Top Law Schools

These are my last two choices for schools. I want to do corporate law, and I don't really care where I end up after graduating. I have been offered 40k a year by USC and 30k a year by Cornell, both being without stipulations. The amount for USC is post-negotiation, so there's no chance to try and get more. I'm going to email Cornell and see if I can bargain the USC money against the Cornell money, but as of now this is it.

Decisions and thoughts would be appreciated. I'll try to give information as questions are asked.

LSHopeful91 wrote:These are my last two choices for schools. I want to do corporate law, and I don't really care where I end up after graduating. I have been offered 40k a year by USC and 30k a year by Cornell, both being without stipulations. The amount for USC is post-negotiation, so there's no chance to try and get more. I'm going to email Cornell and see if I can bargain the USC money against the Cornell money, but as of now this is it.

Decisions and thoughts would be appreciated. I'll try to give information as questions are asked.

Corporate law generally means NYC. I'd take Cornell here.

Also slightly relevant: LA or Ithaca for three years?

calilaw wrote:Also slightly relevant: LA or Ithaca for three years?

calilaw wrote:Also slightly relevant: LA or Ithaca for three years?

No particular preference. Obviously LA has nicer weather, but that gets cancelled out by the sketchiness of the area, so to me it's all the same. The only advantage to being in LA is my family is from San Diego and my aunt lives in Pasadena, so I would be able to live with her the first year of school saving me 31k according to the USC website.

Tiago Splitter wrote:

LSHopeful91 wrote:These are my last two choices for schools. I want to do corporate law, and I don't really care where I end up after graduating. I have been offered 40k a year by USC and 30k a year by Cornell, both being without stipulations. The amount for USC is post-negotiation, so there's no chance to try and get more. I'm going to email Cornell and see if I can bargain the USC money against the Cornell money, but as of now this is it.

Decisions and thoughts would be appreciated. I'll try to give information as questions are asked.

Corporate law generally means NYC. I'd take Cornell here.

I agree. Cornell at that price is a good deal. As long as you aren't NYC averse which it seems like you're not.

LSHopeful91 wrote:

calilaw wrote:Also slightly relevant: LA or Ithaca for three years?

calilaw wrote:Also slightly relevant: LA or Ithaca for three years?

No particular preference. Obviously LA has nicer weather, but that gets cancelled out by the sketchiness of the area, so to me it's all the same. The only advantage to being in LA is my family is from San Diego and my aunt lives in Pasadena, so I would be able to live with her the first year of school saving me 31k according to the USC website.

Total COA for each school?

moneybagsphd wrote:

LSHopeful91 wrote:

calilaw wrote:Also slightly relevant: LA or Ithaca for three years?

calilaw wrote:Also slightly relevant: LA or Ithaca for three years?

No particular preference. Obviously LA has nicer weather, but that gets cancelled out by the sketchiness of the area, so to me it's all the same. The only advantage to being in LA is my family is from San Diego and my aunt lives in Pasadena, so I would be able to live with her the first year of school saving me 31k according to the USC website.

Total COA for each school?

Scholarship Amounts Deducted
USC: 97k
Cornell: 135k
Difference = 38k

Also, for both schools, I'm taking out the remainder in loans.

Definitely Cornell so long as you don't really care where you end up working. Also if you don't mind Ithaca.

LSHopeful91 wrote:
No particular preference. Obviously LA has nicer weather, but that gets cancelled out by the sketchiness of the area

I'm choosing Cornell over both UCLA and USC, but this is nonsense.

horrorbusiness wrote:

LSHopeful91 wrote:
No particular preference. Obviously LA has nicer weather, but that gets cancelled out by the sketchiness of the area

I'm choosing Cornell over both UCLA and USC, but this is nonsense.

Have you ever been to Pasadena?

LSHopeful91 wrote:

horrorbusiness wrote:

LSHopeful91 wrote:
No particular preference. Obviously LA has nicer weather, but that gets cancelled out by the sketchiness of the area

I'm choosing Cornell over both UCLA and USC, but this is nonsense.

Have you ever been to Pasadena?

