Columbia Law School 2012! Forum

[whyamidoingthis]

So, are your Columbia 0L's out there getting a Mac or a PC for school?

Frankly, I'm leaning towards a Mac...but this will be my first one, and I'm not sure how Mac-compatible Columbia is. Thoughts?

I got my first Mac in September after three PCs. I'm never getting another PC.

Which Mac do you suggest - MacBook, MacBook Pro, or Air? I am so new to Apple, so I'm very confused.

I just have a regular MacBook, but I'm not really familiar with the other ones. All of my friends with Macs also have the regular MacBook. I think facker09 is more well-versed in Macs than I am, so listen to him.

I've been debating the MacBook/MacBook Pro argument in my head for several months now...I definitely haven't come to any conclusions. Sigh. If anyone makes a decision one way or the other (other than for solely monetary reasons), I'd love some input!

[thistimereborn]

MACBOOK PRO RULES.

Then again, I use it to do demanding stuff like video and photoshop. MacBook is probably more than good enough if you don't need to do anything fancy.

MacBook Air is a ripoff though.

[elisecolette]

Is everyone planning on living up at Columbia? Anyone else concerned with how FAR uptown it is? I lived in the undergrad dorms there for a summer and it really is up there, especially if you are downtown at night and take an expensive cab back. I just don't think I could live in the 120s for three years. I'm considering commuting from the UWS (or Chelsea), thoughts??

Anyone talk to any current students about their living location/situation at the recent ASWs?

[frank_the_tank]

Is everyone planning on living up at Columbia? Anyone else concerned with how FAR uptown it is? I lived in the undergrad dorms there for a summer and it really is up there, especially if you are downtown at night and take an expensive cab back. I just don't think I could live in the 120s for three years. I'm considering commuting from the UWS (or Chelsea), thoughts??

Anyone talk to any current students about their living location/situation at the recent ASWs?

Are you planning on spending most of your time downtown or at Columbia? 100% of the students I talked to at the Admitted students program lived nearby and didn't really have any complaints. I'd imagine your daily train fare of commuting would more than cover any occasional cab ride home when split with others.

[elisecolette]

Is everyone planning on living up at Columbia? Anyone else concerned with how FAR uptown it is? I lived in the undergrad dorms there for a summer and it really is up there, especially if you are downtown at night and take an expensive cab back. I just don't think I could live in the 120s for three years. I'm considering commuting from the UWS (or Chelsea), thoughts??

Anyone talk to any current students about their living location/situation at the recent ASWs?

Are you planning on spending most of your time downtown or at Columbia? 100% of the students I talked to at the Admitted students program lived nearby and didn't really have any complaints. I'd imagine your daily train fare of commuting would more than cover any occasional cab ride home when split with others.

Well no, but I'd like to keep up with my non-LS friends in the city, and when I have a free minute be able to take advantage of what the city has to offer, most of which is no where near Columbia, and I'm just worried to that it would be harder being so far uptown.

Good to know that most people live around there though. Idk, I guess I was really enticed by the neighborhood and area around NYU and am worried I'll be missing something up at Columbia (I haven't actually made up my mind yet, but I want to do IP and I feel like CLS has a better program for that... sort of torn still).

[jessicaw]

Its official. Columbia here I come.

And yeah, i'm considering living a bit south of Columbia too. Upper West Side would be really easy (short subway ride, no transfers) but it might be expensive? I've got a bunch of friends at NYU so it would be nice to be near them, but also close enough to Columbia so that i dont feel like im "commuting" to class.

Thank heavens apartments are cheap! Based on what i've seen/heard, Columbia's housing actually isn't that great of a deal. The market is GREAT for renters right now, and even studios near columbia are cheaper than the single residences that columbia offers.

[huckabees]

Its official. Columbia here I come.

And yeah, i'm considering living a bit south of Columbia too. Upper West Side would be really easy (short subway ride, no transfers) but it might be expensive? I've got a bunch of friends at NYU so it would be nice to be near them, but also close enough to Columbia so that i dont feel like im "commuting" to class.

Thank heavens apartments are cheap! Based on what i've seen/heard, Columbia's housing actually isn't that great of a deal. The market is GREAT for renters right now, and even studios near columbia are cheaper than the single residences that columbia offers.

I am so glad I'm not the only person who thinks this!

Craigslist, here I come!

[specialist73]

Thank heavens apartments are cheap! Based on what i've seen/heard, Columbia's housing actually isn't that great of a deal. The market is GREAT for renters right now, and even studios near columbia are cheaper than the single residences that columbia offers.

