NYU VS COLUMBIA VS MICHIGAN $$ VS DUKE VS NU VS GULC Forum

[dabigchina]

Will update when i get updated aid packages

[ticklemesilly]

You got into Columbia and NYU and only got 15K a year from Michigan? Wait until you get the aid offers from other schools to get a picture of your real options.

Columbia/NYU are the best regarded and are a match made in heaven for big law. NYU is also amazing for PI law.

Michigan/Duke are also highly regarded- peer schools (slightly better job placement at Duke for big law, Michigan has slightly more PI and government placement) so basically all comes down to $$ and personal preference

Northwestern is next- very business oriented if that's your cup of tea; slightly older student body so non-traditional students fit in here well.

GULC is at the bottom. Amazing international law program

All things equal I would go to NYU but it's hard to say because I'm sure your aid offers will definitely change the picture.

[Nomo]

Without considering costs you should clearly go with NYU or Columbia. If your grades aren't good they still give you a good shot at biglaw in New York (can you live with that as backup plan A?). But its hard to tell you how to consider costs in this situation, it really pretends on your parents financial situation and how strong your desire is to be independent.

[Winston1984]

I don't understand how you got NYU/Columbia and only $15k from Mich. But if my folks were paying, Columbia.

[Johann]

Given the interest in tax, you need to go to NYU. Your story will be much more bulletproof for interviewing - why NYU? Because I've known since being a public accountant in year 2 (2013 or whatever) Ive wanted to practice tax law at the highest level. NYU is the best program in the country for that. Why Columbia doesn't really give you that sell. You'll have 0 problems getting any jobs out of NYU in tax if you take all of their tax courses even on the West Coast. If you do have problems, do a JD/LLM for one more semester and an additional OCI and you will be golden assumingt he market isnt shit.

[suppy183]

I'm confused why people are confused about the amount of aid from Michigan. This seems like pretty typical aid (maybe a little low but not by much) from MVP for splitters who are able to get into Columbia/NYU at sticker. Anyway, I would probably do NYU because of the tax law goal. It's nice to have the option to tack on an LLM from the best program in the country for just one extra semester (especially if your parents would also pay for that). You can't really go wrong picking between NYU and Columbia with no debt though- I'm sure you'll be solid whatever you choose.

[Winston1984]

I'm confused why people are confused about the amount of aid from Michigan. This seems like pretty typical aid (maybe a little low but not by much) from MVP for splitters who are able to get into Columbia/NYU at sticker. Anyway, I would probably do NYU because of the tax law goal. It's nice to have the option to tack on an LLM from the best program in the country for just one extra semester (especially if your parents would also pay for that). You can't really go wrong picking between NYU and Columbia with no debt though- I'm sure you'll be solid whatever you choose.

Because this cycle, people getting roughly that amount from Mich are not getting T6. If you are getting T6, you are probably getting at least $25k a year to Mich. Probably more like $30k-$40k.

[dabigchina]

I'm also confused by people's confusion over my aid. It seems pretty typical for a splitter. That being said, 15k is not really enough for me to forgo the superior placement that ccn is going to afford me.

So if I am reading this right, nyu's reputation in tax is going to help me a lot in oci. Long term, is columbia going to open a any doors for me that nyu wouldn't?

[BigZuck]

Are all these offers final?

If not, then wait until you have final offers to decide.

[BigZuck]

I'm also confused by people's confusion over my aid. It seems pretty typical for a splitter. That being said, 15k is not really enough for me to forgo the superior placement that ccn is going to afford me.

So if I am reading this right, nyu's reputation in tax is going to help me a lot in oci. Long term, is columbia going to open a any doors for me that nyu wouldn't?

What long term doors are you thinking of?

If you just want to be a big law drone I can't imagine Columbia being better than NYU here (although fanboys might argue otherwise)

Put another way, I can't see Columbia getting you a job while if you went to NYU you would strike out.

On the other hand Columbia is a T5 and NYU isn't so maybe you should just roll with Columbia here. Also, Columbia is an Ivy that some normal people have heard of and NYU is just your run of the mill state school to most. Those might be important factors to consider when you make your choice.

Or not.

[dabigchina]

I'm also confused by people's confusion over my aid. It seems pretty typical for a splitter. That being said, 15k is not really enough for me to forgo the superior placement that ccn is going to afford me.

So if I am reading this right, nyu's reputation in tax is going to help me a lot in oci. Long term, is columbia going to open a any doors for me that nyu wouldn't?

What long term doors are you thinking of?

If you just want to be a big law drone I can't imagine Columbia being better than NYU here (although fanboys might argue otherwise)

Put another way, I can't see Columbia getting you a job while if you went to NYU you would strike out.

On the other hand Columbia is a T5 and NYU isn't so maybe you should just roll with Columbia here. Also, Columbia is an Ivy that some normal people have heard of and NYU is just your run of the mill state school to most. Those might be important factors to consider when you make your choice.

Or not.

No need to get upset, just trying to get both sides of the argument here. Specifically, columbias business school is much stronger than nyu's so i was wondering if it would give me a leg up in terms of high level in house positions. This might be a Nealric question though.

[BigZuck]

I'm also confused by people's confusion over my aid. It seems pretty typical for a splitter. That being said, 15k is not really enough for me to forgo the superior placement that ccn is going to afford me.

So if I am reading this right, nyu's reputation in tax is going to help me a lot in oci. Long term, is columbia going to open a any doors for me that nyu wouldn't?

What long term doors are you thinking of?