Yeah. Have you ever been to Ithaca?

..lol

horrorbusiness wrote:

LSHopeful91 wrote:

horrorbusiness wrote:

LSHopeful91 wrote:
No particular preference. Obviously LA has nicer weather, but that gets cancelled out by the sketchiness of the area

I'm choosing Cornell over both UCLA and USC, but this is nonsense.

Have you ever been to Pasadena?

Yeah. Have you ever been to Ithaca?

..lol

I will admit I have been to Ithaca only once, and have only scarce memories of the visit, but I will say that the last time I went to Pasadena, it was not a good experience

LSHopeful91 wrote: I will admit I have been to Ithaca only once, and have only scarce memories of the visit, but I will say that the last time I went to Pasadena, I came out of the city $200 lighter... and not by choice.

I mean, that does suck. I'm not an expert on the USC area but I'm a lifetime southern California resident.

Think about it this way: you can easily escape the shittiness (or sketchiness) of the immediately surrounding area at USC. Within less than an hour drive you can be in really nice areas and enjoy the beautiful California weather. The hell can you do in the dead of Ithaca winters?

No way the shittiness of USC's surrounding area negates the weather/lifestyle advantage of California.

edit: That said, I still chose Cornell. And Cornell seems like the better option for you too.

horrorbusiness wrote:

LSHopeful91 wrote: I will admit I have been to Ithaca only once, and have only scarce memories of the visit, but I will say that the last time I went to Pasadena, I came out of the city $200 lighter... and not by choice.

I mean, that does suck. I'm not an expert on the USC area but I'm a lifetime southern California resident.

Think about it this way: you can easily escape the shittiness (or sketchiness) of the immediately surrounding area at USC. Within less than an hour drive you can be in really nice areas and enjoy the beautiful California weather. The hell can you do in the dead of Ithaca winters?

No way the shittiness of USC's surrounding area negates the weather/lifestyle advantage of California.

Yeah, I'm a SoCal resident too. Perhaps it was just the one bad experience, but what I meant to say was that weather really doesn't factor in to my decision. For me, it's some combination of scholarship money and potential employment at the top, and then way further down is social conditions.

Tell me, as another SoCal resident going to, I am genuinely interested in knowing what effect the weather change will have on you in terms of performance in school and social interactions and the overall experience.

So you people are really telling OP that weather should be a factor in his/her decision? Cornell will VASTLY improve OP's career options.

LSHopeful91 wrote: Yeah, I'm a SoCal resident too. Perhaps it was just the one bad experience, but what I meant to say was that weather really doesn't factor in to my decision. For me, it's some combination of scholarship money and potential employment at the top, and then way further down is social conditions.

Same here, man.

LSHopeful91 wrote: Tell me, as another SoCal resident going to, I am genuinely interested in knowing what effect the weather change will have on you in terms of performance in school and social interactions and the overall experience.

Wait, what?

Cornell---better placement & fewer distractions.

Why is this a hard decision? Serious question. I mean obviously Cornell is the better choice,... so what's your hesitation? You need to elaborate on what's making this a debate for you. Without more info it's unclear why you're even considering USC still.

OP, I was in your shoes (exact same schollys) and chose USC. My situation is a bit different, though. My SO wouldn't be able to find work in Ithaca*, and I don't want to do distance for 3 yrs. Under different circumstances, I might have chosen Cornell. Cornell will give you better odds at biglaw because it places in NYC (and there are more jobs in NYC).

KMaine wrote:So you people are really telling OP that weather should be a factor in his/her decision? Cornell will VASTLY improve OP's career options.

No, it will improve OP's career prospects-- ie. the likelihood that OP gets biglaw. It won't really give him better options.

moneybagsphd wrote:

KMaine wrote:So you people are really telling OP that weather should be a factor in his/her decision? Cornell will VASTLY improve OP's career options.

No, it will improve OP's career prospects-- ie. the likelihood that OP gets biglaw. It won't really give him better options.

Yes it will. Cornell opens more doors than USC. The average Cornell guy has more and better career options than the average USC guy.