Top Law Schools

Hey all,

I'm now in the very lucky position of deciding between three amazing schools. Columbia's offered me their Public Interest Fellowship, which would require me to work in PI for 5 years after graduation, and NYU has offered me one of their focus-area fellowships (criminal law, with no requirements to work in PI).

Some background on me: I want to enter PI after graduating, likely doing a stint as a public defender for a few years, then perhaps moving into a prosecutorial role or working for an advocacy-focused non-profit.

When I visited, Harvard seemed like a very strong fit for me socially and academically, while Columbia felt less comfortable (less focus on domestic PI, and less of a social fit). NYU, meanwhile, fell somewhere between the two, with a very obvious focus on PI. I'm still waiting on HLS' financial aid offer, but I assume that it won't come close to the other two. Given all of this information, what considerations should I think about in making this decision? And what would you recommend?

Feeling a little confused,
A very lucky applicant

EDIT: I don't want to live in NYC, or probably even on the east coast, when I graduate. I'd like to go back to CA.

Wait until you get Harvard's offer - it might be better than you think. They only offer need-based financial aid, but loans are capped around $33k per year.

I would knock Columbia out. NYU is clutch for crim and it sounds like your fellowship would really open doors. Have you thought about clerkships/academia/government? That's one area where Harvard has a distinct leg up on NYU. Otherwise you have a tough (yet awesome) decision to make

This forum is schizophrenic.

The Cornell (non-full-ride) vs. Columbia dude was told Cornell, for sure, because C isn't HYS.

Here, I presume C or N still aren't HYS, and C's full ride has strings attached, and HLS is still losing.

im_blue wrote:Wait until you get Harvard's offer - it might be better than you think. They only offer need-based financial aid, but loans are capped around $33k per year.

Does their finaid info not say that everything can be financed entirely through loans? Where did you hear about the $33k/year cap?

gmail wrote:I would knock Columbia out. NYU is clutch for crim and it sounds like your fellowship would really open doors. Have you thought about clerkships/academia/government? That's one area where Harvard has a distinct leg up on NYU. Otherwise you have a tough (yet awesome) decision to make

I have, yeah. Clerkships definitely appeal to me, academia not at all, and government is a distinct possibility--though the non-profit / social justice person in me tells me not to do it.

EijiMiyake wrote:This forum is schizophrenic.

The Cornell (non-full-ride) vs. Columbia dude was told Cornell, for sure, because C isn't HYS.

Here, I presume C or N still aren't HYS, and C's full ride has strings attached, and HLS is still losing.

+1.

Edited to add boldphasis.

It sounds like you want to go to Harvard, but you would feel like an ass to turn down a truck full of cash from two very prestigious schools. Go to Harvard, no one would blame you.

EijiMiyake wrote:This forum is schizophrenic.

The Cornell (non-full-ride) vs. Columbia dude was told Cornell, for sure, because C isn't HYS.

Here, I presume C or N still aren't HYS, and C's full ride has strings attached, and HLS is still losing.

i don't know; to me, that topic didn't feel like it was "cornell, for sure"

Mr. Pablo wrote:It sounds like you want to go to Harvard, but you would feel like an ass to turn down a truck full of cash from two very prestigious schools. Go to Harvard, no one would blame you.

Well, I think it's more than I don't want to have a decade of debt to pay off, and I think all three institutions would give me the education I'd need to succeed. That said, I'm struggling to find the right dimensions along which to make the decision. Harvard has a very strong PI program, and it could open doors / make connections that would be very helpful down the line. It's also $150K more expensive than the other two.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=111165

Check out that thread also going on right now. Has some insights into the NYU full ride vs. Harvard debate.