Hamilton vs Harvard Forum

[sd26]

I know this has probably been posted a few times before, but I'm in a slightly different situation and could use some advice. Money is really not an issue at all for me (Please don't hate me) and so I was wondering if there would really be any other benefit of the hamilton besides the cash? Essentially I'd want biglaw in NYC, and want to know which of Harvard or Hamilton could get me to a better firm.

Thanks in advance for any input!

[aboutmydaylight]

If money isn't an issue, then go to the school you like the most.

[ph14]

If money isn't an issue, then go to the school you like the most.

I agree. If money isn't an issue go to HLS.

[Tiago Splitter]

I think the idea that named scholarships do much for you in the job search process is largely a flame. Harvard is better with money out of the equation.

[justinp]

PM me.

[jbagelboy]

They seem to do equally for high-end vault NYC biglaw (similar % of class summering at top firms). If your goals were to change/evolve though, Harvard would lend itself more towards that flexibility. Your question seems to be, does being a Hamilton scholar confer special notoriety/opportunities? What it says on your resume is basically, "I got into Harvard/Yale and went to Columbia instead," which could range from useless to somewhat noticeable - your performance 1L year and your prior WE will be of far more significance. If $180,000 is truly meaningless to you and you don't care about living in Cambridge v Manhattan, then Harvard is probably the objectively safer/better move.

I would personally take the Hamilton, buy an Audi R8 and live in a sick $5,000/mo apartment near central park west with the difference. But it sounds like you could already do that anyway.

[sd26]

They seem to do equally for high-end vault NYC biglaw (similar % of class summering at top firms). If your goals were to change/evolve though, Harvard would lend itself more towards that flexibility. Your question seems to be, does being a Hamilton scholar confer special notoriety/opportunities? What it says on your resume is basically, "I got into Harvard/Yale and went to Columbia instead," which could range from useless to somewhat noticeable - your performance 1L year and your prior WE will be of far more significance. If $180,000 is truly meaningless to you and you don't care about living in Cambridge v Manhattan, then Harvard is probably the objectively safer/better move.

I would personally take the Hamilton, buy an Audi R8 and live in a sick $5,000/mo apartment near central park west with the difference. But it sounds like you could already do that anyway.

Is there much of a difference as to what percentile of the class I'd have to be in at each school to get elite vault firms? Or at that level is it just mostly connections?

Also, I'd love an audi and a nice apartment hah, but the money I have access to is to be used solely for my education. So differences in cost of living could be relevant actually

[anyriotgirl]

Step one: take the money
Step two: ask daddy warbucks for the money you would have spent on tuition
Step three: stock market
Step four: profit

[lakers180]

hamilton

[sd26]

hamilton

any reasoning?

[twenty]

In terms of NYC biglaw placement, there is virtually no difference between Harvard and Columbia. The big advantage Harvard has over its peers is that Harvard will get you interviews in hard secondary markets/places you don't have strong ties.

Take the Hamilton, and with the money you would have spent on your debt (because you're undoubtedly paying sticker at Harvard if money isn't an issue) go buy a Ferrari.

edit> or that thing Bagel suggested. Except Ferrari > R8s.

[goldenboy514]

Money is really not an issue at all for me (Please don't hate me)

Um, how so?
Money is always an issue
If someone is willing to finance your education, then that's still their money. Just because you didn't work for that money doesn't mean it's not an issue.

[jbagelboy]

They seem to do equally for high-end vault NYC biglaw (similar % of class summering at top firms). If your goals were to change/evolve though, Harvard would lend itself more towards that flexibility. Your question seems to be, does being a Hamilton scholar confer special notoriety/opportunities? What it says on your resume is basically, "I got into Harvard/Yale and went to Columbia instead," which could range from useless to somewhat noticeable - your performance 1L year and your prior WE will be of far more significance. If $180,000 is truly meaningless to you and you don't care about living in Cambridge v Manhattan, then Harvard is probably the objectively safer/better move.

I would personally take the Hamilton, buy an Audi R8 and live in a sick $5,000/mo apartment near central park west with the difference. But it sounds like you could already do that anyway.

Is there much of a difference as to what percentile of the class I'd have to be in at each school to get elite vault firms? Or at that level is it just mostly connections?