If you just want to be a big law drone I can't imagine Columbia being better than NYU here (although fanboys might argue otherwise)

Put another way, I can't see Columbia getting you a job while if you went to NYU you would strike out.

On the other hand Columbia is a T5 and NYU isn't so maybe you should just roll with Columbia here. Also, Columbia is an Ivy that some normal people have heard of and NYU is just your run of the mill state school to most. Those might be important factors to consider when you make your choice.

Or not.

No need to get upset, just trying to get both sides of the argument here. Specifically, columbias business school is much stronger than nyu's so i was wondering if it would give me a leg up in terms of high level in house positions. This might be a Nealric question though.

I'm not upset

And my b, didn't realize you were talking about JD/MBA programs. Thought you were just talking about JD programs.

eta: And I don't know how you feel about prestige, some people care about that T5 Ivy crap and some don't. Thats for you to decide IMO

[03152016]

dabigchina, you should definitely go to cls

[utahraptor]

yeah color me confused, are you doing JD or JD/MBA?

west coast applications? Penn?

[dabigchina]

yeah color me confused, are you doing JD or JD/MBA?

west coast applications? Penn?

Yeah sorry for the confusion, not doing jd MBA. Just wondering if going to Columbia would give a slight leg up on in house hiring decisions that may be made by people who don't know about nyus great reputation in tax.

[dabigchina]

yeah color me confused, are you doing JD or JD/MBA?

west coast applications? Penn?

Penn Berkeley and Stanford are out because I'm a splitter.

[utahraptor]

yeah I can't really speak to anything that far down the line, but I doubt that CLS students generally get a boost from the b-school over NYU students

I think CLS tax students do just fine and don't know how much NYU tax students without the LLM have an advantage there,

hopefully someone from NYU can speak to that

[BigZuck]

yeah color me confused, are you doing JD or JD/MBA?

west coast applications? Penn?

Yeah sorry for the confusion, not doing jd MBA. Just wondering if going to Columbia would give a slight leg up on in house hiring decisions that may be made by people who don't know about nyus great reputation in tax.

So like 8 years from now an in house hirer might like you more as a candidate because you went to a University that had a better business school, which is not the program you were enrolled in?

Just withdraw from everywhere else and deposit at Columbia right now IMO. You don't want to play the "What if" game by going to a Tier 2 state school like NYU.

(not trolling, if you're concerned about prestige then Columbia>>>>>>>>>NYU)

Personally, I can't imagine a legal hirer hiring you because you went to Columbia but not if you went to NYU. I would think anyone who knows anything would know they are both great schools. But you're the one who has to live with that choice and it's not worth stressing over prestige for the next however many years.

[ticklemesilly]

yeah color me confused, are you doing JD or JD/MBA?

west coast applications? Penn?

Penn Berkeley and Stanford are out because I'm a splitter.

'Did you apply? Berkeley has accepted splitters with very high LSAT scores in the past (175+); I'm guessing if you got into Columbia you at least have a 172+.

[dabigchina]

yeah color me confused, are you doing JD or JD/MBA?

west coast applications? Penn?

Yeah sorry for the confusion, not doing jd MBA. Just wondering if going to Columbia would give a slight leg up on in house hiring decisions that may be made by people who don't know about nyus great reputation in tax.

So like 8 years from now an in house hirer might like you more as a candidate because you went to a University that had a better business school, which is not the program you were enrolled in?

Just withdraw from everywhere else and deposit at Columbia right now IMO. You don't want to play the "What if" game by going to a Tier 2 state school like NYU.

(not trolling, if you're concerned about prestige then Columbia>>>>>>>>>NYU)

Personally, I can't imagine a legal hirer hiring you because you went to Columbia but not if you went to NYU. I would think anyone who knows anything would know they are both great schools. But you're the one who has to live with that choice and it's not worth stressing over prestige for the next however many years.

I've met recruiters who are dumb enough to do this but your point is well taken

[Tiago Splitter]

FWIW you can take a tax class at NYU in addition to the handful offered at Columbia if you go to Columbia. I would just go to whichever of those two you like more or whichever you like more when you visit.

[dabigchina]

Given the interest in tax, you need to go to NYU. Your story will be much more bulletproof for interviewing - why NYU? Because I've known since being a public accountant in year 2 (2013 or whatever) Ive wanted to practice tax law at the highest level. NYU is the best program in the country for that. Why Columbia doesn't really give you that sell. You'll have 0 problems getting any jobs out of NYU in tax if you take all of their tax courses even on the West Coast. If you do have problems, do a JD/LLM for one more semester and an additional OCI and you will be golden assumingt he market isnt shit.

Thanks johann pretty great advice.

[banjo]

It's true you can take classes at NYU as a CLS student, but there's a cap on the number of people who can do it. I was denied for an ERISA class at NYU this semester even though there was plenty of space in Billman's class. I don't think it's a sure thing.

If taking the extra tax classes is really important to you, just go to NYU.

[jbagelboy]

I will say that I think we have some great tax profs at CLS, although I'm sure NYU's program offers more selections.

[dabigchina]

I will say that I think we have some great tax profs at CLS, although I'm sure NYU's program offers more selections.

It's true you can take classes at NYU as a CLS student, but there's a cap on the number of people who can do it. I was denied for an ERISA class at NYU this semester even though there was plenty of space in Billman's class. I don't think it's a sure thing.

If taking the extra tax classes is really important to you, just go to NYU.

do the extra tax classes translate into an appreciable bump in OCI though?

eta: thanks for the perspective/info. definitely very helpful