Is Cornell Really Considered Elite? Forum

[jeez29]

You hear all about top 14 law schools, and I know Cornell is in the latter part of the latter half of the top 14 according to US News, and because of this, is it truly considered elite?

Would you personally be impressed if someone told you they went to Cornell Law?

And I suppose more importantly, would prestigious law firms and prestigious public sector employers like the DOJ be impressed by a Cornell law degree? Or do Cornell grads play second fiddle to other top 14 grads?

[cdotson2]

if you feel you havn't got the options you want this cycle you should: wait a year, retake, and reapply. It doesn't matter if people are impressed by your degree, just that it gets you a job. If you care about how impressed people will be, Cornell =\= HYS. There are a few select jobs it is much harder to get from cornell than from HYS. However, you will most likely get a job from Cornell that pays the same as any you would get from HYS.

[cavalier1138]

Is this seriously a question?

This can't be real.

[acr]

You hear all about top 14 law schools, and I know Cornell is in the latter part of the latter half of the top 14 according to US News, and because of this, is it truly considered elite?

Would you personally be impressed if someone told you they went to Cornell Law?

And I suppose more importantly, would prestigious law firms and prestigious public sector employers like the DOJ be impressed by a Cornell law degree? Or do Cornell grads play second fiddle to other top 14 grads?

can't fucking believe that THIS is even a consideration. no one really cares where you go to school other than employers. in fact I find it very unimpressive and off putting when someone who goes to a "prestigious" school feels the need to mention it constantly

[drive4showLSAT4dough]

IS JOE FLACCO A ELITE QUARTERBACK?

[sflyr2016]

Lol. Typical 0l thought process. Dude, no one cares where you went to law school -- except maybe your mom. Go to a school that you think will advance your career at a reasonable price. That simple. Impressing others shouldn't be a consideration.

As to getting a fancy job and impressing fancy people, do you seriously think anyone hires solely based on what school a candidate went to? That's only a consideration. No one is going to be blown away by your going to any one law school, especially not places that have too many people applying there with all the same or better credentials.

Cornell is a great school. If you can attend at a reasonable price and you want to be a lawyer, then go.

[stego]

Silverdoe callout thread

[GreenEggs]

I mean it's not Elite but it's also not as bad as Penn so I think that should explain it.

[eagle2a]

it's a shit school for people who couldn't get into a real TTT14

[swc65]

"You've never been to the Harvard Club before? What kind of Harvard man are you?"
"The Cornell kind."
"Oh...."

[GreenEggs]

"You've never been to the Harvard Club before? What kind of Harvard man are you?"
"The Cornell kind."
"Oh...."

Second favorite line after "Can I keep this pen?"

[PeanutsNJam]

To what extent can I brag about going to CORNELL law school?

The answer is you'll be laughed at and ridiculed if you try to brag about going to a TOP FOURTEEN LAW SCHOOL.

[KissMyAxe]

Post Deleted

[swc65]

^^

Says the person who went to Yale over a near full ride at Columbia....

[KissMyAxe]

^^

Says the person who went to Yale over a near full ride at Columbia....

Ooh, I've been found out. I guess the cat's out of the bag now. I admit it. I chose Yale with the maximum need based aid (which was about 3/4 of a Hamilton with a lower cost of living), and I had no desire for Biglaw and aspirations for stuff like clerkships, unicorny PI, and maybe academia. Feel free to go check out my choosing thread. I believe there was something like 60 votes for YLS vs 2 at Columbia, as well as numerous posts from highly regarded posters (including Bagelboy, an excellent poster at CLS) saying I'd be crazy not to choose YLS. You caught me though. My advice is completely baseless because I'm going to Yale. I'm sorry for posting in this thread.

But I don't know why you felt the need to mention my school in here. I didn't (because, as I said above, it can be douchey). At any rate though, it does point out an important factor for OP. I did NOT choose YLS because of its prestige, because if I had I would be at Harvard. I chose it because it's the best by far at securing the employment I want, pretty much the same reason people recommend a medium scholarship to a school like Cornell over a full ride to a good regional. SWC, No reason to get your feelings hurt over me choosing against your school.

[cavalier1138]

^^

Says the person who went to Yale over a near full ride at Columbia....

Ooh, I've been found out. I guess the cat's out of the bag now. I admit it. I chose Yale with the maximum need based aid (which was about 3/4 of a Hamilton with a lower cost of living), and I had no desire for Biglaw and aspirations for stuff like clerkships, unicorny PI, and maybe academia. Feel free to go check out my choosing thread. I believe there was something like 60 votes for YLS vs 2 at Columbia, as well as numerous posts from highly regarded posters (including Bagelboy, an excellent poster at CLS) saying I'd be crazy not to choose YLS. You caught me though. My advice is completely baseless because I'm going to Yale. I'm sorry for posting in this thread.

