definitely send out an app for both. If biglaw is your goal, transfers killed it at both schools, so you couldn't go wrong either way. I would definitely send out an app to both, if being in the city and getting a biglaw job is the way you want to go, since either school essentially guarantees that if you are a transfer.

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Vronsky

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by Vronsky » Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:28 pm

Also it's not bullet-proof that NYU is easier to get into than Columbia as a transfer. I got into Columbia, but was rejected by NYU. You should apply to schools that you want to go to, not try to cherry pick the ones you think you'd get in, b/c its just not as clear cut as 1L admissions.

I also got in CLS without any LORs from professors from Columbia, even though I asked two of them for Columbia-specific LORs. I'm not sure how much that matters - you might be better off asking for the professors from whom you got the highest grades. For example, if you got a Cali award/A+/highest grade in the class on any exams, be sure to ask that prof, b/c s/he will write about that and it can really make you stand out.

kaiser

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by kaiser » Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:53 pm

Vronsky wrote:Also it's not bullet-proof that NYU is easier to get into than Columbia as a transfer. I got into Columbia, but was rejected by NYU. You should apply to schools that you want to go to, not try to cherry pick the ones you think you'd get in, b/c its just not as clear cut as 1L admissions.

I also got in CLS without any LORs from professors from Columbia, even though I asked two of them for Columbia-specific LORs. I'm not sure how much that matters - you might be better off asking for the professors from whom you got the highest grades. For example, if you got a Cali award/A+/highest grade in the class on any exams, be sure to ask that prof, b/c s/he will write about that and it can really make you stand out.
And just to add on to this: I got into NYU and didn't get into Columbia as a transfer, and I DID have some LOR's tailored specifically to Columbia from professors who went there and have good connections to the school. I agree 100% that you want the professors in whose classes you received the highest grades.

And I agree that its much less clear how things will go during transfer admissions. NYU and Columbia have almost identical admissions standards as it is, so during transfer cycle, it would be even harder to draw a line between the two. And if Cornell is that bad for you, then why wouldn't you increase your chances to get to NYC? Again, if biglaw is your goal, NYU and Columbia transfers absolutely kill it. As I said, I am at NYU, and I keep up with many transfers, and every single one is going to V25 or above.

timetoleave

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by timetoleave » Sun Mar 04, 2012 2:31 pm

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kaiser

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by kaiser » Sun Mar 04, 2012 2:38 pm

timetoleave wrote:I'll try to clear things up a bit.

My goal is biglaw, eventually partner somewhere, prefer NYC. As for my reason for leaving, it is the school and the environment. While I like most of my classmates and enjoy going out with them every week, I don't relate nor have a bond with most. I am a work hard, play hard type of person. Unfortunately, I have not found that here. It is either one or the other. Hence the lack of really trusting anyone.

From the looks of the comments, it looks like I'll throw applications to Harvard, Columbia, and NYU. The reason I limited down to those 3 originally where the fact from when I visited during my application process, I got that type of vibe from 2 of the 3 schools, NYU being the exception. But a friend at NYU said there are quite a number of those with similar personalities as myself (she is one as well). As well, I am from the NYC area so will have people I have known for years around.

Is UPenn worth the application with what I am looking for?
If NYC biglaw is your goal, I think Columbia, NYU, Harvard, and Penn are all solid choices. As I mentioned, I transferred into NYU, and I would say that "work hard play hard" is definitely a good way to describe us. The transfers in particular are quite close, we have our own happy hour every week or 2, and then we go off to the larger school-wide events together. We have parties for our journals, etc. But of course we work very hard here because we had something to prove, seeing as we didn't actually start here. No one pressured us (in fact the overall NYU community of students, faculty and staff couldn't have been more welcoming to us).

And as to your goals, any of those 4 schools will likely get the job done, but Columbia and NYU are especially good choices (though of course you can get an NYC job our of Harvard, though idk if top 10% is enough to get Harvard). As I mentioned earlier, I keep up with many of the transfers, and it seems like we all did great at OCI, getting people placed into all the top firms. We have transfers going to Cravath, SullCrom, Skadden, etc. You really can't go wrong coming into OCI as a transfer at NYU or Columbia, from my experience. I'm happy to give me you more info on what its like as a transfer at NYU if you want to PM me anytime.

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koalatriste

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by koalatriste » Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:57 pm

please note the scary amount of parallels to my situation last year:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=154278

anyways, OP, PM me for some detailed thoughts. I ended up transferring to NYU because I determined it was the place I'd be most happy.

keg411

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by keg411 » Mon Mar 05, 2012 4:15 pm

timetoleave wrote:I am a work hard, play hard type of person. Unfortunately, I have not found that here. It is either one or the other. Hence the lack of really trusting anyone.
Do you really think it would be any different at Harvard, CLS or NYU? Or are you hoping that you'll be in a city with friends? I dunno, being unhappy is one thing, but transferring because of this doesn't seem to make any sense.

timetoleave

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by timetoleave » Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:48 pm

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Last edited by timetoleave on Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

timetoleave

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by timetoleave » Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:34 pm

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KMaine

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by KMaine » Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:44 pm

timetoleave wrote:I am not expecting it to be much different at other schools. The difference with NYU and Columbia is the environment. NYC has family and friends in the surrounding area. Plus in a city of millions, there are ways to connect with others. Ithaca, not so much.

As for Harvard, figure with that with its 1500+ students, can't be worse than here
I think that there is a fair chance that they are even bigger douchebags.

timetoleave

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Re: Top 10% at Cornell. Set on leaving. Where to?

Post by timetoleave » Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:57 am

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