M/V Full Ride Vs C/NYU Sticker Forum

[radionumberone]

Hello all,

Right now I am deciding between one of Michigan and Virginia with a full ride vs one of Columbia and NYU at sticker.

I know I may get some flack for even asking this, but what do people think I should do? My dilemma is this: I'm committed to practicing big law in new york or California, and I'd much rather go to the higher ranked New York option than the lower ranked full ride option, but I feel like it's just impossible for me to justify turning down the full ride. Anyways, I'm interested to see how people feel about this decision...
Thanks for the input,

radionumberone

[vanwinkle]

If you're committed to NYC BigLaw, go to Columbia.

[vespertiliovir]

IMO, your options ranked:
(1) Columbia -- but only if you're confident you'll be able to do reasonably well grade-wise
(2) M -- they place pretty well nationally, since there's no really big market in Michigan itself
(3) NYU -- great for NYC, but meh elsewhere, at least comparatively speaking
(4) UVA -- they're better for DC than either NYC or West Coast

[ravens20]

A full scholarship at Michigan or Virginia is not something to pass up lightly. I'd take the money and enjoy three years at a fantastic school.

[im_blue]

I would take the full ride at M/V, especially for California.

[Dignan]

Hello all,

Right now I am deciding between one of Michigan and Virginia with a full ride vs one of Columbia and NYU at sticker.

Is that really your choice? If your numbers are good enough to get absolute full rides to Michigan and Virgina, then you should be in a position to get at least some money from Columbia or NYU.

[joeshmo39]

Call Columbia and explain your dilemma. If you are full ride at UVA and UM type material they have to at least throw you something I would think. I would take the money at those 2 schools over Columbia which will total 200,000 considering you're going to have to deal with NYC cost of living. Still, if Columbia and NYU are your dream, it cannot hurt to call and ask. Call then fax or email them a scan of your letters from UVA and UM.

[awesomepossum]

I think you should visit all the schools you're considering attending. If you still really think that you vastly prefer Columbia/NYU that's where I would go.

The debt is a lot of money, but it's important to go to the school that you really want to be at. I actually did the reverse and chose Michigan over one of your dream schools for no money. For me, the school outweighed the ranking. Personal preference is important.

In terms of opportunity, U of M places well in NYC and CA. Obviously the opportunities at Columbia and NYU are very good as well as are the opportunities out of UVA I'm sure.

Again, I really suggest you visit and then follow your heart.

[insidethetwenty]

Take the money and work your tail off. Unless you HAVE to have V5, V10, etc, Michigan or UVA will get you to your desired market. Then, when you move to NYC/LA/SF to start your job, you'll be $200k more financially free than you would be coming from Columbia/NYU. While your class of associates is appropriating $1000+/month to pay off their loans, you'll be driving a new car, or living in a bigger apartment, or something else. And if you decide that you hate the long hours of major-market BigLaw, you can jump out without having to worry about paying off that debt in a mid-law, PI, or government job...

That is, unless you just want to live in NYC for three years while in school, in which case go for it...

[jnorsky]

I understand that Columbia and NYU place very well into V5 and V10 firms. But Michigan and UVA do not place badly (cept at Wachtell and Cravath). I think if you are Law Review material at either school you can definitely get one of those jobs. Plus, no debt, still amazing schools, i mean, I really do not think that Columbia is worth $200 Grand more than UVA or Michigan unless you want Wachtell or Cravath.

[heyguys]

Take the money. /thread

[ruleser]

A full scholarship at Michigan or Virginia is not something to pass up lightly. I'd take the money and enjoy three years at a fantastic school.

...and 20 psot-school years of much less debt.

[Tangerine Gleam]

Hello all,

Right now I am deciding between one of Michigan and Virginia with a full ride vs one of Columbia and NYU at sticker.

Is that really your choice? If your numbers are good enough to get absolute full rides to Michigan and Virgina, then you should be in a position to get at least some money from Columbia or NYU.

This might usually be the case, but it's possible that OP got the Darrow, which isn't so numbers-based. In this case, an applicant could get an MVP full ride with numbers that might keep one out of the T5 entirely...much less in w/ $.

[twistedwrister]

I go to NYU (and pay sticker) and absolutely love it. Even ITE, NYC biglaw prospects are great coming from NYU if you can manage to pull average to above-average grades. I just went through OCI in August and got plenty of offers.

All that being said, I would still take a full ride at M/V over sticker at C/NYU. I don't think the biglaw placement difference is large enough to justify paying full tuition when you can attend an amazing school for free.

