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Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 12:26 am
by beepboopbeep
cardinals1989 wrote:FWIW, I lived in a Lenfest studio for a couple months. It had blinds but no dining room table. There honestly wasn’t room for one. I just ate at the very large desk they provided.
Ah, while we're on the subject of Lenfest - does anyone know the policy on putting holes in walls? It looks like the dude in the flickr had mounted some frames and stuff, but I was thinking of more intense stuff like installing curtains. Is there anything in the lease about it, other than don't completely fuck up the walls?

I imagine painting is completely off the table?

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 7:16 am
by Monochromatic Oeuvre
beepboopbeep wrote:Ah, while we're on the subject of Lenfest - does anyone know the policy on putting holes in walls?
It's only allowed when you're drunk and that goddamn wall was just begging to be punched.

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 8:34 am
by moonman157
Monochromatic Oeuvre wrote:
beepboopbeep wrote:Ah, while we're on the subject of Lenfest - does anyone know the policy on putting holes in walls?
It's only allowed when you're drunk and that goddamn wall was just begging to be punched.
Do you know if this also applies to the 400 block? And does that mean I need to pregame installing floating bookshelves?

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 3:18 pm
by jbagelboy
Monochromatic Oeuvre wrote:
beepboopbeep wrote:Ah, while we're on the subject of Lenfest - does anyone know the policy on putting holes in walls?
It's only allowed when you're drunk and that goddamn wall was just begging to be punched.
My friend at USC punched in his apartment walls 3 yrs in a row. You will tank your security deposit :)

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 11:55 pm
by whyamidoingthis66
piccolittle wrote:
J90 wrote:
piccolittle wrote:Usually, people will sublet their apartments and just leave the furniture in there. You can always get storage space if you want to move it out for the summer, but that's a real pain and probably isn't worth the expense.

Actually, I think the leases run 12-month, but your first year in the room you only pay rent starting in August. If you renew, you sign the lease starting in May and it ends in May.

A lot of people I know chose unfurnished because the cost of buying furniture is less in the long-run than paying the extra monthly cost of a furnished apartment. However, I had no idea where I was going to end up and what kind of furniture I'd be able to afford after law school, so I preferred living with cheaper dorm-style furniture now and saving the hassle of moving furniture when I move apartments. FWIW, I'm a 2L living in one of the furnished apartments in the 400 block of 115th St - I lived in the same room last year and I intend to stay in here until graduation.
Great info, I really appreciate this, and I like your vote of confidence on the furnished 115th St. apartments. Thanks! :o Is it pretty easy to find a subletter for the summer? Also, if you don't mind/would happen to know, what are some standard price options for 115th (that's where I'm hoping to live, if I can find a solid 2-bedroom share in the 1100-1200 price range!)?

Just one more question, for both of you - is it possible to have them switch out a standard furnished bed (I'm guessing they provide a twin/twin XL, but I'm talking out of my ass there, I have no idea) for a double/queen bed or something similar?
1) I'm pretty sure all the apartments on the 400 block are three-bedrooms, but I might be wrong. My apartment's rent maxes out at $1221 for the largest room (mine) - but the other two rooms are pretty small. It was fairly easy to find a subletter for my room, but one of my roommates struggled a bit because her room was so small (probably 8ish by 11 feet, maybe a little bigger)

2) My room came with a twin XL, which I lived with all 1L. A lot of my friends switched out their beds for bigger ones, and I finally did the same this year. What this really depends on is the size of your room. Mine is like 12 by 14', so I have plenty of space even with a double bed. We put my old bed in our living room as extra seating, but I've also heard rumors that the super might be willing to store them in the basement.
So just to reiterate - if I am living in a furnished apt on 400 block of 115th and want to bring my queen sized bed, that is possible? And will it fit in the elevator or is this a stair climbing situation (AKA how big is the elevator)? Thanks!

