Columbia Law Class of 2014 Forum

[bhan87]

Just paid my deposit the other day; when will we be able to register a CLS email?? When do we get a CUID or whatever we need?

You can find your CUID on your acceptance letter and Financial Aid letter (I believe this is what you're referring to)

Has anyone else sent in their housing app?

[Ship87]

Yeah I have that # but I can't register an email with it, I need some other number

EDIT: I need a UNI. Where/how/when do we get one?

[kiniru]

you have to look up your uni by searching for your name through the website they give you

the uni is like your initials and some random number combination... it's your new email address.

I thought their email system looked pretty old/clunky but it might've been coz of the shitty computer I was on at the time haha

[bhan87]

you have to look up your uni by searching for your name through the website they give you

the uni is like your initials and some random number combination... it's your new email address.

I thought their email system looked pretty old/clunky but it might've been coz of the shitty computer I was on at the time haha

I really hope they have some way to forward emails. I remember my undergrad let you bypass their email system altogether to send it to your personal account.

[kwais]

hey guys! just checking in, decided i'm definitely coming to columbia in the fall planning on living at the arbor, anyone else??

I am interested because the price is right, but I keep hearing that the commute sucks. What are your thoughts?

Hi guys, I lived there for fall term and half of winter term. The apartments are very nice, the maintenance and front desk guys are very helpful and friendly, but the commute does suck. Someone said somewhere that they had a friend who had issues getting to campus for class -- should not be a problem if you plan ahead, but that means being outside waiting for the shuttle (which is actually a large van with one door) about 5 minutes before its stated leaving time. You also want to plan to take the shuttle at least 40 minutes before classes start because it can take up to 30 minutes if there is traffic on the Henry Hudson Parkway or if someone wants to go to the medical center (there are quite a few med students at the Arbor).

The shuttle drivers are nice enough but OMG most of them drive TERRIBLY. Seriously, there were so many near-accidents, people wrote letters quite often but I do not think Columbia has any plans to get new drivers or anything. It's really bumpy and it's 14 people scrunched into a van.

The shuttle runs infrequently in the evenings (more like once an hour) and stops at 10:45, so it's quite packed throughout the evening. You have to walk a mile to get to the subway and it's in a much less nice area (Bronx rather than Riverdale). The shuttle runs once an hour on Saturdays and stops at 7:30pm, and it doesn't run at all on Sundays. Also, in bad weather, there can be issues getting to class because all the vans are in NJ and they have to get across the GW bridge so if it's closed, the shuttle might not run.

I loved my apartment itself, but the shuttle and commute got to be too much, especially for my boyfriend who was working in midtown, so we moved to the Upper West Side (not Columbia housing) when he got a raise in January. Very happy with our decision, even though the rent is higher.

Final note, I cook a lot so this wasn't an issue for me, but if you plan on getting take out very often, the options around the Arbor are pretty much terrible and are expensive (it's a very old community, tons of rest homes up there). It wasn't an issue for most of the term but come finals when I cooked less it was a bit annoying.

Wow, that's a lot, sorry! Just some stuff I wish I had known before I moved there, though.

thanks so much for the response. I keep asking and keep getting answers very similar to this. Seems to be the consensus. Is it fair to say that grocery shopping is better in Riverdale than in Morningside?

[hoping]

hey..has anyone had any luck negotiating scholarships?! I have not hear a/t from them abt $.. should I let them know abt my nyu offer?? if so who do i email?!

[bhan87]

hey..has anyone had any luck negotiating scholarships?! I have not hear a/t from them abt $.. should I let them know abt my nyu offer?? if so who do i email?!

Email the office of financial aid with copies of your award letters. I was able to get a matched / raised offer from a NYU schollie

[hoping]

hey..has anyone had any luck negotiating scholarships?! I have not hear a/t from them abt $.. should I let them know abt my nyu offer?? if so who do i email?!

Email the office of financial aid with copies of your award letters. I was able to get a matched / raised offer from a NYU schollie

lol i just pm'ed you! did you send your nyu offer before you received anything form cls? and would you mind pm'ing me the letter you sent cls about nyu's offer?!

[vertex]

you have to look up your uni by searching for your name through the website they give you

the uni is like your initials and some random number combination... it's your new email address.

I thought their email system looked pretty old/clunky but it might've been coz of the shitty computer I was on at the time haha

I really hope they have some way to forward emails. I remember my undergrad let you bypass their email system altogether to send it to your personal account.

They do. I enrolled a while ago and got my Columbia email address and just set it to forward to my gmail.

[viking138]

hey guys! just checking in, decided i'm definitely coming to columbia in the fall planning on living at the arbor, anyone else??

I am interested because the price is right, but I keep hearing that the commute sucks. What are your thoughts?

Hi guys, I lived there for fall term and half of winter term. The apartments are very nice, the maintenance and front desk guys are very helpful and friendly, but the commute does suck. Someone said somewhere that they had a friend who had issues getting to campus for class -- should not be a problem if you plan ahead, but that means being outside waiting for the shuttle (which is actually a large van with one door) about 5 minutes before its stated leaving time. You also want to plan to take the shuttle at least 40 minutes before classes start because it can take up to 30 minutes if there is traffic on the Henry Hudson Parkway or if someone wants to go to the medical center (there are quite a few med students at the Arbor).

