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.Doorkeeper wrote: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.bdubs wrote: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.
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.