Top Law Schools

Here's the story: I've recently been admitted to Duke off the WL. From what I've read on TLS there is no merit money and very little need. I outperformed my numbers for both schools (I'd rather not list them). Although I haven't heard from Duke, I was hoping to get at least some need-based aid. Cornell offered me 35K/year.

Ideally my SO would cover our COL, but we anticipate needing a little extra in loans to supplement his income.

I've already paid both deposits at Cornell and a deposit on an apartment ($900 and $1150 respectively).

Career Goals- I want to work BigLaw if possible but I am NOT set on NYC. I was planning on trying for NYC, DC and NC.

Thoughts? Is Duke worth more than double what I'd pay at Cornell? I am from upstate NY so the weather does not matter to me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

jsmith201 wrote:Here's the story: I've recently been admitted to Duke off the WL. From what I've read on TLS there is no merit money and very little need. I outperformed my numbers for both schools (I'd rather not list them). Although I haven't heard from Duke, I was hoping to get at least some need-based aid. Cornell offered me 35K/year.

Ideally my SO would cover our COL, but we anticipate needing a little extra in loans to supplement his income.

I've already paid both deposits at Cornell and a deposit on an apartment ($900 and $1150 respectively).

Career Goals- I want to work BigLaw if possible but I am NOT set on NYC. I was planning on trying for NYC, DC and NC.

Thoughts? Is Duke worth more than double what I'd pay at Cornell? I am from upstate NY so the weather does not matter to me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

No

Lincoln wrote:

jsmith201 wrote:Here's the story: I've recently been admitted to Duke off the WL. From what I've read on TLS there is no merit money and very little need. I outperformed my numbers for both schools (I'd rather not list them). Although I haven't heard from Duke, I was hoping to get at least some need-based aid. Cornell offered me 35K/year.

Ideally my SO would cover our COL, but we anticipate needing a little extra in loans to supplement his income.

I've already paid both deposits at Cornell and a deposit on an apartment ($900 and $1150 respectively).

Career Goals- I want to work BigLaw if possible but I am NOT set on NYC. I was planning on trying for NYC, DC and NC.

Thoughts? Is Duke worth more than double what I'd pay at Cornell? I am from upstate NY so the weather does not matter to me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

No

+1

Cornell

This isn't even a question. I don't feel like searching for the jpeg of the money burning from Batman, but that is what Duke would be--pure lunacy. Cornell is the only option here .

Paying ~$100K more for Duke than Cornell would be utter madness. These are peer schools. Anyone who votes for Duke here is an idiot.

Ask Duke about financial aid - I know more than one person who has gotten off the WL at Duke and has been given money.

DorianGray89 wrote:Ask Duke about financial aid - I know more than one person who has gotten off the WL at Duke and has been given money.

They will probably give you something. But considering the cost of living difference, and the fact that they are peer schools, there is no way Duke makes sense. They may give you $20 or $30k, there is no way in hell they give you $100k.

Who is the jackass that voted Duke?

I have yet to vote but I would personally pick Duke because over the course of your career if you're successful the difference in costs right now will look like chump change and Duke is better (DNCG not CNDG) overall. The big downside for me would be that heat (especially in the summer) to be honest because I'm from up north!!

Besides, from everything I've heard Duke is a really fun place to be and if you like college hoops you already know! They don't put a price on happiness my friend!! I would visit!

DaRascal wrote:I have yet to vote but I would personally pick Duke because over the course of your career if you're successful the difference in costs right now will look like chump change and Duke is better (DCNG not CNGD) overall. The big downside for me would be that heat (especially in the summer) to be honest because I'm from up north!!

Besides, from everything I've heard Duke is a really fun place to be and if you like college hoops you already know! They don't put a price on happiness my friend!! I would visit!

Meh troll. If this is for real though, it's so retarded it's funny--I like the smiley faces and exclamation marks.

DaRascal wrote:I have yet to vote but I would personally pick Duke because over the course of your career if you're successful the difference in costs right now will look like chump change and Duke is better (DCNG not CNGD) overall. The big downside for me would be that heat (especially in the summer) to be honest because I'm from up north!!

