Columbia vs. NYU (vs. Chicago) Forum

[prt86a]

What are everyone's thoughts on this matchup? I've heard that NYU students are generally happier than Columbia students. Any truth to this? Is Chicago significantly worse for east coast job placement?

[jcunni5]

I hear Chicago's placement is hurting ITE and the consensus is that NYU is happier than Columbia, but personally I'd take Columbia over NYU for the better prospects and smaller hipster population

[starrydreamz3]

I'll come back to this post in January. As of now there's only one option for me.

I think it's going to come down to ASW between NYU and Columbia for me. I think they're so similiar that it'll be the atmosphere of the school that'll help me make the final decision.

[rundoxierun]

I hear Chicago's placement is hurting ITE and the consensus is that NYU is happier than Columbia, but personally I'd take Columbia over NYU for the better prospects and smaller hipster population

Is this post a parody??

[re-applicant]

I hear Chicago's placement is hurting ITE and the consensus is that NYU is happier than Columbia, but personally I'd take Columbia over NYU for the better prospects and smaller hipster population

Is this post a parody??

its better that way

[JollyGreenGiant]

I've heard Chicago does quite well in east coast if that's what you want. I'm not sure how it compares to Columbia or NYU, though. Probably the same once you take out self-selection.

[im_blue]

Columbia > NYU for east coast biglaw

[Stanford4Me]

1L @ NYU.

Love it here. Students are social, and happy, and more athletic - flag football Fridays are amazing, we've dominated CLS in the Deans Cup Basketball Tournament 3 years in a row. The hipster population in LS is pretty much 0, the only hipsters are in UG and you only see them on your walk to Vanderbilt. Students here don't get mugged while walking home at night to their apartments like they do at Columbia (I kid, I kid). We had a mixer with CLS earlier in the month and basically none of their students showed up (granted it was raining), and the ones who did were really . . . boring. It pretty much comes down to what you want to do in your career and your personality type. NYU is strong in public interest, and still places well in the private sector and its students are known for being laid back but still extremely intelligent. CLS focuses primarily on private sector, which gives it an edge in placement (though I think this is due partly to self-selection @ NYU). When I chose between NYU and CLS I chose based on where I thought I'd enjoy studying, and I think my decision has been the right one. Obviously I'm biased.

[j nyc]

--

[lawyerwannabe]

I hear Chicago's placement is hurting ITE and the consensus is that NYU is happier than Columbia, but personally I'd take Columbia over NYU for the better prospects and smaller hipster population

Is that true about Chicago? I applied ED there and would definitely like to have the option to return to NY after graduation (I may not be accepted so this would not matter in that instance). I feel that your statement is baseless however. While CLS and NYU may place slightly better than U of Chicago in NYC, I still bet that any one at or above median at U of Chicago would have at least a few offers at vault firms in NYC. It is a top 5 law school!!

[funkyturds]

CLS and NYU have the advantage in NYC since it's their home market, but to say Chicago's placement on the east coast is significantly worse is really overstating it.

[FlightoftheEarls]

We had a mixer with CLS earlier in the month and basically none of their students showed up (granted it was raining), and the ones who did were really . . . boring. It pretty much comes down to what you want to do in your career and your personality type.

Not to discredit your post, but I always find arguments like this to be somewhat silly. It think people can get better impressions by visiting than by hearing people argue on TLS over which student body is social and which isn't. The only reason I'm actually responding (and yes, there is an ironic element to this post) is because I found the majority of students at NYU to be some of the most socially awkward/incompetent individuals I ever met when I visited for the ASW a couple years ago. Does that mean that's a fair summation of the school? Almost certainly not. But I think visiting the school helps people feel out the "fit" much better than "Oh we're totes social, Columbia students are nerds" claims.

[s0ph1e2007]

I have no other experience than TLS and visiting all these schools. I think Chicago if you want midwest or academia. Columbia if you want big law.
NYU if you're from NYC and have no intention of ever working elsewhere.

