UPenn Levy ($150K) vs. Columbia ($75K) Forum

[Veyron]

Nah, I think its because apps are down this year. I see people with my numbers getting a good deal more money than I did.

Yeah probably that too. But I know or have seen on TLS a good 5 or 6 levy people that turned it down this cycle :\

I think thats par for the course. The Levy is our "please don't go to Harvard/Yale" scholarship. I'm actually a bit surprised this dude got it, financial aid must have miscalculated.

[Unemployed]

You would be crazy not to go to Penn, ESPECIALLY if your goal is biglaw.

-Columbia 2L.

[r6_philly]

How about turning it down in June so they can give it to me after my retake?

[JamMasterJ]

n

[redsoxfan2495]

I voted Penn. The difference in career prospects is not worth 75K. Penn is still a great school and you'll graduate with relatively little debt.

[swc65]

Wow. I'm surprised that the vote has been unanimously for Penn so far. I thought it would be closer.

Again: my primary consideration is getting biglaw.
It's undeniable that CLS places a higher percentage of its students in biglaw.
Does having the Levy on my app provide THAT much of a boost?

I got the Levy but there's no guarantee that I'll be near the top third. I can go to CLS and have a relatively lower class rank but still get biglaw.

I'm honestly 50/50 here. I just feel like I'm missing something because I certainly did not expect unanimous Penn.

Does CLS place better than Penn into biglaw? Probably, but only marginally so. Anywhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of grads at Penn/CLS aren't getting biglaw. Because the difference between these two schools is so small, it makes no sense to take out 150k in loans for CLS versus taking out half of that for Penn. If you miss out on biglaw, and it is definitely possible out of both schools, you will be much safer at Penn. Plus, even if you hit biglaw, you will be better off out at Penn.

CLS's marginally better placement is not worth paying double the money that you would at Penn.

Seconded- CLS had, what, two percent better BL placement last year? and four the year before. I, personally would take the extra 75K plus diff. in COL.

[justhoping]

How about turning it down in June so they can give it to me after my retake?

really? they'd increase your scholly just because you retake and do better on a test? or are you thinking of reapply?

btw I vote Penn. As much as I love Columbia, I don't think it's worth 75k more than Penn.

[r6_philly]

How about turning it down in June so they can give it to me after my retake?

really? they'd increase your scholly just because you retake and do better on a test? or are you thinking of reapply?

btw I vote Penn. As much as I love Columbia, I don't think it's worth 75k more than Penn.

It's a joke, hence the smiley

But I'd reapply if I score a lot better.

[yngblkgifted]

op's just being a lay prestige whore.

[Veyron]

op's just being a lay prestige whore.

CLS has lay prestige? Maybe in NYC.

[yngblkgifted]

op's just being a lay prestige whore.

CLS has lay prestige? Maybe in NYC.

More than Penn, even you have to concede to that. Penn State Penn is right around there with Michigan and Virginia. Maybe Penn has a little bit more because it's an Ivy.

[IHaveLawyers]

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[rose711]

Are you seriously considering turning down a named scholarship (at an excellent school in a region you are happy with) with all that comes with it to go to a school that places marginally better in biglaw? Going any place but Penn is a huge and costly mistake. Why do you need other people to tell you this?

[CanadianWolf]

Free is good.

[yngblkgifted]

Free is good.

OP is


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[ksimon2007]

Free is good.

OP is


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LOL

[irie]

I think that Penn is the right answer here... but in case you're wondering these are the stats for Columbia current 2L class (SA numbers from fall 2010 OCI)

312 students accepted an offer from a v100 during 2L EIP last year, ~50% of these were in "v20" firms, over 80% were in "v60" firms. This doesn't account for those who got biglaw jobs in secondary markets and at smaller firms in primary markets post-EIP.

[Veyron]

op's just being a lay prestige whore.

CLS has lay prestige? Maybe in NYC.

More than Penn, even you have to concede to that. Penn State Penn is right around there with Michigan and Virginia. Maybe Penn has a little bit more because it's an Ivy.

They are the same in that department. Few people know Columbia outside of NYC, few people know Penn outside of Philly. If you want lay prestige, go to H,Y, GULC .

[r6_philly]

They are the same in that department. Few people know Columbia outside of NYC, few people know Penn outside of Philly. If you want lay prestige, go to H,Y, GULC Cornell .

[whymeohgodno]

op's just being a lay prestige whore.

CLS has lay prestige? Maybe in NYC.

More than Penn, even you have to concede to that. Penn State Penn is right around there with Michigan and Virginia. Maybe Penn has a little bit more because it's an Ivy.

They are the same in that department. Few people know Columbia outside of NYC, few people know Penn outside of Philly. If you want lay prestige, go to H,Y, GULC .

Except people actually know where NYC is.

[r6_philly]

Except people actually know where NYC is.

But people don't know that Columbia is in NYC. When I hear Columbia, I think of Columbia Tristar.

[yngblkgifted]

op's just being a lay prestige whore.

CLS has lay prestige? Maybe in NYC.

More than Penn, even you have to concede to that. Penn State Penn is right around there with Michigan and Virginia. Maybe Penn has a little bit more because it's an Ivy.

They are the same in that department. Few people know Columbia outside of NYC, few people know Penn outside of Philly. If you want lay prestige, go to H,Y,?GULC .

Egregious anti- Stanford trolling?

[whymeohgodno]

Except people actually know where NYC is.

But people don't know that Columbia is in NYC. When I hear Columbia, I think of Columbia Tristar.

But when people hear UPENN they think Penn State. That's undoubtedly worse than Columbia Tristar.

[r6_philly]

But when people hear UPENN they think Penn State. That's undoubtedly worse than Columbia Tristar.

My point is if you say Columbia, it doesn't even sound like a school. It's either the country, or the lady with the torch.