UCLA ($) vs. Cornell Forum

[nepomuk]

Just when I thought my cycle was over, Cornell threw an acceptance my way. I'm assuming I won't get any money from Cornell and that UCLA would be about 60K cheaper to attend. I'm living in the Bay Area now and I'm pretty sure I would like to practice on the West Coast, but wouldn't mind NYC as an option. I've read previous UCLA v Cornell threads, but I'm curious if the most recent NLJ250 numbers make Cornell a much safer choice. I want to do biglaw, if I can get it.

[JamMasterJ]

Cornell will have better overall BigLaw placement, especially in NYC. UCLA will have better West Coast placement. If your BigLaw desire outweighs your desire to stay on the left coast, go to Cornell. Otherwise, UCLA

[koalatriste]

i passed up $60K at UCLA for Cornell and I regret that decision every day of my life.

[dpk711]

Stay in LA. Cornell is not worth sticker.

[glewz]

UCLA is pretty specific to southern California. If you want a decent shot at NYC biglaw, Cornell obviously has solid numbers for the NE region.

If you haven't visited both schools, you definitely should.

[whymeohgodno]

Cornell is worth 60k more than UCLA. You will need biglaw to pay off 150k debt from UCLA in a reasonable period of time. If you don't want biglaw and want to do PI/Gov, Cornell's LRAP easily beats UCLA's.

[dpk711]

Cornell is worth 60k more than UCLA. You will need biglaw to pay off 150k debt from UCLA in a reasonable period of time. If you don't want biglaw and want to do PI/Gov, Cornell's LRAP easily beats UCLA's.

This is not true if OP decides to stay in LA.

[bk1]

Take UCLA if you want CA. You can probably take UCLA to NYC if you really want to.

/thread

[CanadianWolf]

Both are great law schools. Attend UCLA if you want to stay in California; matriculate at Cornell for NYC & other East Coast locations.

Read the law school profile on both schools provided on this website (TLS). Cornell's profile is refreshingly honest.

[adt231]

i passed up $60K at UCLA for Cornell and I regret that decision every day of my life.

That's depressing. Is this because you are stuck in NY and hate it?

[dpk711]

i passed up $60K at UCLA for Cornell and I regret that decision every day of my life.

That's depressing. Is this because you are stuck in NY and hate it?

No, it's because Cornell simply isn't worth sticker.

[83947368]

.

[Bildungsroman]

i passed up $60K at UCLA for Cornell and I regret that decision every day of my life.

That's depressing. Is this because you are stuck in NY and hate it?

No, it's because Cornell simply isn't worth sticker.

Good job saving him the trouble of answering. Your knowledge of his situation really shines through.

[bk1]

So UCLA's cheaper here, but I'm worried (applying next cycle) that UCLA with a moderate scholarship still leaves one with markedly less options and just 150k of debt instead of 210k in debt.

Also do no CA firms not do OCI at Cornell? I feel if any do they'd surely want to leave with one or two Cornell grads, esp ones with ties to CA.

150k debt sucks, no doubt. But it still is far and away much better than 210k. My general cutoff is something like 100-120k because that is the range that is repayable in 10 years on a 50k/year salary. Still, if you end up with a low salary, 150k is going to be miles better than 210k (it will just take more than 10 years).

From what I have heard, Cornell does a west cost job fair for west coast firms rather than dragging them out to Manhattan (where I believe their regular OCI takes place).

[whymeohgodno]

i passed up $60K at UCLA for Cornell and I regret that decision every day of my life.

That's depressing. Is this because you are stuck in NY and hate it?

No, it's because Cornell simply isn't worth sticker.

I had to lol hard. Keep your uninformed statements to yourself.

I would answer for koalatriste but I don't know how much of his personal situations he would want me to reveal.

Just know it's not placement/job prospects that's making him miserable.

[dpk711]

i passed up $60K at UCLA for Cornell and I regret that decision every day of my life.

That's depressing. Is this because you are stuck in NY and hate it?

No, it's because Cornell simply isn't worth sticker.

I had to lol hard. Keep your uninformed statements to yourself.

I would answer for koalatriste but I don't know how much of his personal situations he would want me to reveal.

Just know it's not placement/job prospects that's making him miserable.

Placement/job prospects for Cornell is second worst in the T14.

[whymeohgodno]

Placement/job prospects for Cornell is second worst in the T14.

You say this like it's a fact. It's pretty obvious from data that Cornell's placement is right on with schools like Duke/NU/Michigan/Virginia.

Look at placements over the last 7 years. Cornell has outplaced every one of those schools every year except for one.

[koalatriste]

Koala is of the opinion that being miserable anywhere isn't worth any job prospect upgrade (staying neutral on this one between Cornell v. UCLA).

Koala would rather be happy at UCLA than miserable at Yale. That's just Koala, though. Koalas need sunshine.

[glewz]

Placement/job prospects for Cornell is second worst in the T14.

not true

[dpk711]

Placement/job prospects for Cornell is second worst in the T14.

not true

If this year's NLJ250 numbers are what you are referring to then remember those stats are generally regarded as an anomaly. Everyone knows that Cornell's NLJ250 numbers have fluctuated between 40-45% in the post-recession era. These numbers are only marginally better than those of GULC's.

[Curry]

Placement/job prospects for Cornell is second worst in the T14.

not true

If this year's NLJ250 numbers are what you are referring to then remember those stats are generally regarded as an anomaly. Everyone knows that Cornell's NLJ250 numbers have fluctuated between 40-45% in the post-recession era. These numbers are only marginally better than those of GULC's.

Placement/job prospects for Cornell is second worst in the T14.

You say this like it's a fact. It's pretty obvious from data that Cornell's placement is right on with schools like Duke/NU/Michigan/Virginia.

Look at placements over the last 7 years. Cornell has outplaced every one of those schools every year except for one.

[glewz]

Placement/job prospects for Cornell is second worst in the T14.

not true

If this year's NLJ250 numbers are what you are referring to then remember those stats are generally regarded as an anomaly. Everyone knows that Cornell's NLJ250 numbers have fluctuated between 40-45% in the post-recession era. These numbers are only marginally better than those of GULC's.

Don't think you know what you're talking about. Don't pull #s out of a$$.

60+% in 2007 (rank 6)
60+% in 2008 (rank 7)
42% in 2009 (rank 14)
58% in 2010 (rank 2)

[dpk711]

Placement/job prospects for Cornell is second worst in the T14.

not true

If this year's NLJ250 numbers are what you are referring to then remember those stats are generally regarded as an anomaly. Everyone knows that Cornell's NLJ250 numbers have fluctuated between 40-45% in the post-recession era. These numbers are only marginally better than those of GULC's.

Don't think you know what you're talking about. Don't pull #s out of a$$.

60+% in 2007 (rank 6)
60+% in 2008 (rank 7)
42% in 2009 (rank 14)
58% in 2010 (rank 2)

Like I said, Post-recession, which means after 2008. Everyone knows the 58% in 2010 was an anomaly and it is clear that it will be back in the 40s again this year. In fact, the 41.5% placement it saw in 2009 was behind GULC. Further, this is only talking about NLJ250 placement numbers. Cornell's article III clerkship placement is even more dismal for the T14. Cornell barely ranked in the top-25 for that.
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... s-rankings

[Curry]

So your conclusion is based off a sample size of 2. Awesome.

[dpk711]

So your conclusion is based off a sample size of 2. Awesome.

Let's not be enemies please. I support the same NBA player.