Cornell 1L taking questions Forum

[Dmini7]

I am sure this question is buried within the 155 pages of posts, so I apologize for asking a repeat. Anyways, I know Cornell has amazing placement numbers, especially in NYC, but I was curious how they do in CA. My fiancee and I would much rather live in CA(as that is where we both grew up and have family), but the thought of Cornell, the weight its name holds and just how awesome the campus looks is very hard to pass up. I assume not many people who attend actually try to get to California, so I was wondering if anyone had any information even if it is anecdotal about students vying for California. Also, assuming I were choosing between USC/UCLA and Cornell, what would one recommend if I was dead-set on avoiding NYC but willing to work elsewhere(i.e:Other big markets).

You'd actually be suprised. I live in Hughes which is right next to the law school. We are put in suites of 5 and I'm the only person in my suite not from Cali. All my suite mates are looking to go back. I think my class especially has a lot of California residents. A lot come in with the mind set of well I have like 30% chance big law from UCLA/USC if that. Cornell ups that chance significantly. My numbers aren't quite good enough for the rest of the T14 so I guess Cornell it is. So basically they go in with the attitude of if I do well I can get back home. If I'm median or slightly below at least I have a job.

With all that being said a lot of my class is looking into CA. I don't have the actual numbers, but I think thats where we place the second most of our graduates. Also, we have this club called CALSA specifically for people looking to go back to CA. So there is defiitely a good number of students gunning for CA biglaw. I have no idea though how well you would need to do here in order to get back home. Anecdotally I know people who got CA out of Cornell. I'm only a 1L so next year I'll really know how many of my classmates ended up being successful grabbing Biglaw from there.

I guess moral of the story coming here is probably safer then USC/UCLA. If you do well like top 30% I"m sure you can get back. You might be kicking yourself for not saving a little money by attending USC/UCLA, but again theres really no way to know how well you will do. If you end up at median you'll be unbelievably happy that you picked Cornell because its more likely than not you will have a market paying job in NYC. Just my 2 cents

This was my thinking when I decided between the two a couple of years ago. What I would add is that biglaw placement generally indicates good placement in other areas of law as well. If USC/UCLA are cheaper then you'd probably want to go there but they probably won't be that much less expensive.

Thanks guys! This is exactly what I was hoping to hear.

[iMisto]

I still need help with living arrangements.

I don't care where I live (closer to campus is a +, but not necessary). Looking for a studio or 1br for $750 or less. I keep running into issues with parking though. I MUST have a place to put my car, as I've tried this on-street stuff, and it simply doesn't work for me during 'parking bans'. Is it prohibitively expensive to purchase a parking pass on campus? I don't plan on driving all that much, but I'd rather not have to give up my car.

Thxxxx.

[Lacepiece23]

I still need help with living arrangements.

I don't care where I live (closer to campus is a +, but not necessary). Looking for a studio or 1br for $750 or less. I keep running into issues with parking though. I MUST have a place to put my car, as I've tried this on-street stuff, and it simply doesn't work for me during 'parking bans'. Is it prohibitively expensive to purchase a parking pass on campus? I don't plan on driving all that much, but I'd rather not have to give up my car.

Thxxxx.

good luck

[FlanAl]

I still need help with living arrangements.

I don't care where I live (closer to campus is a +, but not necessary). Looking for a studio or 1br for $750 or less. I keep running into issues with parking though. I MUST have a place to put my car, as I've tried this on-street stuff, and it simply doesn't work for me during 'parking bans'. Is it prohibitively expensive to purchase a parking pass on campus? I don't plan on driving all that much, but I'd rather not have to give up my car.

Thxxxx.

Its basically craigslist, fork out the cash to one of the big ithacarenting type places, OR hit up the facebook group later on in the year to split a 2 bedroom etc.. A studio for less than $800 is pretty tough to find.

[hephaestus]

I still need help with living arrangements.

I don't care where I live (closer to campus is a +, but not necessary). Looking for a studio or 1br for $750 or less. I keep running into issues with parking though. I MUST have a place to put my car, as I've tried this on-street stuff, and it simply doesn't work for me during 'parking bans'. Is it prohibitively expensive to purchase a parking pass on campus? I don't plan on driving all that much, but I'd rather not have to give up my car.