Also, I'd love an audi and a nice apartment hah, but the money I have access to is to be used solely for my education. So differences in cost of living could be relevant actually

Bottom third will be dicey at either school. Harvard would be a slightly more comfortable place to be at the bottom of the class, but the numbers are equal so that is speculative based on their grading structure (although all P's sticks out like a sore thumb). Median or even just below at H should be sufficient for V20 though. CLS doesn't do class rank, but it's generally acknowledged that Stone is sufficient grade-wise for any elite firm (after that it's interview/WE/ect). Median can get V10 though, problem is median is just estimated.

In other words, no there's no real difference. More people at H can clerk though.

[CanadianWolf]

Nice problem to have. Do the restricted family funds move elsewhere if you don't use them for education or will you or another family member enjoy them for other purposes later in life ? If the restricted personal funds remain available to you for other purposes (e.g. healthcare, housing, legal defense, attained age release to you) down the road, then take the Hamilton Scholarship from Columbia, but if it's a "use it or lose it" type trust fund benefit, then HLS comes into play.

[smaug_]

it's generally acknowledged that Stone is sufficient grade-wise for any elite firm

This isn't really true and you shouldn't assume this.

[jbagelboy]

it's generally acknowledged that Stone is sufficient grade-wise for any elite firm

This isn't really true and you shouldn't assume this.

I defer to your judgment . But you actually presented some variant of this before so Im surprised to see you questioning it (unless you are referring to "low" or "high"? Really the point is here grades can only get you so far and people will have random results including striking out). Also OP is only talking about New York. Regardless, it seems to be possible (anecdotally it occurs) to go to Paul Weiss or Skadden or Latham (what OP is referring to as elite firms) ect once you've made stone. Would you still disagree?

[lawschool2014hopeful]

I am seriously confused by people recommending a "lower-tier" school for someone that does not have a financial issue whatsoever.

Go to Harvard, free up to the funding for someone who truly need it.

[Tiago Splitter]

I think the word sufficient is what's causing problems. Sufficient to guarantee a job? Of course not. Sufficient to give you a shot at a wide variety of places? Absolutely.

[anyriotgirl]

I am seriously confused by people recommending a "lower-tier" school for someone that does not have a financial issue whatsoever.

Go to Harvard, free up to the funding for someone who truly need it.

It doesn't work like that

[californiauser]

Money is really not an issue at all for me (Please don't hate me)

Um, how so?
Money is always an issue
If someone is willing to finance your education, then that's still their money. Just because you didn't work for that money doesn't mean it's not an issue.

plenty of boomers out there willing to spend 6 figures for their kids to go to Ivy league schools

If OP can't get his parents to give him 200k cash upfront (I'm sure you'll get in a trust someday anyway), I say go to Harvard

[sd26]

Money is really not an issue at all for me (Please don't hate me)

Um, how so?
Money is always an issue
If someone is willing to finance your education, then that's still their money. Just because you didn't work for that money doesn't mean it's not an issue.

plenty of boomers out there willing to spend 6 figures for their kids to go to Ivy league schools

If OP can't get his parents to give him 200k cash upfront (I'm sure you'll get in a trust someday anyway), I say go to Harvard

Yeah essentially I'd have no access to the funds if they weren't used for tuition. And the owners have stressed repeatedly that it would not burden them financially in any noticeable way to pay for tuition.

[PrideandGlory1776]

Getting into Yale or getting the Hamilton is the pinnacle of life - for the love of all that is good don't throw it away to be one of 550 at Harvard. Hamilton /Thread

[riverwater]

.

[smaug_]

I think the word sufficient is what's causing problems. Sufficient to guarantee a job? Of course not. Sufficient to give you a shot at a wide variety of places? Absolutely.

More the difference between the bolded and "any elite firm." A 3.41 is going to get you a shot at a lot of places but not all of them. You can definitely get an amazing job with Stone level grades. It is still probably easier to get that job with better grades.

I get the impression (right or not) that it's easier still for Harvard/Yale students.

[JWalker]

Step one: take the money
Step two: ask daddy warbucks for the money you would have spent on tuition
Step three: stock market
Step four: profit

TITCR

Seriously, though, if money isn't an issue I'd go to Harvard.