[Stanford4Me]

We had a mixer with CLS earlier in the month and basically none of their students showed up (granted it was raining), and the ones who did were really . . . boring. It pretty much comes down to what you want to do in your career and your personality type.

Not to discredit your post, but I always find arguments like this to be somewhat silly. It think people can get better impressions by visiting than by hearing people argue on TLS over which student body is social and which isn't. The only reason I'm actually responding (and yes, there is an ironic element to this post) is because I found the majority of students at NYU to be some of the most socially awkward/incompetent individuals I ever met when I visited for the ASW a couple years ago. Does that mean that's a fair summation of the school? Almost certainly not. But I think visiting the school helps people feel out the "fit" much better than "Oh we're totes social, Columbia students are nerds" claims.

"Obviously I am biased."

[Stanford4Me]

I have no other experience than TLS and visiting all these schools. I think Chicago if you want midwest or academia. Columbia if you want big law.
NYU if you're from NYC and have no intention of ever working elsewhere.

Nah, I'm from Dallas and already have 3 interviews that I'll be going to over the break *crosses fingers in hopes I'm not outing myself* Also have friends interview in SF, LA, Las Vegas (QUE?!) and FLA. I think NYU's huge NYC presence is self-selection. Any of these schools, IMO, can place anywhere nationally.

[irishman86]

For NYC biglaw, Columbia/NYU > Chicago. I'm not convinced Chicago is better for NYC than some of the lower ranked schools.

[irishman86]

I hear Chicago's placement is hurting ITE and the consensus is that NYU is happier than Columbia, but personally I'd take Columbia over NYU for the better prospects and smaller hipster population

Is that true about Chicago? I applied ED there and would definitely like to have the option to return to NY after graduation (I may not be accepted so this would not matter in that instance). I feel that your statement is baseless however. While CLS and NYU may place slightly better than U of Chicago in NYC, I still bet that any one at or above median at U of Chicago would have at least a few offers at vault firms in NYC. It is a top 5 law school!!

Chicago median with "at least a few offers" at vault firms in NYC? I don't think so...there are plenty of median Chicago people who struck out. (Read the Chicago thread in legal employment.)

[Renzo]

I picked NYU over UChi and CLS. Couldn't be happier with my choice.

Oh, and in before Dark Knight shows up to piss all over NYU.

[s0ph1e2007]

I have no other experience than TLS and visiting all these schools. I think Chicago if you want midwest or academia. Columbia if you want big law.
NYU if you're from NYC and have no intention of ever working elsewhere.

Nah, I'm from Dallas and already have 3 interviews that I'll be going to over the break *crosses fingers in hopes I'm not outing myself* Also have friends interview in SF, LA, Las Vegas (QUE?!) and FLA. I think NYU's huge NYC presence is self-selection. Any of these schools, IMO, can place anywhere nationally.

Oh yea, sorry, that's not what I meant-
I just meant if you are X and don't want Y then (of the three choices NYU, Columbia,Chicago) ---> NYU
not, if Y then ----> not NYU

Y being a desire to work outside of NY, and X being you grew up in NYC

[Stanford4Me]

Oh yea, sorry, that's not what I meant-
I just meant if you are X and don't want Y then (of the three choices NYU, Columbia,Chicago) ---> NYU
not, if Y then ----> not NYU

Y being a desire to work outside of NY, and X being you grew up in NYC

TCR.

[rundoxierun]

Chicago median with "at least a few offers" at vault firms in NYC? I don't think so...there are plenty of median Chicago people who struck out. (Read the Chicago thread in legal employment.)

Lol, if thats the case.. tell him/her to read the Columbia and Harvard threads in legal employment too. All those threads are filled with people ppl flipping out at every top school. They are the most useless things on TLS.

[FlightoftheEarls]

We had a mixer with CLS earlier in the month and basically none of their students showed up (granted it was raining), and the ones who did were really . . . boring. It pretty much comes down to what you want to do in your career and your personality type.