[FlightoftheEarls]

I understand that Columbia and NYU place very well into V5 and V10 firms. But Michigan and UVA do not place badly (cept at Wachtell and Cravath). I think if you are Law Review material at either school you can definitely get one of those jobs. Plus, no debt, still amazing schools, i mean, I really do not think that Columbia is worth $200 Grand more than UVA or Michigan unless you want Wachtell or Cravath.

Biased, but I agree.

Also, I don't know a whole large number of 3Ls here, but one of the friends I do know is going to Cravath when she's done. Michigan will certainly not shut any door to elite firms if you perform well. And it's not like you wouldn't have to kick serious ass at CN to land that job, either. Paying $200,000 extra will give you a slightly better shot at Cravath and Wachtell, but will be very far from guaranteeing it.

Visit each school and decide where you think you'll be happier. If it's worth the money to you in the end, you'll be confident you made the right decision.

[09042014]

If you're committed to NYC BigLaw, go to Columbia.

Ridiculous. C/N isn't 150k better placement than M/V. Especially if you consider that C/N probably has a bit smarter class.

There aren't many people who'd get NYC big law at C/N but wouldn't at M/V.

But compared to the risk of getting no offered because the economy tanks and being stuck with 200K debt instead of 50K, it doesn't make sense.

But A+ for being a Uva nontroll student.

[keg411]

TTMAR. NYC BigLaw can be had at CN and MV and CN is not worth $200k+COL more. NYC is way more $$$$$ to live than Ann Arbor or Charlottesville. Go visit MV and see what you think. If you hate both, then consider CN, but you have to really really really hate both. The placement just isn't good enough and even if for some reason you tank at OCI at MV, you won't have any debt anyway so it won't matter.

[D Brooks]

If you're committed to NYC BigLaw, go to Columbia.

LOL. I was about to call you a dumb then realized who was posting. Are you being serious? That would be an absurd thing to do. NYU hasn't even mailed out $$ offers yet. OP should sit tight for another month.

[kittenmittons]

If you're committed to NYC BigLaw, go to Columbia.

LOL. I was about to call you a dumb then realized who was posting. Are you being serious? That would be an absurd thing to do. NYU hasn't even mailed out $$ offers yet. OP should sit tight for another month.

Why would anyone go to the third best LS in the city?

[vanwinkle]

If you're committed to NYC BigLaw, go to Columbia.

Ridiculous. C/N isn't 150k better placement than M/V. Especially if you consider that C/N probably has a bit smarter class.

Thoughts on the matter:

1) Placement will be better at CLS.

2) You will be able to network much more easily while you are in NYC. I've been offered a job interview in NYC for this summer but I have to figure out how to get up there now, and they won't interview on weekends, and my Spring Break is already booked up with something else, so I'm going to have to skip class in order to go up there for a day for an interview...

3) "Smarter class" doesn't matter. Law school success depends almost entirely on studying how to take law school exams, and more than half the kids at a school don't do this. This is true at a T10 school and I've spoken to people here who go to HLS and they tell me it's actually the same thing there. Having a few extra LSAT points doesn't really create an entirely different caliber of students. (This is also why folks who transfer up to H or Y continue to do well while they're there, despite being surrounded by a "smarter class".)

If you're on TLS, then hopefully you will learn how to succeed in law school exams from posters like Arrow and Xeoh, and that'll give you the same edge at CLS that it does at UVA/Mich.

4) CLS is also going to be a stronger degree outside of NYC. There aren't many CLS kids trying to go to CA when they graduate and the CA firms will probably love to diversify their incoming class a little by adding a CLS grad to them.

5) Either way you're still graduating with significant debt ($60K if you go to M/V, because a "full ride" doesn't include COL) and if you can't find decent work you're screwed, unless you use IBR to manage your debt, in which case it'll help you manage $200K of debt anyway.

But A+ for being a Uva nontroll student.

[D Brooks]

If you're committed to NYC BigLaw, go to Columbia.

LOL. I was about to call you a dumb then realized who was posting. Are you being serious? That would be an absurd thing to do. NYU hasn't even mailed out $$ offers yet. OP should sit tight for another month.

Why would anyone go to the third best LS in the city?

Columbia

NYU

[98234872348]

Take the money. /thread

[jks289]

If you are prepared to accept the debt, then I think you have your decision. For me it would be full ride, no question. Being debt free would just make life so much easier.

You should probably ask someone who made the sticker NYU/Columbia BigLaw decision. They will be able to tell you the actual pros and cons.