Columbia Class of 2020

[anonymous117]

I have a friends wedding August 26, I am going to need to take off Friday the 25th as I am in the wedding party and need to be at the rehearsal. I am guessing this will not be a problem, right? Just a bit wary taking off a day so early into the school year.

Don't stress it at all. Some people skip legal methods all the time. If for some reason you think your professor will care, just let them know and it'll be no big deal.

[hoyasaxa13]

Still no housing assignment. Should I be concerned?

[BrainsyK]

Still no housing assignment. Should I be concerned?

Check your junk mail. That's what got me.

[Leliana]

Still no housing assignment. Should I be concerned?

From the 5/30 email:

2. Housing Application Updates

The timeline for approval and assignment of on-campus housing offers for all students who applied by May 15, 2017, is as follows (listed by application type):
Families with children
May 22 - June 30
Couples
May 29 - June 2
Singles
June 1 - June 25

Assuming you're a single, it's still within the timeframe. It says if you don't receive an assignment by the end date listed above, then contact them, but until then, I wouldn't worry too much, even though it does seem many of us have received ours already.

[DogsAndWriting]

Have any of y'all heard back about Stafford/Grad Plus loans yet? I submitted my loan request form back before the deadline in May, but have yet to hear anything. Curious if that's normal

[lnsl123]

I haven't heard anything about loans yet either.

[Leliana]

Nothing yet...

[WordsworthIsBae]

Was wondering re: loans too. I thought I mightve filled something out incorrectly but I guess a lot of you are also still waiting. At one point would it be reasonable to call the Financial Aid office to follow up?

[Noonibee]

I actually called and asked them about the loans and they said as long as everything is submitted we should hear back in July or even August.

[Thelaw23]

Just a bit more than a month until move in... It's getting real

[guynourmin]

Please check into the destinations thread if you haven't yet. thanks!

[jswancoat]

Does anyone know where I can go to get the exact tuition figure for 2017-2018 year? I can only find the 2016-2017 figure on website.

[DogsAndWriting]

Does anyone know where I can go to get the exact tuition figure for 2017-2018 year? I can only find the 2016-2017 figure on website.

Did you apply for financial aid? They include the 17-18 costs in the award letter. According to that, tuition for 17-18 is 65,252, while total CoA is 93,740.

[MantisToboggan]

What up peeps

[WordsworthIsBae]

What up peeps

We'll be starting 8 Mondays from today! Can you guys believe it?

[lawdude31]

What up peeps

We'll be starting 8 Mondays from today! Can you guys believe it?

Pretty messed up. And it's 7 Mondays.

[WordsworthIsBae]

What up peeps

We'll be starting 8 Mondays from today! Can you guys believe it?

Pretty messed up. And it's 7 Mondays.

Oops! Time sure is flying.

[jpark86]

So I got assigned a UAH studio but I looked at the floor plan and it's.... 260 square feet???

Single? Couple?

Single

I got mine too, visited and it was so crap that I decided to forego housing... i didn't want to pay 1700/1800 per month for a small craphole with a moldy bathroom

[Thelaw23]

So I got assigned a UAH studio but I looked at the floor plan and it's.... 260 square feet???

Single? Couple?

Single

I got mine too, visited and it was so crap that I decided to forego housing... i didn't want to pay 1700/1800 per month for a small craphole with a moldy bathroom

Although the size of my apartment was pretty damn small, I was pleasantly surprised that it was renovated and seemed new-ish. Which address were you given?

I also heard Columbia lets you be late on rent for like many months and is a chill land lord, no real estate agent fee either so I thought it would all be very comfortable for 1L. I will probably move after 1L though.

[Leliana]

My assigned unit was gross when I visited too. I accepted though (2br, tons of space and low rent, so even if I have to scrub it with bleach it's still a great deal). Housing told me there was going to be work on it done over the summer, and the facilities guy who let me in said that the previous tenants had just moved out so no cleaning had been done yet. We'll see what shape it's in when I move in a few weeks from now

[WiseAsianCow]

Does anyone know how billing (rent) is scheduled?