Not to discredit your post, but I always find arguments like this to be somewhat silly. It think people can get better impressions by visiting than by hearing people argue on TLS over which student body is social and which isn't. The only reason I'm actually responding (and yes, there is an ironic element to this post) is because I found the majority of students at NYU to be some of the most socially awkward/incompetent individuals I ever met when I visited for the ASW a couple years ago. Does that mean that's a fair summation of the school? Almost certainly not. But I think visiting the school helps people feel out the "fit" much better than "Oh we're totes social, Columbia students are nerds" claims.

"Obviously I am biased."

I know you had that disclaimer, and I'm not trying to say that you were claiming NYU kids are more social on any objective metric. I'm definitely not coming down on you, since I also have my own biased opinions as to which schools tend to be more social than others. As somebody who came to a very different conclusion than you about a certain school, I'm merely suggesting that these types of arguments may be somewhat silly without actually getting a feel for oneself.

[irishman86]

Chicago median with "at least a few offers" at vault firms in NYC? I don't think so...there are plenty of median Chicago people who struck out. (Read the Chicago thread in legal employment.)

Lol, if thats the case.. tell him/her to read the Columbia and Harvard threads in legal employment too. All those threads are filled with people ppl flipping out at every top school. They are the most useless things on TLS.

I don't recall seeing median at CLS and HLS freaking out. Moreover, both Columbia and Harvard -- officially and unofficially, respectively -- have released employment info. Presumably, median is safe at both schools, although I highly doubt that CLS median had "at least a few offers" in NYC. In contrast, Chicago has not released any employment information. The only evidence we have is from that the legal employment forum, providing that multiple median Chicago students struck out in NYC. This isn't that surprising, provided that there is no legitimate reason for NYC firms to be biased towards Chicago students. In contrast, NYC firms have a clear bias for CLS and NYU, so I wouldn't be surprised if CLS and NYU outplace Chicago, keeping in mind the dire state of the Chicago legal market.

[lawyerwannabe]

Out of curiosity, if you potentially want NYC biglaw but are weary of going to law school in NYC due to cost of living, which schools besides HYS CN give you the best chance? Would UPenn be better than Chicago? People seem to be hating on Chicago in this thread even though it is a top 5 law school.

[rundoxierun]

Chicago median with "at least a few offers" at vault firms in NYC? I don't think so...there are plenty of median Chicago people who struck out. (Read the Chicago thread in legal employment.)

Lol, if thats the case.. tell him/her to read the Columbia and Harvard threads in legal employment too. All those threads are filled with people ppl flipping out at every top school. They are the most useless things on TLS.

I don't recall seeing median at CLS and HLS freaking out. Moreover, both Columbia and Harvard -- officially and unofficially, respectively -- have released employment info. Presumably, median is safe at both schools, although I highly doubt that CLS median had "at least a few offers" in NYC. In contrast, Chicago has not released any employment information. The only evidence we have is from that the legal employment forum, providing that multiple median Chicago students struck out in NYC. This isn't that surprising, provided that there is no legitimate reason for NYC firms to be biased towards Chicago students. In contrast, NYC firms have a clear bias for CLS and NYU, so I wouldn't be surprised if CLS and NYU outplace Chicago, keeping in mind the dire state of the Chicago legal market.

Go back and read again.. ppl were freaking on the HLS thread who were far above median. In general, median at all 3 schools is a good place to be. Median at UChicago is in just as good a position as median at CLS. TLS threads are not a reliable or randomly selected information source. Look at the past data at UChicago and you would realize that it would have to be an unimaginable drop off for it to be standard for UChicago median students to be striking out. The UChicago data that was posted this summer showed ~65-70% of UChicago got firm SAs.

ETA: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... i#p3319875
link to OCI data from the summer. There was a "who worked where" list for UChicago but I dont know where it is now. Even these numbers are probably out of context though(TLS numbers almost always are).