The shuttle drivers are nice enough but OMG most of them drive TERRIBLY. Seriously, there were so many near-accidents, people wrote letters quite often but I do not think Columbia has any plans to get new drivers or anything. It's really bumpy and it's 14 people scrunched into a van.

The shuttle runs infrequently in the evenings (more like once an hour) and stops at 10:45, so it's quite packed throughout the evening. You have to walk a mile to get to the subway and it's in a much less nice area (Bronx rather than Riverdale). The shuttle runs once an hour on Saturdays and stops at 7:30pm, and it doesn't run at all on Sundays. Also, in bad weather, there can be issues getting to class because all the vans are in NJ and they have to get across the GW bridge so if it's closed, the shuttle might not run.

I loved my apartment itself, but the shuttle and commute got to be too much, especially for my boyfriend who was working in midtown, so we moved to the Upper West Side (not Columbia housing) when he got a raise in January. Very happy with our decision, even though the rent is higher.

Final note, I cook a lot so this wasn't an issue for me, but if you plan on getting take out very often, the options around the Arbor are pretty much terrible and are expensive (it's a very old community, tons of rest homes up there). It wasn't an issue for most of the term but come finals when I cooked less it was a bit annoying.

Wow, that's a lot, sorry! Just some stuff I wish I had known before I moved there, though.

thanks so much for the response. I keep asking and keep getting answers very similar to this. Seems to be the consensus. Is it fair to say that grocery shopping is better in Riverdale than in Morningside?

Nope, I wouldn't say so. The Key Foods is the only grocery store within feasible walking distance (there's a stop and shop somewhere but it's about a mile away I think, only going to work if you have a car). I bought a lot of products that ended up being past their expiration date (I'd never had to look at that before so wasn't paying attention when I first moved there). I ended up using FreshDirect mainly, which has a flat $5.99 delivery fee and, honestly, its produce is SO much better than the Key Food that I never really went to Key Food after the first few months. Prices are comparable, too.

Something I didn't mention before is that it can be hard having friends over, too, since the shuttle drivers are not supposed to let non-residents on board without a resident accompanying them, so getting friends to and from the Arbor is difficult.

The apartments--and kitchens in particular--really are quite nice. I'm just not sure it's worth it given the commute and location, especially if you have a significant other who is commuting below Columbia (my BF ended up commuting about 2 hours a day to get to midtown).

[hoping]

if there was no mention of merit aid in an acceptance package..does that mean that i am not eligible for any aid?

[Non-Chalant1]

No, I got my package later.

[hellome]

i just got my dinky financial aid offer...
but since i'm desperate, i'll take it!

after we tell Columbia that we'll take the money, i'm guessing i have to w/draw from other schools?
what about those schools that haven't given us a decision yet?

thanks in advance!

[WestOfTheRest]

What should I know about looking for apartments near cls? For instance, is Harlem really as bad as it's reputation?

[Non-Chalant1]

Do the housing app

[WestOfTheRest]

Do the housing app

I don't know that I want to. It's pricey, and to be honest, I'm not all that interested in living with 2 or 3 other people.

[bhan87]

Do the housing app

I don't know that I want to. It's pricey, and to be honest, I'm not all that interested in living with 2 or 3 other people.

Good luck finding a cheap studio that isn't in the middle of cracktown.

Btw, the prices Columbia charges is cheaper than most of the places in the direct vicinity.

[WestOfTheRest]

Do the housing app

I don't know that I want to. It's pricey, and to be honest, I'm not all that interested in living with 2 or 3 other people.

Good luck finding a cheap studio that isn't in the middle of cracktown.

Btw, the prices Columbia charges is cheaper than most of the places in the direct vicinity.

Cheap is obviously a relative term. I've actually found a place that looks alright, but I'm not 100% on the area, although I doubt it's that bad.

[chasgoose]

Do the housing app

I don't know that I want to. It's pricey, and to be honest, I'm not all that interested in living with 2 or 3 other people.

Good luck finding a cheap studio that isn't in the middle of cracktown.

Btw, the prices Columbia charges is cheaper than most of the places in the direct vicinity.

Cheap is obviously a relative term. I've actually found a place that looks alright, but I'm not 100% on the area, although I doubt it's that bad.

Well one annoying thing about Harlem is that below 125th St. There is actually a not insignificant vertical distance between Harlem and Columbia (aka Columbia is on a cliff of sorts overlooking Morningside Park). Living in Harlem seems like it would end up being a giant PITA every day even if it's technically close.

[jtemp320]

I'm in! See you all next year !

[kwais]

Hey guys, when is that first deposit deadline?
Also, the NYU thread is already gearing up for the Dean's Cup basketball game. We have to keep pace.

[Non-Chalant1]

Yeah I was the one who started the deans cup stuff.

[redsoxfan2495]

I wonder if either school would be tempted to admit a borderline applicant if they had D1 basketball on their resume.

[kwais]

Yeah I was the one who started the deans cup stuff.

so what team are you on? (funny way to ask which law school you will attend?)

[hiddenfist]

I called the financial aid office today every hour on the hour from 9-5.

Nothing.