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Hi!

Overview
172/3.6 non-URM
2 years WE in Financial Services
This cycle...
In: Columbia (sticker), NYU (sticker), Duke (n/a), Michigan (75k)
WL: Penn, Chicago
Rejected: Berk, Harv, (and most likely) Stanford

Question
I was also accepted to several masters programs in computer science this cycle. Ultimately, my goal is to "specialize" in Law and Technology, and probably work for BigLaw, at least out of law school. I don't have a formal CS background, which is why I really want to do the masters. And I think that doing the masters before law school would make more sense.

So, let's assume I'm not enrolling in law school this fall, and instead am set on doing the masters. My question then is:

Do I consider myself blessed to get in to Columbia and defer it at sticker? Or do I withdraw and reapply to all these schools down the line?

Appreciate any insight you guys can provide!!! Here are some additional considerations that give you a sense of where my head is at:
1) Deferring makes sense because I'm lucky to get into Columbia, and if I don't defer, there's a chance they'll see me as "unsure" and won't let me in again.
2) Reapplying makes sense because by getting the masters, I strengthen my "story", and thus have a shot at better schools or more money next time around.
3) Reapplying makes sense because there's a chance I'll fall in love with computer science and won't even want to do law school any more... at least in the near term. (maybe go back after working in the industry for a few years)
4) The two schools I'm choosing from for CS are NYU and Chicago, so my chances of getting accepted/more money when I reapply to those two schools are slightly increased, I would think..

If you have a scholarship to the master's program, then take it & reapply next year if still interested in a career in law.

Apply to a wider range of law schools to get some decent scholarship offers.

If no grant money for the master's degree, then only attend law school with a significant scholarship award.

P.S. If you obtain the master's in CS, would it make sense career-wise to get an MBA, a JD or a joint MBA/JD ?

You don't know Columbia is at sticker yet - they havent released financial aid info. I suspect you'll get ~40K.

Unless you retook for 176+ your current options are the "best" ones you could get. So Im not sure I fully understand. I agree with the other poster that you shouldn't take out loans for an MA if you are heading to law school anyway. Maybe just be honest with Columbia about your goals and ask what they think and how flexible they could be?

Points 2-3 are a little irrelevant IMO because your cycle wont change while your UGPA stays the same since its the limiting agent here, and if you decided to not go to law school, bailing on your deferral would be no harm no foul (it would only be a problem if you broke the deferral to attend a different school).

Thanks for the responses so far! Anyone else have thoughts?

P.S. If you obtain the master's in CS, would it make sense career-wise to get an MBA, a JD or a joint MBA/JD ?

Why MBA?

If no grant money for the master's degree, then only attend law school with a significant scholarship award.

This will most likely be the case. So your advice is to reapply and opt for t10-20, where I can prob get close to full ride?

You don't know Columbia is at sticker yet - they havent released financial aid info. I suspect you'll get ~40K.

Correct... I guess I was just assuming I won't get anything. Why do you think I'll get 40k? Is that just based on entries on LSN?

Maybe just be honest with Columbia about your goals and ask what they think and how flexible they could be?

Can you elaborate on this? What did you mean by "flexible" aside from letting me defer?Like could I potentially even ask them to consider giving me more $$$ given the masters?

P.S., does $$ transfer over with a deferall?

P.P.S. Thanks a bunch guys!

HouseTargaryen wrote:
P.S., does $$ transfer over with a deferall?

P.P.S. Thanks a bunch guys!

This is largely dependent on the school, but many schools have a disclaimer in their aid offers that the offers will not carry over if you defer. You'll lose the offer at-hand and be reevaluated for the year you matriculate. I'm not sure what Columbia's policy is, however.

NYU and Chicago aren't top-flight MSCS programs (I believe NYU is ~30th and Chicago lower), though if you're doing law + tech, it may not matter.

I was in a very similar situation last semester - it took quite a while for Columbia to send a financial aid offer (as in, accepted in February but didn't get it until April), and when I asked about deferring, Columbia advised me that my financial aid offer would not carry over if I deferred. On the other hand, they allowed a 2 year deferral, which may be advantageous to you over other schools that prefer 1-year deferrals.

Did you apply JD/MSCS at Stanford?

Is this a legit CS masters program or one where previous coding isn't required? I'm not sure of the value in the latter.

Also, as others have pointed out, NYU and Chicago aren't known for their CS departments, so I'd re-think the utility of the degree if you're interested in exploring opportunities beyond law or plan to fund the terminal degree yourself.

I was in almost the same situation several years ago--in at Columbia Law, and at a master's program (with full funding) in a different discipline. Same LSAT as you, but higher undergrad GPA. I turned down Columbia outright, reapplied to law schools as I finished the master's, and ended up being accepted at an HYS (which had rejected me in the earlier cycle). This may have been specific to the field (and this was several years ago), but I just want to note that it is possible to do better on later cycles with the same numbers, and a master's at least sometimes can help that.