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:08 am
by beepboopbeep
whyamidoingthis66 wrote: So just to reiterate - if I am living in a furnished apt on 400 block of 115th and want to bring my queen sized bed, that is possible? And will it fit in the elevator or is this a stair climbing situation (AKA how big is the elevator)? Thanks!
I don't think you'll be able to get rid of the bed that's already there, but maybe someone else in the building would take it off your hands to combine with their own to make a poor man's full/queen. I remember hearing that people at NYU did that a lot as it's twins everywhere there.

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:16 pm
by JVK
beepboopbeep wrote:
whyamidoingthis66 wrote: So just to reiterate - if I am living in a furnished apt on 400 block of 115th and want to bring my queen sized bed, that is possible? And will it fit in the elevator or is this a stair climbing situation (AKA how big is the elevator)? Thanks!
I don't think you'll be able to get rid of the bed that's already there, but maybe someone else in the building would take it off your hands to combine with their own to make a poor man's full/queen. I remember hearing that people at NYU did that a lot as it's twins everywhere there.
So... anyone with a furnished apartment (I'll be on 403 W 115th!) want to take a twin bed off my hands? I'd love to switch a full in! :D

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 12:15 pm
by ph5354a
What's the word on Columbia's dental insurance? Does anyone here have it/have had good experiences with Aetna?

http://health.columbia.edu/insurance/vo ... tna-dental

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 4:36 am
by joiedevivre18
ph5354a wrote:What's the word on Columbia's dental insurance? Does anyone here have it/have had good experiences with Aetna?

http://health.columbia.edu/insurance/vo ... tna-dental
Interested in this too...

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 9:05 pm
by jubee
did anyone ever answer what is the actual policy about holes in the wall? hanging frames etc. (UAH)

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:44 am
by Gantor
Monochromatic Oeuvre wrote:Can someone clarify the 40-hour pro-bono graduation requirement? Would 501(c)(3) organizations count as long as you're unpaid? What unpaid summer work wouldn't count? Can the same hours towards the graduation requirement also be put towards the New York bar requirement?
Work with a 501(c)(3) counts as long as it's law related and you aren't receiving compensation (in the form of either money or credit). As for what unpaid summer work wouldn't count, that'd be things like non-law work and unpaid internships in the private sector. And yes, CLS required pro-bono hours also count for the NY bar requirement. One other thing to note: pro-bono work done during the 1L school year doesn't count toward the 40-hour requirement (although if I remember correctly, pro-bono work during the summer between 1L and 2L counts). Overall, the requirement is absurdly easy to meet and a lot of students vastly exceed it without trying, so I wouldn't worry much.

--LinkRemoved-- Counts

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:54 am
by Gantor
ph5354a wrote:
penguin2011 wrote:
ph5354a wrote:I'm trying to budget out my loan money for rent+expenses over the next year. I am budgeting so that I have rent money through next August so I don't have to stress about that. Does the 1L summer stipend come through in a timely manner so that I can rely on it for food/personal expenses starting mid/end of May, or is it the kind of thing that takes a while for them to process and you never know when it's going to come through?

I guess a more relevant question for the rising 2Ls here would be: have you gotten your stipend yet and if so, how long ago did you get it?

Thanks!
They have this information on the summer funding website: http://web.law.columbia.edu/social-just ... gsf-basics

It looks like if you work outside the US, you get the funding in advance; if you do qualifying summer work in the states, you have to submit time sheets (so payment after time worked, meaning you would need to budget ahead of time).

I'm still just a 0L, though, so maybe current students can help more with the on-the-ground eval of the program.
Yeah, I saw that too, just still a little confused. I guess a better question would be with the timesheet (ergo taxes) situation, how much of the stipend are you actually seeing each pay period? I just assume with these things there are always delays and things, which is why I'm not relying on that for rent.
Just to clarify, that timesheet requirement is out of date. Under the current policy, you're just assumed to be working full time (unless you notify them otherwise) and one of the relevant offices checks in with your supervisor around the end of July to make sure that you were, in fact, working full time. GSF funds are distributed in four bimonthly installments, starting in June. If I remember correctly, I think I'm seeing about $770 per paycheck (for a total of around $3080 for the summer overall). This is all for GSF work in the U.S., so it may be (and probably is) different for international work.

