Indeed, even for someone from the NY metro who has seen similar views before.

Are any of you the guy from Alabama who was practically running around the room looking out all of the windows?

Im not sure about the ASW though I thought most people in my group had were not in UG, but I was told that average for NYU is 1/3 UG 2/3 not per class

Heh, I suspect you and I may have been on the same tour -- the one where the two guies pointed at the student union building from the corner, said, "that's the first stop on the tour," then proceeded around to the other side of the building and talked about communing with the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe? I think I enjoyed that a hell of a lot more than I would've enjoyed seeing a bunch of places I'm not likely to spend any time. Bars are an important part of any good legal education.

Missed this one--we were definitely on the same tour unless multiple tour guides did the same thing. Did they also show you where the K-mart was? Some people snickered at that, but I thought it was really useful to know (although I've since totally forgotten other than "near Mercer").

If the guy from Alabama running around the room looking out all the windows was a blonde guy in a yellow shirt/baby blue sweater & khakis, then yes. That was me.

First time in NYC - shameless tourist

I liked Columbia more than I thought I would. The campus is really nice. There's a big area where steps lead up to the main Columbia U. library, and a lot of green spaces. It's really pretty.

The law buildings were nice, although the CLS library isn't great.

Morningside Heights gets a bad rap, but I thought the neighborhood had a great vibe. There's maybe a 10 minute walk between one of the law apartment buildings -- Lensfest -- and the law school, and there were cafes, fruit stands, etc. on the way. The area had a ton of students everywhere.

Also, Columbia seemed a little bit older than NYU -- a lot seemed to be maybe mid to upper 20s. I'm sure this was largely the result of NYU being invaded by accepted students, many of whom are still seniors in college, versus having the full three-year spectrum of CLS students.

...

I also really liked NYU. Greenwich Village is awesome. Within a block of the law buildings, I had a great cappucino for $3, an awesome slice of pizza and a beer with my uncle. Great people watching. I also skipped one of the events and walked down to Soho, which is a 10 minute walk and has awesome shopping.

NYU's library was really, really nice, I thought. It's the nicest I've seen aside from HLS.

NYU doesn't really have a campus. They own buildings randomly through the village. You would never know which ones are NYU buildings if they didn't hang purple signs on them.

Every student I talked to at NYU was great -- friendly, helpful, they seemed happy and unpretentious. I was very impressed.

After visiting both, I honestly don't even know which one I like better. NYU is in a much better location, it feels like its part of the city, and has an edge in clinics and PI programs. Columbia has a more campus feel, a little quieter neighborhood, and a slight edge in clerkships and elite firm placement.

Yeah, I've only ever seen Columbia in the winter, so I tend to picture it as a barren wasteland. (Seriously, in the winter, that whole quad area is pretty grim.)

To be fair, the Village and pretty much all of Manhattan is a freezing wind tunnel in winter. But come to NYU and I know where I can get you a possum scarf to keep toasty (god I hope somebody here understands that).

[Yeah, I've only ever seen Columbia in the winter, so I tend to picture it as a barren wasteland. (Seriously, in the winter, that whole quad area is pretty grim.) I bet it's pretty in the summer, though. I agree about the neighborhood - I always when people talk about it being a bad area. If by "near Harlem" they mean "you have to scale a freaking cliff to get anywhere close to Harlem" (worst park ever), then yeah... it's right up on Harlem. Other than age, would you say there was any difference in the student body?

I'm ready for this ASW!!!

no one else is excited about this ASW?

Has anyone received the so-called confirmation e-mail we're supposed to print and bring? Or should I call admissions tomorrow? Also...for those of you who have already attended...what is the dress?

I totally echo the person who said Columbia wasn't an option anymore. NYU roughly matches them on most things (job placement, clerkships, etc), but the students seem happy and engaged instead of like they were slogging through three rough years. Also, the administration and professors I met seemed accessible in a real way. Columbia seemed polished and professional (which I like), but the name and presentation isn't nearly enough to make me want to go there. NYU, i hope i get some need-based aid or something, because you're now my top choice.

I also noticed that between classes (and in the halls during classes) CLS had a lot more interaction going on among students. NYU on the other hand was pretty much dead for those of you that didn't immediately rush to sit-in on a class.