Thxxxx.

good luck

Yeah this basically won't happen. If you live in a single family house (or one that's been converted into apartments) you will be eligible for Ithaca street parking, which only costs 35 for the year. If you live in an apartmnt building, you'll have to rent a parking spot separately.

[BullShitWithBravado]

I still need help with living arrangements.

I don't care where I live (closer to campus is a +, but not necessary). Looking for a studio or 1br for $750 or less. I keep running into issues with parking though. I MUST have a place to put my car, as I've tried this on-street stuff, and it simply doesn't work for me during 'parking bans'. Is it prohibitively expensive to purchase a parking pass on campus? I don't plan on driving all that much, but I'd rather not have to give up my car.

Thxxxx.

The commuter parking lot is a 15 minute walk from the law school so it's not really worth it, since the bus will literally drop you off in front of the law school. If you check out the commons there are garages where you can park your car and the price isn't too bad. I would suggest checking out Ithaca Renting. I have a friend who rented a studio from them in the commons and was happy with it. It was super small, but it was cheap, had a common kitchen, had adequate security (lockable mailboxes, multiple locked doors, etc.), and he was able to park his car in a nearby garage for a reasonable price.

[hephaestus]

Eta: posted in wrong thread.

[stuckinthemiddle]

Hi everyone.

I'm sorry if this is a repeat question. I've searched through the last 20 pages of this thread and can't really find an answer.

I'm currently working on finding housing and am looking primarily at the apartment complexes/dorms on Cornell's official website. I'm referring to this: http://living.sas.cornell.edu/live/cont ... frates.cfm

1) Is the convenience of staying at Hughes really worth the extra $$$ when compared to the other apartment complexes? I wouldn't mind, for example, staying at Hasbrouk. They seem to have a regular bedroom that is $440 a month (although I am HIGHLY skeptical about that). Does anyone have any insights on Hasbrouk? I'm a bit iffy about it since the price seems unrealistically low.

2) Do you all usually go for the academic year contract or the 12-month contract? I'm uncertain about what most 1Ls do during breaks. Is it common for students to go down to the city for the break or go home? Do many students work in Ithaca? I don't plan on going home, so really, the only reason I wouldn't get a 12-month plan is if an SA or internship pops up for me in the city. Anyone have any experiences on this?

3) Are the networking opportunities and social scene really less vibrant at places like Hasbrouck and Maplewood than they are at Hughes? Does not staying at Hughes for 1L distance you from most of your classmates?

Would really appreciate any insights.

[hephaestus]

I would probably go for the academic year contract. There are a lot of people with apartments in collegtown that attempt to sublet in the summer. So, if you're willing to move, you can get a good housing deal for the summer.
Eta: Is that one of the housing complexes on north campus?

[Arbiter213]

the 9 month leases are often barely discounted, and just cost more a month to offset. I got a 12 month and ended up working in Ithaca for the summer and that worked out beautifully. Also if you have your own furniture that makes storage a lot easier.

[FlanAl]

Hi everyone.

I'm sorry if this is a repeat question. I've searched through the last 20 pages of this thread and can't really find an answer.

I'm currently working on finding housing and am looking primarily at the apartment complexes/dorms on Cornell's official website. I'm referring to this: http://living.sas.cornell.edu/live/cont ... frates.cfm

1) Is the convenience of staying at Hughes really worth the extra $$$ when compared to the other apartment complexes? I wouldn't mind, for example, staying at Hasbrouk. They seem to have a regular bedroom that is $440 a month (although I am HIGHLY skeptical about that). Does anyone have any insights on Hasbrouk? I'm a bit iffy about it since the price seems unrealistically low.

2) Do you all usually go for the academic year contract or the 12-month contract? I'm uncertain about what most 1Ls do during breaks. Is it common for students to go down to the city for the break or go home? Do many students work in Ithaca? I don't plan on going home, so really, the only reason I wouldn't get a 12-month plan is if an SA or internship pops up for me in the city. Anyone have any experiences on this?

3) Are the networking opportunities and social scene really less vibrant at places like Hasbrouck and Maplewood than they are at Hughes? Does not staying at Hughes for 1L distance you from most of your classmates?

Would really appreciate any insights.

