UVA/Michigan/NYU/Columbia Forum

[Brick_Tamlin]

Not sure what to do. UVA undergrad, working for a couple of years. Ineligible for need-based aid, but I'm paying for law school so I'll take out the difference between scholarships and COA in loans. Thoughts? Been to each school and liked them all - mostly interested in which option people think is the best value.

[NikaneOkie]

First thing I would do is go to Michigan and tell them about your scholarship at UVA and see if they are willing to up yours. I'm not sure they will, but if they do, then I'd probably pick Michigan.
The Michigan or Columbia choice though is hard. I think though, with 90,000 in scholarship money, if you can swing it, that Michigan would be a pretty great choice. Just personal opinoin (it's what I would do... part of that is due to thinking Ann Arbor and the personal relationships that Michigan offers with professors is pretty incredible though)

[Brick_Tamlin]

First thing I would do is go to Michigan and tell them about your scholarship at UVA and see if they are willing to up yours. I'm not sure they will, but if they do, then I'd probably pick Michigan.
The Michigan or Columbia choice though is hard. I think though, with 90,000 in scholarship money, if you can swing it, that Michigan would be a pretty great choice. Just personal opinoin (it's what I would do... part of that is due to thinking Ann Arbor and the personal relationships that Michigan offers with professors is pretty incredible though)

Thats probably worth a try, but Michigan's letter said something to the effect of "once we offer you a scholarship, we don't want to negotiate relative to other schools". Couldn't hurt to ask though. Thanks for the input!

[Curry]

What do you wnat to do? Biglaw or PI or something inbetween?

[holydonkey]

First thing I would do is go to Michigan and tell them about your scholarship at UVA and see if they are willing to up yours. I'm not sure they will, but if they do, then I'd probably pick Michigan.
The Michigan or Columbia choice though is hard. I think though, with 90,000 in scholarship money, if you can swing it, that Michigan would be a pretty great choice. Just personal opinoin (it's what I would do... part of that is due to thinking Ann Arbor and the personal relationships that Michigan offers with professors is pretty incredible though)

Thats probably worth a try, but Michigan's letter said something to the effect of "once we offer you a scholarship, we don't want to negotiate relative to other schools". Couldn't hurt to ask though. Thanks for the input!

Definitely ask.

It doesn't always work, but I know at least one or two folks on TLS that got an increase this way last year.

[Brick_Tamlin]

What do you wnat to do? Biglaw or PI?

Based on what little knowledge I have, either Biglaw -> In house or Govt. I've had a taste of 80 hour weeks already, and while I can handle it I don't want to make a career out of it.

[Brick_Tamlin]

First thing I would do is go to Michigan and tell them about your scholarship at UVA and see if they are willing to up yours. I'm not sure they will, but if they do, then I'd probably pick Michigan.
The Michigan or Columbia choice though is hard. I think though, with 90,000 in scholarship money, if you can swing it, that Michigan would be a pretty great choice. Just personal opinoin (it's what I would do... part of that is due to thinking Ann Arbor and the personal relationships that Michigan offers with professors is pretty incredible though)

Thats probably worth a try, but Michigan's letter said something to the effect of "once we offer you a scholarship, we don't want to negotiate relative to other schools". Couldn't hurt to ask though. Thanks for the input!

Definitely ask.

It doesn't always work, but I know at least one or two folks on TLS that got an increase this way last year.

Will do. Thanks!

[Moxie]

What market do you want? I think UVA's money has got to sway the scales towards it, but UM isn't out of the question either.

I'd throw out NYU here, unless they give you more money for Columbia. And assuming money stays the same, I'd go UVA > CLS > UM, but it's pretty close, and obviously dependent on what you want.

[Brick_Tamlin]

What market do you want? I think UVA's money has got to sway the scales towards it, but UM isn't out of the question either.

I'd throw out NYU here, unless they give you more money for Columbia. And assuming money stays the same, I'd go UVA > CLS > UM, but it's pretty close, and obviously dependent on what you want.

DC or NY, although I understand the former is a lot harder to get. I'm in DC now and I love it.

Perhaps a more honest answer is I'm young, single, and open to moving wherever. So I'm not sold on anything enough to let it sway me.

[dissonance1848]

The difference between UM and UVA is not worth 23k (its actually more because of compounding of interest). As for NYU/CLS, its all about whether or not you want PI or biglaw; PI, NYU for sure, if biglaw, CLS for sure.

[Lawlcat]

We need a new LRAP thread and some expert advice on LRAP options at these schools.

I found this old thread:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 15&t=62094

My sense, though, is that it's going to come down to that hard choice of which place you think you really like best. These schools will all give you a reasonable shot at BigLaw (Mich/UVA each about 55% odds, Columbia 65%). Their clerkship numbers are about equal. Beyond that, it's LRAPs/$ and intangibles. Setting LRAP aside, I think this favors UVA/MLaw over NYU/CLS: a scholarship should count in the LRAP bucket. That'd make UVA your best option, if you truly cannot distinguish these schools otherwise. (More on that later.)

If you want to go straight into PI, I don't think the name of the school will matter. I disagree with "NYU for sure if PI". In my experience, PI orgs do not obsess over your diploma/stats like BigLaw does. They're not trying to impress clients; they want talent, wherever it comes from. I'm talking about T14 vs. TTT here; outside of a few orgs like the ACLU, I just can't imagine UVA vs. Columbia making a difference.

You probably know more about these schools than me, but ... my impression is that they have very, very different personalities. (Going on stereotypes, these actually might be the best you could do with the prompt, "Pick four T14 schools so as to maximize cultural and institutional differences.") Which school/alumni network would you want the most?

[yngblkgifted]

u crazy bro?

Go to UVA.

[existenz]

u crazy bro?

Go to UVA.

+1

[Lawlcat]

You probably know more about these schools than me, but ... my impression is that they have very, very different personalities. (Going on stereotypes, these actually might be the best you could do with the prompt, "Pick four T14 schools so as to maximize cultural and institutional differences.") Which school/alumni network would you want the most?

u crazy bro?

Go to UVA.

Example provided above.

[birdlaw117]

I LOVED NYU when I visited (and NYC as a whole). But even with that, the $90,000 at UVa is probably the best deal. To be honest, I don't think there is a huge difference between these four options. If I had to rank them I would probably go 1. UVa 2. Columbia 3. NYU 3. Michigan.

But as was mentioned above, the best place to go is probably the place you enjoyed most. I think there is definitely some merit to the idea that you will get the highest grades at the place you're happiest, which would make that place the best deal of the four options.

[ahduth]

90k will buy you a really, really nice car. Or a lifetime supply of Little Debbie snack cakes. I wish I had your problem.

[birdlaw117]

90k will buy you a really, really nice car. Or a lifetime supply of Little Debbie snack cakes. I wish I had your problem.

TITCR

[barry]

so you have a 90K scholly and want to work in DC? its UVA by a mile not even close

[BeachandRun23]

UVA is definitely the best value. If you were deadset on maximizing biglaw or uber prestigous firm placement or something I'd say CLS. But UVA seems to be a really good deal.