SLS v. YLS Forum

[westbayguy]

As far as atmosphere, I've heard from an SLS student that its pretty intense but Yale is just as intense, if not worse. You can't go to a school that only accepts 3.9+, 99.9% LSAT, lifelong overachieving applicants and then expect students to all be relaxed.

I think for the OP that this is really going to be the crucial issue. I have friends at both SLS and YLS and the student body at both seem to be somewhat different from one another. You have to remember that a lot of people who chose SLS self-selected into the school versus going to H...that brings with it a certain culture to the student body that, from what I've been able to gather, is quite different from H and Y (SLS kids feel free to contradict me if you think I'm off base here). I really think the OP should make sure to go to both ASWs and get a flavor of each campus. You're going to do great coming out of both, so the question becomes whether the OP wants to spend 3 years.

This is just wrong. YLS has lots of overachievers, but first semester has all pass fail classes, there is no class rank, there is no mandatory grade curve, and there are no book awards or "DS" awards. The class is so eclectic that thre is not as much competition as you would think. Sure some want Art III clerkships and self impose stress, but there are plenty to go around for thoise that want them. LAw review is tough, but not nearly as tough to get on as HLR or SLR. There is no grade on. And so few of YLS want Big Law that there's not much competiton for the many firms that do OCI. Look elsewhere on TLS and I think you'll also get the impression the middle and bottom of the YLS class feel much less stress than middle of HLS.

Class offerings may not be as deep as HLS, but from what Iunderstand you can get a YLS prof to direct reading in just about anything.

I agree go to ASW, talk to students and professors and then decide.

[AreJay711]

For the ultimate in exclusivity, I think TCR is to withdraw from Yale, and the frame and hang the acceptance letter/withdrawal next to each other. There are more Yale grads than there are those who rejected Yale.

[DeepSeaLaw]

I think Yale makes more sense for OP, but wanted to note a couple of things:

Nobody at Stanford is stressed about getting a biglaw job, even below median. For some prestigious East Coast firms you might have a slightly easier time at Yale with mediocre grades, but I think the difference is probably slight.

Stanford's Law Review doesn't have a grade-on either and is about as easy to make as law reviews get--about half of people who finish the law review competition make it.

Yale's clerkship numbers are still better than Stanford's, but there are self-selection effects at work and SLS has been making a concerted effort that's showing some results. There will be 6 SLS clerks on the Supreme Court next year, and the COA numbers will also be a little higher than in recent years. So while if you want the best shot at the best federal clerkship possible Yale is your best shot, but it's not as if you give fantastic clerkship opportunities up by going to Stanford.

[btraven]

I once faced this choice. I thought like others here that YLS was the obvious choice. Most likely I still do.

But here is what I have learned over time:

SLS is better if you want to work in the Valley. Membership in the golf course alone for life is worth it. People are much much better looking at S, and even at SLS. Weather is off the charts.

But if you want an open door to academia or the highest levels of the USG for the rest of your life, YLS. Just be ready for three years of awful weather and New Haven.

[PDaddy]

Congrats on your cycle! Better than sex, right! Lol.

YLS sounds better for you. In all honesty, it sounds like you want YLS and SLS to merge.

The best people to answer your question are honestly YLS and SLS students and graduates. I would not listen to anything an OL had to say about deciding between those two. No dis, as the people on this site tend to be somewhat knowledgable. Once you are deciding between HYS, it's really a preference thing; you cannot lose. They are similar in prestige, and graduates from all three can write their own tickets.

Picking for myself, I would choose SLS without a minute's thought and sleep like a baby. If you want to go into business and be filthy rich in a short amount of time (as I do), go to SLS.

There are reasons to choose YLS as well, some of which you named in your original post. YLS students might also shock you at how much they party relative to their status. I have a female friend who went there, and they party well enough to make for a nice three years.

I think Yale makes more sense for OP, but wanted to note a couple of things:

Nobody at Stanford is stressed about getting a biglaw job, even below median. For some prestigious East Coast firms you might have a slightly easier time at Yale with mediocre grades, but I think the difference is probably slight.