Living at hughes doesn't separate you from the rest of your classmates. Hughes people kinda had their own little clique. But I'm pretty sure more than half the 1L class doesn't live in Hughes.

I had a 9 month lease 1L and was pretty happy about it. The vast majority of apartments in ithaca force you to sign a 12 month lease so there are WAAAAAAY more people looking to sublet than people looking to rent. I am sure I would have just had to pay rent on an empty apartment.

[Lacepiece23]

Hi everyone.

I'm sorry if this is a repeat question. I've searched through the last 20 pages of this thread and can't really find an answer.

I'm currently working on finding housing and am looking primarily at the apartment complexes/dorms on Cornell's official website. I'm referring to this: http://living.sas.cornell.edu/live/cont ... frates.cfm

1) Is the convenience of staying at Hughes really worth the extra $$$ when compared to the other apartment complexes? I wouldn't mind, for example, staying at Hasbrouk. They seem to have a regular bedroom that is $440 a month (although I am HIGHLY skeptical about that). Does anyone have any insights on Hasbrouk? I'm a bit iffy about it since the price seems unrealistically low.

2) Do you all usually go for the academic year contract or the 12-month contract? I'm uncertain about what most 1Ls do during breaks. Is it common for students to go down to the city for the break or go home? Do many students work in Ithaca? I don't plan on going home, so really, the only reason I wouldn't get a 12-month plan is if an SA or internship pops up for me in the city. Anyone have any experiences on this?

3) Are the networking opportunities and social scene really less vibrant at places like Hasbrouck and Maplewood than they are at Hughes? Does not staying at Hughes for 1L distance you from most of your classmates?

Would really appreciate any insights.

1) I would say the convenience is absolutely worth it. I currently live in hughes. Coming in I really didn't want to but was too lazy to look for other living. Now, I feel like its the best decision I ever made. For me I love being able to walk back in forth from my room to classes. Feel like taking a nap between classes? Well you can do that if you live in hughes. Forgot your laptop 4 minutes before class? no problem just go back and grab it. I would say the convenience is worth the extra money.

2) Its usually a 9 month contract.

3) Not staying at hughes will not distance yourself from the rest of your class. However, at least this year Hughes has been a really good social experience. Its nice having 20 or so people that you can hang out with every weekend. I genuinely like almost everyone that lives in hughes right now. Each weekend the 20 or so of us that like to go out do pretty undergraddy things I guess beer pong, pre games, then out to the bars. Its nice having a big group, and I've enjoyed it. However, if that's not for you there are residents who choose not to go out as much.

When I was asking people about this a lot responded that you can't get away from law school and law students while living in hughes. I don't think this is true at all. You live in a suite of 5 people. Even though my suite mates are honestly my best friends in law school sometimes I just don't feel like being around them. So i just close my door and veg out by myself when I feel like I need alone time.

You have to really ask yourself whats important to you while you are here when deciding where to live. For some people its having a nice bed, your own kitchen, and your own space to completely get away after school hours. For me it was convenience, having a great social experience when I'm not studying, and honestly being less distracted. People that tend to live in Hughes overwheliming visit TLS, and its nice to have people around who are kind of striving for the same things.

TL;DR? I love living in hughes and recommend it for everyone. I love it so much that I'm acutally interviewing to be a GCA so I might be living here again next year.

[mths]

Underkuffler? anyone?

she's awesome

go to class, listen, and throw in the kitchen sink on the exam

If mths is saying go to class, you'd better motherfucking go to class.

+1

hahahahahahahaha

I attended about 60%...it was a big deal

[iMisto]

Gyms in Ithaca?? Is Cornell's gym decay enough for $12 a month? Suggestions?

[stuckinthemiddle]

Thanks everyone for the great answers. Hopefully I can sort out accommodation soon so I can stop hyperventilating.

[timeandspace11]

Thanks for all the help so far!! I am trying to make sure that if I do go to Cornell I find the living arrangements that are the best fit.

I think I prefer to live alone in a studio, but am pretty sociable and would like to chill with classmates on nights/weekends when I am able to. I probably will not have a car, especially during my 1L year.

Would the commons be a good choice for me? It seems relatively close to many bars, restaraunts ect... and the prices of studios seem relatively affordable. Does a substantial portion of the class live by that area?

