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telephuse wrote:bump for exact same dilemma. so is there an extra cushion for east coast biglaw at NYU and is it worth 90k? if the schools cost the same, i would go to NYU, but 90k+ in additional debt can make me learn to love ann arbor...

I assume that by 'extra cushion' you mean that NYC BigLaw will dig deeper into the class ranks of NYU than Michigan. I would wager that this is true, but that the difference is fairly negligible. It seems more likely that a significant NYU advantage over Michigan will show up as one gets closer to the top of the NYC BigLaw food chain. If this is right, then a relatively small number of NYU grads will be able to benefit from having gone to NYU as opposed to Michigan. Seems to me the question people in your situation should be asking is whether you'd be willing to bet 90K+ that you'll be in the select group of NYU grads who secure slots at the most elite firms in NYC. If not, then, other things being equal, Michigan is the rational choice.*

*I assume that people who know much more than I do about the job prospects of NYU grads will be able to confirm or refute the assumptions underlying the above reasoning.

I love NYU but in your case I'd probably go Mich. I've heard rumors (from obviously biased sources) that there was a pretty big difference in OCI results between us and lower tiers in the T14 but I think 2009 OCI was such an anomaly that it is probably not a good indicator of future results for anyone.

For the record though, NYU is far from competitive, and considering 2/3+ of 1Ls live in the dorms it doesn't feel like a commuter school.

I would hate to live in Ann Arbor, but if you paid me 30k a year to do it, I might come up with coping mechanisms.

Go Mich.

NYU2011 wrote:I love NYU but in your case I'd probably go Mich. I've heard rumors (from obviously biased sources) that there was a pretty big difference in OCI results between us and lower tiers in the T14 but I think 2009 OCI was such an anomaly that it is probably not a good indicator of future results for anyone.

For the record though, NYU is far from competitive, and considering 2/3+ of 1Ls live in the dorms it doesn't feel like a commuter school.

Out of curiosity, did you hear anything about OCI at Michigan specifically?

tamlyric wrote:Out of curiosity, did you hear anything about OCI at Michigan specifically?

Yes. I don't have any details (this was also in Octoberish so more people could have found positions). Even if stuff I heard was true I'd probably still take 90k; OCI wasn't a cake walk at NYU either

Amelie wrote:Also, Michigan students overwhelmingly = happy students. I don't think that can be stressed enough.

prob mich but please don't put stock in stupid assertions like this

everyone who loves their school thinks everyone's happy. these are largely the same kind of people going into all these schools. any sort of "culture" difference is most likely mostly imagined

underdawg wrote:prob mich but please don't put stock in stupid assertions like this

everyone who loves their school thinks everyone's happy. these are largely the same kind of people going into all these schools. any sort of "culture" difference is most likely mostly imagined

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underdawg wrote:

Amelie wrote:Also, Michigan students overwhelmingly = happy students. I don't think that can be stressed enough.

prob mich but please don't put stock in stupid assertions like this

everyone who loves their school thinks everyone's happy. these are largely the same kind of people going into all these schools. any sort of "culture" difference is most likely mostly imagined

I agree that they are probably somewhat imagined, but (as somebody who visited ASWs at both NYU and UM) I can attest that Michigan students were by and large significantly more outgoing than I found students at NYU to be. Of course, I recognize that ASW is a production to some degree - but Michigan students seemed to enjoy making an effort to meet the admitted students, whereas I did not get that same enthusiastic vibe from NYU students.

Of course, this is one anecdote and certainly should be taken with a grain of salt. Yet I don't think I was alone in my sentiments.

FlightoftheEarls wrote:

underdawg wrote:

Amelie wrote:Also, Michigan students overwhelmingly = happy students. I don't think that can be stressed enough.

prob mich but please don't put stock in stupid assertions like this

everyone who loves their school thinks everyone's happy. these are largely the same kind of people going into all these schools. any sort of "culture" difference is most likely mostly imagined

I agree that they are probably somewhat imagined, but (as somebody who visited ASWs at both NYU and UM) I can attest that Michigan students were by and large significantly more outgoing than I found students at NYU to be. Of course, I recognize that ASW is a production to some degree - but Michigan students seemed to enjoy making an effort to meet the admitted students, whereas I did not get that same enthusiastic vibe from NYU students.

Of course, this is one anecdote and certainly should be taken with a grain of salt. Yet I don't think I was alone in my sentiments.

I'm with you... and I went to a lot of ASWs. And I did notice differences between schools. It may not even be a "law school culture" per se, but regional characteristics can play a part. People from the midwest and south tend to be more outgoing and friendly than people from the east coast. Just as schools in smaller towns tend to be more close knit than schools in big cities.