"...grades"? To what grades are you referring? YLS doesn't give grades.

[AttaBoy]

As far as atmosphere, I've heard from an SLS student that its pretty intense but Yale is just as intense, if not worse. You can't go to a school that only accepts 3.9+, 99.9% LSAT, lifelong overachieving applicants and then expect students to all be relaxed.

I think for the OP that this is really going to be the crucial issue. I have friends at both SLS and YLS and the student body at both seem to be somewhat different from one another. You have to remember that a lot of people who chose SLS self-selected into the school versus going to H...that brings with it a certain culture to the student body that, from what I've been able to gather, is quite different from H and Y (SLS kids feel free to contradict me if you think I'm off base here). I really think the OP should make sure to go to both ASWs and get a flavor of each campus. You're going to do great coming out of both, so the question becomes whether the OP wants to spend 3 years.

This is just wrong. YLS has lots of overachievers, but first semester has all pass fail classes, there is no class rank, there is no mandatory grade curve, and there are no book awards or "DS" awards. The class is so eclectic that thre is not as much competition as you would think. Sure some want Art III clerkships and self impose stress, but there are plenty to go around for thoise that want them. LAw review is tough, but not nearly as tough to get on as HLR or SLR. There is no grade on. And so few of YLS want Big Law that there's not much competiton for the many firms that do OCI. Look elsewhere on TLS and I think you'll also get the impression the middle and bottom of the YLS class feel much less stress than middle of HLS.

I second this. The atmosphere at YLS is fairly relaxed. There are a few people who perpetually gun, as they've done their whole life, and virtually everyone knows what they need to do to be successful. But the culture is overwhelmingly collegial.

As for the person who suggested SLS is better for biglaw or making money, I don't think that's true. More people from SLS (or HLS) choose biglaw. But even with straight Ps at YLS, you'll likely get biglaw and likely get multiple offers, as there are literally more employers than there are graduates.

[hung jury]

As far as atmosphere, I've heard from an SLS student that its pretty intense but Yale is just as intense, if not worse. You can't go to a school that only accepts 3.9+, 99.9% LSAT, lifelong overachieving applicants and then expect students to all be relaxed.

I think for the OP that this is really going to be the crucial issue. I have friends at both SLS and YLS and the student body at both seem to be somewhat different from one another. You have to remember that a lot of people who chose SLS self-selected into the school versus going to H...that brings with it a certain culture to the student body that, from what I've been able to gather, is quite different from H and Y (SLS kids feel free to contradict me if you think I'm off base here). I really think the OP should make sure to go to both ASWs and get a flavor of each campus. You're going to do great coming out of both, so the question becomes whether the OP wants to spend 3 years.

This is just wrong. YLS has lots of overachievers, but first semester has all pass fail classes, there is no class rank, there is no mandatory grade curve, and there are no book awards or "DS" awards. The class is so eclectic that thre is not as much competition as you would think. Sure some want Art III clerkships and self impose stress, but there are plenty to go around for thoise that want them. LAw review is tough, but not nearly as tough to get on as HLR or SLR. There is no grade on. And so few of YLS want Big Law that there's not much competiton for the many firms that do OCI. Look elsewhere on TLS and I think you'll also get the impression the middle and bottom of the YLS class feel much less stress than middle of HLS.

I second this. The atmosphere at YLS is fairly relaxed. There are a few people who perpetually gun, as they've done their whole life, and virtually everyone knows what they need to do to be successful. But the culture is overwhelmingly collegial.

As for the person who suggested SLS is better for biglaw or making money, I don't think that's true. More people from SLS (or HLS) choose biglaw. But even with straight Ps at YLS, you'll likely get biglaw and likely get multiple offers, as there are literally more employers than there are graduates.

Straight Ps at Stanford also gives most students multiple biglaw offers. I think the real difference is that the actual practical training for biglaw is better at SLS than the training for biglaw at Yale. And this seems to be the opinion of most biglaw recruiters. In the same way that academia training is, for the most part, better at Yale than at Stanford.