Cornell ($$$) vs Duke/UVA ($$) Forum

[demersal]

Hi, all! Thanks to the secondhand advice of many on this site, I've ruled out the schools that won't budge enough from sticker price and am now focusing on the best options that would offer some substantive aid cushion from the nine circles of debt hell.

My CoA estimates are super rough, but I did what I could with the data from the schools themselves / LS22's calculator, and my CoA is $60 and $80k lower at Cornell compared to Duke and UVA, respectively. Financing CoA through loans and savings.

East Coaster with a strong personal network in NY but some interest in DC long-term.

I'd like to land a government job or, if that fails, take a short biglaw stint to hopefully land in-house elsewhere. I'd choose quality of life over prestige and power ten times out of ten in my career plans.

With only a few days left to response deadlines, would it be worth it to try to get UVA or Duke to budge? I've seen anecdotally that UVA doesn't dish out tons of $$ increases. Would it be worth double depositing to try to get some higher bids?

That aside, I know that the incentive for UVA/Duke to fully match Cornell is low. Given my goals, I think the school that leaves me with the least debt may be the best option, since these three are peers, more or less. If preference has play, I think I'd prefer the environment/culture of UVA over Cornell and Duke, but I don't think the preference is strong enough to justify the $$ scholarship differential with Cornell.

Thanks in advance for your take!

[20170322]

Cornell and it's not even close.

[Lavitz]

If preference has play, I think I'd prefer the environment/culture of UVA over Cornell and Duke, but I don't think the preference is strong enough to justify the $90k scholarship differential with Cornell.

I don't know what "environment/culture" differences you're referring to, but I agree that they're probably not worth $90,000.

Disclosure: Cornell 1L, also from NYC, took the same scholarship at Cornell over a higher offer from Duke and also $$ from NYU. Do not regret taking the money. I wasn't interested in government jobs, but I'm not sure whether Duke or UVA would be that much better.

With only a few days left to response deadlines, would it be worth it to try to get UVA or Duke to budge? I've seen anecdotally that UVA doesn't dish out tons of $$ increases. Would it be worth double depositing to try to get some higher bids?

I don't think it hurts to try.

[demersal]

Thanks, Lavitz! If the financial scenario stays materially the same, I know Cornell is the right choice (and fit) for me. I waver very slightly when I think about potentially wanting to place in DC, but even I know that my offers aren't similar enough to pick a nit like that.

Anyway, thanks again—you post a lot of helpful stuff about Cornell here and it's very much appreciated!

[chuckbass]

"I'd like to land a government job or, if that fails, take a short biglaw stint to hopefully land in-house elsewhere. I'd choose quality of life over prestige and power ten times out of ten in my career plans."

My problem with this is that the hiring practices for government jobs differ from biglaw. You can't decide towards the end of 3L that if you didn't get the government job that you want, that you'd then like to pursue biglaw.

My vote is definitely Cornell, but I think you also need to think more about what your actual goals are.

[BigZuck]

I was basically at both medians for Duke last cycle. They offered me 66K total and Cornell offered 90K. I showed Duke Cornell's offer and they matched it to the number. I was very interested in Duke and went to their ASW and everything so maybe that helped. But yeah, I got them to match.

I got into UVA off the waitlist late in the summer. They offered me 60K and I mentioned I turned down 90K at both Cornell and Duke and they weren't interested in budging. But again, that was really late in the game.

If you can get Duke to come very close to Cornell's offer I think that might potentially be a marginally better choice for DC (but that might be me drinking the Duke in DC Kool Aid. For all intents and purposes peer schools are pretty much peer)

[demersal]

My vote is definitely Cornell, but I think you also need to think more about what your actual goals are.

Fair point! Biglaw is not a fallback for anyone, so that was definitely not the best way to put it. I was making a bit of a reach to articulate any true long-term plan/goals for this post, but you caught me red handed as someone who's largely unsure and undecided. Still don't know if that's my blessing or curse.

[Lavitz]

Fair point! Biglaw is not a fallback for anyone, so that was definitely not the best way to put it. I was making a bit of a reach to articulate any true long-term plan/goals for this post, but you caught me red handed as someone who's largely unsure and undecided. Still don't know if that's my blessing or curse.

It's pretty normal for people here to have no idea what they want to do. You do need to be willing to do Biglaw because it's inevitable that you'll participate in AJF unless you're 100% dedicated to PI or something.

If you think you'll want DC Biglaw, try to get a 1L summer job there, and plan on doing the DC jobs fair in addition to AJF. Also go to any "Cornell in the Capital"-type panels we have. I know we place fewer grads into DC than Duke or UVA, but I can't tell if it's self-selection or if DC firms have lower cutoffs for those two schools.