I am so glad I'm not the only person who thinks this!

Craigslist, here I come!

+1

I haven't fully committed to CLS yet, but if/when I do, I'll definitely be Craigslisting...and looking for an apartment a bit further down on the UWS. I'd rather be at a slight remove from school when I go home, and would much prefer to be closer to the downtown neighborhoods I know I'll be frequenting in my oh-so-ample free time (ha.).

Having been out of the NYC rental market for some years now, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that rates are settling back into reasonable territory. Takes a lot of the stress/anxiety out of the prospect of going to school in the city.

[jessicaw]

So, is anyone looking for people to share a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment?

I'm not entirely sure what my plans are yet, but i'm just curious about using the internet for finding apartment mates. Want to feel things out.

[huckabees]

So, is anyone looking for people to share a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment?

I'm not entirely sure what my plans are yet, but i'm just curious about using the internet for finding apartment mates. Want to feel things out.

I may do a share if I can't find a good studio off campus.

[sbalive]

So, is anyone looking for people to share a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment?

I'm not entirely sure what my plans are yet, but i'm just curious about using the internet for finding apartment mates. Want to feel things out.

I've found it was a lot easier to be on the apartment wanted side of Craigslist then on the search side. Especially in a market like this, people will contact you & if you have specific criteria, that'll screen out people more than if you try to go through all the ads. It's a lot nicer to just sit back and be emailed by people vs. the other way around. As a law student who can make rent and be quiet, etc., we'll be in demand.

The one thing that worries me is that in markets like this, it's hard to establish long-term continuity. I'm not really eager to move in the middle of my 1L year because my roommates got laid off and don't want to renew the lease. So, I'd be a lot more comfortable with a new 12 month lease getting started... and that'll limit options.

I'll still look though - but if it's only like $50 more to take an unfurnished share in CLS housing versus the open market, I'll probably just take university housing.

[Lem37]

I don't want to go through the headache that is apartment hunting in NYC, which I've done for two years now. Even though Craigslist is great, I really don't have the time to go back and forth to NYC (I'll be moving back home for a few months, beginning in 3 weeks), running all over the island, only to find that half the time the apartment's already been rented, like, fifteen minutes before I got there, that the landlord is insane and that my neighbors all having screaming babies. The idea of living in a subsidized, university-owned-and-maintained apartment building which is comprised entirely of law students is just amazing to me.

[jessicaw]

So, is anyone looking for people to share a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment?

I'm not entirely sure what my plans are yet, but i'm just curious about using the internet for finding apartment mates. Want to feel things out.

I've found it was a lot easier to be on the apartment wanted side of Craigslist then on the search side. Especially in a market like this, people will contact you & if you have specific criteria, that'll screen out people more than if you try to go through all the ads. It's a lot nicer to just sit back and be emailed by people vs. the other way around. As a law student who can make rent and be quiet, etc., we'll be in demand.

That is a great idea. My suggestion to anyone who tries this: get a new email account to link to your craigslist account. Otherwise your primary account will overflow with spam. Anyways, i'm definitely going to fashion a nice "housing wanted" ad and post it up there. Thanks sbalive.

[nyydem]

I don't want to go through the headache that is apartment hunting in NYC, which I've done for two years now. Even though Craigslist is great, I really don't have the time to go back and forth to NYC (I'll be moving back home for a few months, beginning in 3 weeks), running all over the island, only to find that half the time the apartment's already been rented, like, fifteen minutes before I got there, that the landlord is insane and that my neighbors all having screaming babies. The idea of living in a subsidized, university-owned-and-maintained apartment building which is comprised entirely of law students is just amazing to me.

Agreed...renting through Columbia just seems to make the whole thing so much easier than doing the NYC apartment hunting thing. You know for sure it'll be at least of a certain quality, no crazy landlords, you know that (hopefully) they'll take care of any major problems that come up while you're there, etc. And, I'm excited to be right near campus and with other students.

Still debating between doing Lenfest or one of their apartment shares though.

[Lem37]

I don't want to go through the headache that is apartment hunting in NYC, which I've done for two years now. Even though Craigslist is great, I really don't have the time to go back and forth to NYC (I'll be moving back home for a few months, beginning in 3 weeks), running all over the island, only to find that half the time the apartment's already been rented, like, fifteen minutes before I got there, that the landlord is insane and that my neighbors all having screaming babies. The idea of living in a subsidized, university-owned-and-maintained apartment building which is comprised entirely of law students is just amazing to me.