But I don't know why you felt the need to mention my school in here. I didn't (because, as I said above, it can be douchey). At any rate though, it does point out an important factor for OP. I did NOT choose YLS because of its prestige, because if I had I would be at Harvard. I chose it because it's the best by far at securing the employment I want, pretty much the same reason people recommend a medium scholarship to a school like Cornell over a full ride to a good regional. SWC, No reason to get your feelings hurt over me choosing against your school.

I think the correct response was to sneer at him through your monocle and say, "Columbia, eh? My dog walker went there."

Yale gives free monocles to all admitted students, right?

[KissMyAxe]

Ooh, I've been found out. I guess the cat's out of the bag now. I admit it. I chose Yale with the maximum need based aid (which was about 3/4 of a Hamilton with a lower cost of living), and I had no desire for Biglaw and aspirations for stuff like clerkships, unicorny PI, and maybe academia. Feel free to go check out my choosing thread. I believe there was something like 60 votes for YLS vs 2 at Columbia, as well as numerous posts from highly regarded posters (including Bagelboy, an excellent poster at CLS) saying I'd be crazy not to choose YLS. You caught me though. My advice is completely baseless because I'm going to Yale. I'm sorry for posting in this thread.

But I don't know why you felt the need to mention my school in here. I didn't (because, as I said above, it can be douchey). At any rate though, it does point out an important factor for OP. I did NOT choose YLS because of its prestige, because if I had I would be at Harvard. I chose it because it's the best by far at securing the employment I want, pretty much the same reason people recommend a medium scholarship to a school like Cornell over a full ride to a good regional. SWC, No reason to get your feelings hurt over me choosing against your school.

I think the correct response was to sneer at him through your monocle and say, "Columbia, eh? My dog walker went there."

Yale gives free monocles to all admitted students, right?

You are most correct. Packaged with the snuggie comes our top hat, monocle, and cane with which to beat the peasants from the lower "Ivies."

[pterodactyls]

Silverdoe callout thread

I had the same thought

[Barack O'Drama]

OP,

Cornell is a great law school. It's an Ivy, though some admonish it as the "lowest ivy" (OMG the humanity of perhaps attending the LOWEST Ivy AHHHHHH)
So, yeah, it is definitely a top law school and places really well in NYC Big Law. However, it is very expensive to attend and Ithaca's COL is pretty expensive. If you have a good scholarship, are interested in NYC big law, or some other great program there, it can be a great choice.

Will people be impressed if you tell them? Eh, it depends. The people who care enough to be impressed by shit like that are usually idiots you wouldn't care to impress or your aunt Kathy. I think someone saying they went to HSY will probably sound more impressive. But to the layman, yeah it sound's pretty good. The general public doesn't have the ranking memorized like us, so they'll probably be as impressed as if you told them you went to Fordham.

If you are looking for prestige as a value try NYLS. Someone may mistake it for NYU.

In all seriousness, don't pick a school solely on prestige. However, I do think some people tend to downplay the importance of having a good school on your resume. For many jobs a top law school seems to be a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for employment.

ETA:

Question for anyone who attended Cornell law: What percentage of the class can snag NYC big law? Top 20% Top 30% ?

[pterodactyls]

OP,

If you are looking for prestige as a value try NYLS. Someone may mistake it for NYU.

Jokes aside, I know someone who had a pretty successful career because of this.

[jp1447]

I would suspect that the big law numbers are significantly higher than top 20% or top 30%.

[Barack O'Drama]

I would suspect that the big law numbers are significantly higher than top 20% or top 30%.

I'm sorry I'm a little confused? Do you mean that you can be ranked lower and still get big law, or that you need a higher class rank?

[TheDapperDruid]

I would suspect that the big law numbers are significantly higher than top 20% or top 30%.

I'm sorry I'm a little confused? Do you mean that you can be ranked lower and still get big law, or that you need a higher class rank?

From what I've read, it seems that students at median regularly get big law.

[lymenheimer]

I would suspect that the big law numbers are significantly higher than top 20% or top 30%.

I'm sorry I'm a little confused? Do you mean that you can be ranked lower and still get big law, or that you need a higher class rank?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=cornell+law+aba+509+employment

Having been around for 3.5 years, frankly I'm surprised that you haven't once seen the biglaw numbers for Cornell.

[Lavitz]

Question for anyone who attended Cornell law: What percentage of the class can snag NYC big law? Top 20% Top 30% ?

You can get it from virtually any gpa. Depends on other factors. 50% of the class ends up in NYC biglaw, but you can easily get it from below the top half. NYC is the easiest market, and a bunch of people choose biglaw in other states or self-select into PI. If you're in the bottom 1/3rd or so, you'd be at risk of striking out, but you can overcome bad grades with good interviewing skills.