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:55 am
by jubee
does any one have advice on whats the most convenient pharmacy around morningside? I use CVS where I live and never have issues, but I was looking at duane reade and riteaid but they both have AWFUL reviews on yelp....

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:05 am
by Gantor
beepboopbeep wrote:
whyamidoingthis66 wrote: So just to reiterate - if I am living in a furnished apt on 400 block of 115th and want to bring my queen sized bed, that is possible? And will it fit in the elevator or is this a stair climbing situation (AKA how big is the elevator)? Thanks!
I don't think you'll be able to get rid of the bed that's already there, but maybe someone else in the building would take it off your hands to combine with their own to make a poor man's full/queen. I remember hearing that people at NYU did that a lot as it's twins everywhere there.
I don't have exact stats on the size of the elevator (that's going to depend on which building in the 400 block you're in and I haven't seen them all), but I kind of doubt you'll be able to fit a queen size bed in any of them without taking it apart first.

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:07 am
by smaug_
jubee wrote:does any one have advice on whats the most convenient pharmacy around morningside? I use CVS where I live and never have issues, but I was looking at duane reade and riteaid but they both have AWFUL reviews on yelp....
For convenience and maybe service, Hartley is your best bet, but the prices are really high. You're best off dealing with the awful Duane Reade.

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:41 pm
by the_phoenix612
Gantor wrote:
Monochromatic Oeuvre wrote:Can someone clarify the 40-hour pro-bono graduation requirement? Would 501(c)(3) organizations count as long as you're unpaid? What unpaid summer work wouldn't count? Can the same hours towards the graduation requirement also be put towards the New York bar requirement?
Work with a 501(c)(3) counts as long as it's law related and you aren't receiving compensation (in the form of either money or credit). As for what unpaid summer work wouldn't count, that'd be things like non-law work and unpaid internships in the private sector. And yes, CLS required pro-bono hours also count for the NY bar requirement. One other thing to note: pro-bono work done during the 1L school year doesn't count toward the 40-hour requirement (although if I remember correctly, pro-bono work during the summer between 1L and 2L counts). Overall, the requirement is absurdly easy to meet and a lot of students vastly exceed it without trying, so I wouldn't worry much.

--LinkRemoved-- Counts
Further, I did some work through my summer associate-ship that ran slightly over my 6 weeks. The project was for the ADL, and I was successfully able to petition for the portion of the work (15 hours or so) that I did over the weekend to count as pro bono work.

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 6:53 pm
by TheMostDangerousLG
I received an email from admissions this afternoon inviting me to an information session in August; do you by any chance know anything about this? Is this a regular thing they do each year before the fall admissions season begins? And if it is, do you know if they invite everyone listed on LSAC as planning on applying to law schools in the upcoming year, or is it sent to select people (like fee waivers are)?

Sorry if this is a silly Q, I just couldn't find any info about this anywhere, and I'm hoping it's a good sign.

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 2:03 am
by jubee
Thanks for pharmacy replies!

another question: It says on the housing site we need "two passport size photos" when we move in. Are they supposed to be passport like besides size ie white background head and shoulders? Or can I get away printing any standard photo of myself passport size? Do they want same picture duplicates or two diff pictures? I know I know I probably sound like a crazy person I'm in OCD mode when I'm prepping to move.... :shock: :oops:

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 6:41 am
by smaug_
jubee wrote:Thanks for pharmacy replies!

another question: It says on the housing site we need "two passport size photos" when we move in. Are they supposed to be passport like besides size ie white background head and shoulders? Or can I get away printing any standard photo of myself passport size? Do they want same picture duplicates or two diff pictures? I know I know I probably sound like a crazy person I'm in OCD mode when I'm prepping to move.... :shock: :oops:
Two copies of passport photo-like photos. (both in size and style). Worst cast you can get them taken at a place nearby, but just go get passport photos taken.