Besides, from everything I've heard Duke is a really fun place to be and if you like college hoops you already know! They don't put a price on happiness my friend!! I would visit!

Most of your trolling is tolerable, but this is pretty awful and liable to mislead op. Come on, you're better than that. Stick to off topic trolling or if you must non-harmful on topic trolling like Dr. Dre.

Well I'm just saying what I would probably do. I dunno....

DaRascal wrote:I have yet to vote but I would personally pick Duke

Of course you would. You're an idiot. No one here would expect anything different of you.

Love Duke. Could not imagine doing law school anywhere else. But you should choose Cornell and it is not really close (unless you are from a wealthy family and have an extreme aversion to hills and snow).

Ti Malice wrote:

DaRascal wrote:I have yet to vote but I would personally pick Duke

Of course you would. You're an idiot. No one here would expect anything different of you.

Often the most substantive indicator to arise from a Choosing a Law School thread is when DaRascal makes a suggestion: you always know the exact opposite is TCR.

Micdiddy wrote:

DaRascal wrote:I have yet to vote but I would personally pick Duke because over the course of your career if you're successful the difference in costs right now will look like chump change and Duke is better (DCNG not CNGD) overall. The big downside for me would be that heat (especially in the summer) to be honest because I'm from up north!!

Besides, from everything I've heard Duke is a really fun place to be and if you like college hoops you already know! They don't put a price on happiness my friend!! I would visit!

Most of your trolling is tolerable, but this is pretty awful and liable to mislead op. Come on, you're better than that. Stick to off topic trolling or if you must non-harmful on topic trolling like Dr. Dre.

This. Darascal, I am very disappointed in you. You're better than this. Troll better/funnier.

OP, Cornell is the obvious choice. Just FYI I was accepted to both schools outright (not waitlisted) and Cornell offered me 23K more and Duke matched. If you really prefer Duke perhaps you can negotiate with them, although I'm not sure how ameniable they are to doing this for waitlisted people.

Also, how the F did you get 35K per year if you over performed your numbers? Seriously, this secretive stuff is not cool, you need to share your story when your cycle is over to help future generations of applicants.

jbagelboy wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:

DaRascal wrote:I have yet to vote but I would personally pick Duke

Of course you would. You're an idiot. No one here would expect anything different of you.

Often the most substantive indicator to arise from a Choosing a Law School thread is when DaRascal makes a suggestion: you always know the exact opposite is TCR.

Perhaps DaRascal is the same person who runs the "successful troll" account on ATL?

DaRascal wrote:Well I'm just saying what I would probably do. I dunno....

You're a terrible, obvious, and unfunny troll, so what you would probably do is irrelevant.

OP, Cornell is the right choice here. Duke isn't $100k better.

how is cornell's placement compared to duke's?

willwilliams1334 wrote:how is cornell's placement compared to duke's?

For biglaw + clerkship numbers at a glance, slightly better or slightly worse(depends on what year you look at. So random fluctuations in the data are the only difference) Cornell has a greater NYC focus for placement than Duke tho Duke is pretty NYC focused too. Very similar schools and at equal price, OP might choose Duke for possibly wanting to work in NC...but yeah, it isn't equal cost.

willwilliams1334 wrote:how is cornell's placement compared to duke's?

sinfiery is spot on. Duke's clerkships numbers are generally a bit better, but otherwise it's about the same. This is for the class of 2012:

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=cornell
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=duke

Lincoln wrote:

willwilliams1334 wrote:how is cornell's placement compared to duke's?

sinfiery is spot on. Duke's clerkships numbers are generally a bit better, but otherwise it's about the same. This is for the class of 2012:

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=cornell
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=duke

Yeah they're pretty similar. The key difference is *where* they are placing these biglaw jobs. Cornell is all-out-balls-to-the-wall NY focused. Duke places less in NY overall but has broader reach

EDIT: How are you calculating your COA for Duke? that seems pretty low

Lincoln wrote:

willwilliams1334 wrote:how is cornell's placement compared to duke's?

sinfiery is spot on. Duke's clerkships numbers are generally a bit better, but otherwise it's about the same. This is for the class of 2012:

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=cornell
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=duke

cornell seems to place way above its rank for biglaw

Seriously, how is this a question?