[Lacepiece23]

Thanks for all the help so far!! I am trying to make sure that if I do go to Cornell I find the living arrangements that are the best fit.

I think I prefer to live alone in a studio, but am pretty sociable and would like to chill with classmates on nights/weekends when I am able to. I probably will not have a car, especially during my 1L year.

Would the commons be a good choice for me? It seems relatively close to many bars, restaraunts ect... and the prices of studios seem relatively affordable. Does a substantial portion of the class live by that area?

I think you'd prefer hughes. Its harder to get back and forth from college town to the commons. We do go to the commons a decent amount, but most the action on the night and weekends takes place in collegetown. Just my opinion.

[msblaw89]

Thanks for all the help so far!! I am trying to make sure that if I do go to Cornell I find the living arrangements that are the best fit.

I think I prefer to live alone in a studio, but am pretty sociable and would like to chill with classmates on nights/weekends when I am able to. I probably will not have a car, especially during my 1L year.

Would the commons be a good choice for me? It seems relatively close to many bars, restaraunts ect... and the prices of studios seem relatively affordable. Does a substantial portion of the class live by that area?

I think you'd prefer hughes. Its harder to get back and forth from college town to the commons. We do go to the commons a decent amount, but most the action on the night and weekends takes place in collegetown. Just my opinion.

Stop kissing Hughes' ass. Its probably a fine place for 1L's to live, but its not the most prime piece of real estate in Ithaca

[Lacepiece23]

Thanks for all the help so far!! I am trying to make sure that if I do go to Cornell I find the living arrangements that are the best fit.

I think I prefer to live alone in a studio, but am pretty sociable and would like to chill with classmates on nights/weekends when I am able to. I probably will not have a car, especially during my 1L year.

Would the commons be a good choice for me? It seems relatively close to many bars, restaraunts ect... and the prices of studios seem relatively affordable. Does a substantial portion of the class live by that area?

I think you'd prefer hughes. Its harder to get back and forth from college town to the commons. We do go to the commons a decent amount, but most the action on the night and weekends takes place in collegetown. Just my opinion.

Stop kissing Hughes' ass. Its probably a fine place for 1L's to live, but its not the most prime piece of real estate in Ithaca

haha fair enough... I guess you could say I'm biased.

[FlanAl]

the college town place or whatever the apartments are on dryden are probably your best bet. At least 15 different people from my class lived in a studio there (thats a pretty conservative estimate) and we ended up over there to pregame pretty often. They are on the pricier side though. Its pretty easy to connect with people if you don't live super close, none of my group of friends live in hughs and we all lived pretty far from each other as well.

[comeonletsgo]

I think I signed up for Hughes on the 2nd or 3rd day after the link was posted on the FB group. Is there a good chance I'll get a spot?

I'm also setting up appointments to see apartments when I'm in Ithaca for ASD, but I'd feel a lot better if I knew I had a good shot of getting into Hughes.

[Lacepiece23]

I think I signed up for Hughes on the 2nd or 3rd day after the link was posted on the FB group. Is there a good chance I'll get a spot?

I'm also setting up appointments to see apartments when I'm in Ithaca for ASD, but I'd feel a lot better if I knew I had a good shot of getting into Hughes.

Yeah you'll get in i applied wayyy later than that and still was comfortably in. You might even get the room size u actually wanted too.

[comeonletsgo]

I think I signed up for Hughes on the 2nd or 3rd day after the link was posted on the FB group. Is there a good chance I'll get a spot?

I'm also setting up appointments to see apartments when I'm in Ithaca for ASD, but I'd feel a lot better if I knew I had a good shot of getting into Hughes.

Yeah you'll get in i applied wayyy later than that and still was comfortably in. You might even get the room size u actually wanted too.

Awesome! Thanks so much

[redsox550]

ya u are definitely fine with hughes. spots open up and close throughout the summer. anyhow, any advice on Clermont. his readings take my ages to do bc i feel like i need to know every single detail for his test

[PinkCow]

ya u are definitely fine with hughes. spots open up and close throughout the summer. anyhow, any advice on Clermont. his readings take my ages to do bc i feel like i need to know every single detail for his test

Why are you reading for Clermont. Has he started coldcalling?