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 10:13 am
by Bronck
hibiki wrote:
jubee wrote:Thanks for pharmacy replies!

another question: It says on the housing site we need "two passport size photos" when we move in. Are they supposed to be passport like besides size ie white background head and shoulders? Or can I get away printing any standard photo of myself passport size? Do they want same picture duplicates or two diff pictures? I know I know I probably sound like a crazy person I'm in OCD mode when I'm prepping to move.... :shock: :oops:
Two copies of passport photo-like photos. (both in size and style). Worst cast you can get them taken at a place nearby, but just go get passport photos taken.
I took a picture of myself (passport style/size) and printed them out on cheap paper, so that works too

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 10:38 am
by jubee
Bronck wrote:
hibiki wrote:
jubee wrote:Thanks for pharmacy replies!

another question: It says on the housing site we need "two passport size photos" when we move in. Are they supposed to be passport like besides size ie white background head and shoulders? Or can I get away printing any standard photo of myself passport size? Do they want same picture duplicates or two diff pictures? I know I know I probably sound like a crazy person I'm in OCD mode when I'm prepping to move.... :shock: :oops:
Two copies of passport photo-like photos. (both in size and style). Worst cast you can get them taken at a place nearby, but just go get passport photos taken.
I took a picture of myself (passport style/size) and printed them out on cheap paper, so that works too
oh really? thats what i wanted to know because I have one leftover picture from having passport style pictures done at CVS for the LSAT ticket, but I just took a pic for my Columbia ID and was wondering if I could just print that out myself on regular old printer paper (that's what you mean by cheap paper right?) and use it with the CVS one to satisfy the requirement

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:41 am
by Gantor
jubee wrote:
Bronck wrote:
hibiki wrote:
jubee wrote:Thanks for pharmacy replies!

another question: It says on the housing site we need "two passport size photos" when we move in. Are they supposed to be passport like besides size ie white background head and shoulders? Or can I get away printing any standard photo of myself passport size? Do they want same picture duplicates or two diff pictures? I know I know I probably sound like a crazy person I'm in OCD mode when I'm prepping to move.... :shock: :oops:
Two copies of passport photo-like photos. (both in size and style). Worst cast you can get them taken at a place nearby, but just go get passport photos taken.
I took a picture of myself (passport style/size) and printed them out on cheap paper, so that works too
oh really? thats what i wanted to know because I have one leftover picture from having passport style pictures done at CVS for the LSAT ticket, but I just took a pic for my Columbia ID and was wondering if I could just print that out myself on regular old printer paper (that's what you mean by cheap paper right?) and use it with the CVS one to satisfy the requirement
I'm not absolutely sure on the protocol here, since I just used a couple of "official" passport-style photos, but they're probably going to want the two copies of the same photo. Maybe it won't make a big difference, but I wouldn't really recommend using two totally different pictures (even if both otherwise meet the standard passport photo guidelines). Honestly, it's not difficult, expensive, or time-consuming to get passport photos taken (there are a number of places around campus that do it for around $8 or less).

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:51 am
by KingFish
Gantor wrote: I'm not absolutely sure on the protocol here, since I just used a couple of "official" passport-style photos, but they're probably going to want the two copies of the same photo. Maybe it won't make a big difference, but I wouldn't really recommend using two totally different pictures (even if both otherwise meet the standard passport photo guidelines). Honestly, it's not difficult, expensive, or time-consuming to get passport photos taken (there are a number of places around campus that do it for around $8 or less).
That made me think of this:

Image

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:02 pm
by JVK
Anyone know a rough class schedule for Legal Methods? Is that every day of the week, or a select couple? Thank you!

Re: Columbia 1L(s) taking questions

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:32 pm
by Bronck
JVK wrote:Anyone know a rough class schedule for Legal Methods? Is that every day of the week, or a select couple? Thank you!
I can't even remember anymore but I think it was everyday morning session and afternoon session.