As in do we pay for rent on a monthly basis? or is it term by term?

Also, does student housing have a/c? or does everyone buy their own portable unit?

[Leliana]

Does anyone know how billing (rent) is scheduled?

As in do we pay for rent on a monthly basis? or is it term by term?

Also, does student housing have a/c? or does everyone buy their own portable unit?

If you are in UAH, it is billed by semester with the option of a monthly plan: http://facilities.columbia.edu/housing/uah-billing
This page states law school housing is also billed by semester, not sure about monthly options: http://facilities.columbia.edu/housing/ ... LawHousing

Your unit likely does not have A/C unless it is a newer or luxury building (i.e. Lenfest/Lionsgate and even then I'm not positive). This goes for NYC in general. I think pretty much all the UAH housing is prewar buildings.

[Thelaw23]

Did anybody hear ANYTHING back about the fed loans? I mean, we're starting in less than a month. I want to know how the whole system works/where the money is being reimbursed to and how it is timed.

[packer_22]

Did anybody hear ANYTHING back about the fed loans? I mean, we're starting in less than a month. I want to know how the whole system works/where the money is being reimbursed to and how it is timed.

If you take out federal loans (signed the MPN and submitted the paperwork to Financial Aid), then your loans will be distributed sometime in mid-August or early September. They will be first applied to your tuition, then the remainder will be direct deposited into your bank account (assuming you signed up for that, which I think almost everyone does)- you can sign up here: http://sfs.columbia.edu/content/student ... nline-ssol

There will be a info session during orientation (I think the second or third day). Don't worry too much about timing- you don't actually have to pay your housing bill each month (I live in Law School housing and I didn't pay my rent until November and there were literally zero repercussions. Spring semester aid is distributed in mid-January.

And I might as well break the news to you now:

The good news: Columbia Law is amazing- it is super fun, the students are amazingly smart and interesting.

The bad news: The administration is terrible. I deferred a year, and Financial Aid told me that I didn't need to sign more MPNs. They told me in September (after the tuition deadline) that, actually, I would. Fortunately, they told me they would waive the late payment fee (since it was their fault). Housing, Financial Aid, and basically everything outside of Yadira and Joel (Student Services) is the most poorly-designed, inefficient bureaucracy ever. Get used to it.

[Thelaw23]

Did anybody hear ANYTHING back about the fed loans? I mean, we're starting in less than a month. I want to know how the whole system works/where the money is being reimbursed to and how it is timed.

If you take out federal loans (signed the MPN and submitted the paperwork to Financial Aid), then your loans will be distributed sometime in mid-August or early September. They will be first applied to your tuition, then the remainder will be direct deposited into your bank account (assuming you signed up for that, which I think almost everyone does)- you can sign up here: http://sfs.columbia.edu/content/student ... nline-ssol

There will be a info session during orientation (I think the second or third day). Don't worry too much about timing- you don't actually have to pay your housing bill each month (I live in Law School housing and I didn't pay my rent until November and there were literally zero repercussions. Spring semester aid is distributed in mid-January.

And I might as well break the news to you now:

The good news: Columbia Law is amazing- it is super fun, the students are amazingly smart and interesting.

The bad news: The administration is terrible. I deferred a year, and Financial Aid told me that I didn't need to sign more MPNs. They told me in September (after the tuition deadline) that, actually, I would. Fortunately, they told me they would waive the late payment fee (since it was their fault). Housing, Financial Aid, and basically everything outside of Yadira and Joel (Student Services) is the most poorly-designed, inefficient bureaucracy ever. Get used to it.

Thanks! That's very helpful, I though they would just notify us of something by now.

I heard so much about the administration and have already experienced how bad it can be :/ guess you have to take the good with the bad.