Texas ($$$) vs. Columbia Forum

[thinkbig]

Depends on who's footing the bill. If you want HOU or DAL and you're sure, then take UT without a doubt. And the money you save not paying back student loans can go to buying a house or something.

Suppose the options were a full ride to Columbia or a full ride to UT. If you KNOW you want to work in Dallas or Houston and love living and learning in Texas, this would still be a no-brainer. UT Law competes in its own state with T14s like no other non-T14 public law school.

[acharyainc]

Columbia...its a school in a whole different class.

[Snoopy1216]

If you live in Texas and want to work in Texas, go to UT and save your family the 200K of unnecessary debt!

I mean because with Columbia, you can't guarantee you will be able to make it back to Texas with the best job and financial prospects to pay off those loans. But, at least with UT, you are already that market's their target students and will not have to worry about mounds of debt should the economy still be shaky or your grades aren't exactly where you had hoped.

[DoubleChecks]

Depends on who's footing the bill. If you want HOU or DAL and you're sure, then take UT without a doubt. And the money you save not paying back student loans can go to buying a house or something.

Suppose the options were a full ride to Columbia or a full ride to UT. If you KNOW you want to work in Dallas or Houston and love living and learning in Texas, this would still be a no-brainer. UT Law competes in its own state with T14s like no other non-T14 public law school.

iunno about that. i think CLS would make you stand out and get you better 'biglaw' job prospects (if thats what you want) in TX than UT, if we were saying both were full rides. UT students arent doing great job-wise this yr, but i only have anecdotal evidence.

now if he wanted PI/gov work in TX or something, maybe a diff story...

[imchuckbass58]

I go to Columbia, and I'd say go to UT given your situation.

[lt0826]

If you are certain you want to stay in Tx I'd take Tx with money without hesitation. Here is what I picture in a job interview in Houston:

Houston partner at a law firm: Son, where did you study law.
You: New York City - Columbia
Houston partner at a law firm: New York City?!!

It will be just like the salsa commercial.

[mysticfeline]

OK, so I'm facing a very similar quandary. Also narrowed it down to both schools, sticker price at Columbia vs. full ride at UT. I'm 95% sure I want to stay in Texas -- though not positive. However, I'm very interested in international law, particularly European law, and this is something that I know Columbia does well and UT doesn't do so well (most of their intl law is focused on South and Central America and oil/gas work). If I went to Columbia, I would probably do their dual degree program in Paris, which UT does not offer.
Just in terms of culture, I feel much more at home in the Texan/Austin atmosphere than I do in New York City.
I plan to do big corporate law -- though never in NYC -- when I graduate. I would consider other parts of the country, but I definitely have a strong Texas preference.

Thanks so much in advance for any advice... I am so confused right now.

[JOThompson]

Texas and never look back. UT is such a fixture in the state that I'm not convinced that even a Columbia degree will grant enough edge to justify another 150-200k in debt.

[mysticfeline]

Thanks. I'm honestly not too concerned about the debt, since I won't ultimately be footing the bill (long story), but I'm hesitant to give up a Columbia degree, particularly with its focus in international law, if it could offer me any advantage whatsoever. Do you think it might? For example, would a Texas firm recruit from the top 25% at Columbia but only the top 10% at UT?

[Stringer Bell]

Thanks. I'm honestly not too concerned about the debt, since I won't ultimately be footing the bill (long story), but I'm hesitant to give up a Columbia degree, particularly with its focus in international law, if it could offer me any advantage whatsoever. Do you think it might? For example, would a Texas firm recruit from the top 25% at Columbia but only the top 10% at UT?

This is very possible. Texas firms paying market do go to OCI at the top schools. They wouldn't waste their time if they were just going to hire all of their associates from UT. That said, Columbia is represented less than some other schools such as Harvard and UVA. Someone in another thread awhile back posted that in 2008, 60 something firms paying market did OCI at UT while 50 or so went to Harvard as well as UVA and Columbia had 20 something show up. I have perused the NALP directory and this seemed to agree with the impression I got even though I didn't chart it.

If I were in your shoes I would take the money at Texas in a second, BUT if you have an enormous inheritance or a wealthy family footing the bill and you want the best shot possible at F&J, V&E or B&B, then Columbia would likely be the right call. Even though he is older and no longer involved in hiring, a partner at one of those firms did tell me that they will go deeper into a class at some of the more prestigous schools than they would from UT.

[splinter23x]

Someone needs to be the contrarian here so I'll give it a shot. Both are great schools, either choice is a good choice. But I think Columbia puts you in a different league. Go to UT, you're one in a million UT grads knocking on doors in Houston and Dallas for jobs. Go to Columbia, you are one of the very few Columbia students applying in Houston and Dallas. I mean really, how many Columbia students go to Texas after graduation? Hardly any. I think Houston/Dallas firms would be tripping over each other to get you on board. Whereas if you go to UT, you're just like any other student they hire every year, it's much harder to stand out.

Just my two cents. Is it worth $200k in debt? Tough to say since I'm not the one footing the bill, but I see Columbia as a no-risk situation since I think firms will salivate at the thought of nabbing a Columbia student.