Agreed...renting through Columbia just seems to make the whole thing so much easier than doing the NYC apartment hunting thing. You know for sure it'll be at least of a certain quality, no crazy landlords, you know that (hopefully) they'll take care of any major problems that come up while you're there, etc. And, I'm excited to be right near campus and with other students.

Still debating between doing Lenfest or one of their apartment shares though.

I personally went with the apartment shares (spec. requested Lionsgate). I really like the idea of sort of being forced to meet people, while not going to the extremes of a dorm.

[frank_the_tank]

I don't want to go through the headache that is apartment hunting in NYC, which I've done for two years now. Even though Craigslist is great, I really don't have the time to go back and forth to NYC (I'll be moving back home for a few months, beginning in 3 weeks), running all over the island, only to find that half the time the apartment's already been rented, like, fifteen minutes before I got there, that the landlord is insane and that my neighbors all having screaming babies. The idea of living in a subsidized, university-owned-and-maintained apartment building which is comprised entirely of law students is just amazing to me.

Agreed...renting through Columbia just seems to make the whole thing so much easier than doing the NYC apartment hunting thing. You know for sure it'll be at least of a certain quality, no crazy landlords, you know that (hopefully) they'll take care of any major problems that come up while you're there, etc. And, I'm excited to be right near campus and with other students.

Still debating between doing Lenfest or one of their apartment shares though.

I personally went with the apartment shares (spec. requested Lionsgate). I really like the idea of sort of being forced to meet people, while not going to the extremes of a dorm.

Yikes, Lionsgate has apartment shares for as much as $1658...crazy.

[Lem37]

I don't want to go through the headache that is apartment hunting in NYC, which I've done for two years now. Even though Craigslist is great, I really don't have the time to go back and forth to NYC (I'll be moving back home for a few months, beginning in 3 weeks), running all over the island, only to find that half the time the apartment's already been rented, like, fifteen minutes before I got there, that the landlord is insane and that my neighbors all having screaming babies. The idea of living in a subsidized, university-owned-and-maintained apartment building which is comprised entirely of law students is just amazing to me.

Agreed...renting through Columbia just seems to make the whole thing so much easier than doing the NYC apartment hunting thing. You know for sure it'll be at least of a certain quality, no crazy landlords, you know that (hopefully) they'll take care of any major problems that come up while you're there, etc. And, I'm excited to be right near campus and with other students.

Still debating between doing Lenfest or one of their apartment shares though.

I personally went with the apartment shares (spec. requested Lionsgate). I really like the idea of sort of being forced to meet people, while not going to the extremes of a dorm.

Yikes, Lionsgate has apartment shares for as much as $1658...crazy.

That's why I specified a price range in my Comments section.

[daisyduck]

That's why I specified a price range in my Comments section.

The lowest Lionsgate share is $1033 though.
It seemed like they had plenty of apartment shares that go way below that.. mostly around 850-950 range. I dunno, am I mistaken?

[Lem37]

That's why I specified a price range in my Comments section.

The lowest Lionsgate share is $1033 though.
It seemed like they had plenty of apartment shares that go way below that.. mostly around 850-950 range. I dunno, am I mistaken?

They do, in the 400-block etc. I only specified a preference for Lionsgate UP TO a certain price. I pay more than that their lowest now for my one-bedroom, so, shrug.

[nyydem]

I personally went with the apartment shares (spec. requested Lionsgate). I really like the idea of sort of being forced to meet people, while not going to the extremes of a dorm.

Did you visit Lionsgate at any point? I haven't seen it and don't know much about it - were the apartments nice/big/etc?

[Lem37]

I personally went with the apartment shares (spec. requested Lionsgate). I really like the idea of sort of being forced to meet people, while not going to the extremes of a dorm.

Did you visit Lionsgate at any point? I haven't seen it and don't know much about it - were the apartments nice/big/etc?

Yes, yes, and yes.

[takingmytime]

Just got financial aid package in the mail so they are coming out - I have yet to see anyone else who got theirs.

I submitted at first possible chance.

[huckabees]

Just got financial aid package in the mail.

How are you liking it?

[Lem37]

Just got financial aid package in the mail so they are coming out - I have yet to see anyone else who got theirs.

I submitted at first possible chance.

Ahhh! Where are you located?

[takingmytime]

Just got financial aid package in the mail.

How are you liking it?

Let's just say they were much nicer than NYU.

Now to choose between CLS and UofC.

As for location... I'm not in the northeast but for some reason I have kick-ass mail service and NYU and CLS mail always gets to my house very quickly and this was even faster than normal - postmarked April 2.