Columbia students taking questions Forum

[the_phoenix612]

Anyone know a rough class schedule for Legal Methods? Is that every day of the week, or a select couple? Thank you!

Monday through Friday, morning and afternoon. Unless you have Bobbitt.

[JVK]

Anyone know a rough class schedule for Legal Methods? Is that every day of the week, or a select couple? Thank you!

I can't even remember anymore but I think it was everyday morning session and afternoon session.

Anyone know a rough class schedule for Legal Methods? Is that every day of the week, or a select couple? Thank you!

Monday through Friday, morning and afternoon. Unless you have Bobbitt.

Got it. Thanks!

[whyamidoingthis66]

So just to reiterate - if I am living in a furnished apt on 400 block of 115th and want to bring my queen sized bed, that is possible? And will it fit in the elevator or is this a stair climbing situation (AKA how big is the elevator)? Thanks!

I don't think you'll be able to get rid of the bed that's already there, but maybe someone else in the building would take it off your hands to combine with their own to make a poor man's full/queen. I remember hearing that people at NYU did that a lot as it's twins everywhere there.

I don't have exact stats on the size of the elevator (that's going to depend on which building in the 400 block you're in and I haven't seen them all), but I kind of doubt you'll be able to fit a queen size bed in any of them without taking it apart first.

Oh I'll definitely take apart the frame and stuff, it's more the actual mattress that I'm wondering about. I guess I'll recruit some strong people just in case.

[eddnyc]

I'm applying this fall to try to get into law school. Columbia and NYU were definitely at the top of my list for schools I want to go to, since I've always wanted to live in NYC. My goal is NYC BigLaw, preferably something high on the V100.

I went up to NYC this past weekend, and looked at NYU and Columbia. I was a little disappointed by NYU's lack of a campus/college feel, but I was blown away by Columbia. I am so envious of you guys that you get to go there.

Someone was nice enough to let me and my companion into the law school, so we got to look around on the inside. I love how Columbia has such an enclosed, beautiful campus from the rest of the city. Unlike NYU, it feels like its own world of academia and knowledge (and prestige ). Love the Greco-Roman-style buildings. That is one crazy sculpture outside your law school.

Anyways, I don't really have any questions, except just to ask what you guys think would help me with getting my application accepted at Columbia. I have a 3.73 GPA, and I'm studying for the October LSAT currently. I am shooting for as close to perfect as possible (honestly, I'm shooting for a 180), since I know I need a 99th percentile score to get into Columbia. I also would like a shot at HYS.

I've heard others say that with Columbia that it helps to emphasize the "diverse voice" I would bring to the school. Does Columbia like work experience? Volunteering? I will be entering into law school with a solid amount (3+ years) of work experience, including 2 years working as a paralegal at a big DC law firm. But yeah, I just am going to study my ass off for the LSAT.

I just wanted to pop in and say I was very impressed with Columbia on the whole, and I think it blew NYU out of the water in terms of its aesthetic appeal for me.

I had a similar experience for my visit on Feb 2012... met a nice 3L girl who guided me through law school

[eddnyc]

I've been following this threat for a long time. thank you all for the great discussions!

I have a question tho: are there any international students graduated from CLS in the recent 5 years who ended up in a NYC BigLaw?

[piccolittle]

I've been following this threat for a long time. thank you all for the great discussions!

I have a question tho: are there any international students graduated from CLS in the recent 5 years who ended up in a NYC BigLaw?

Yes, many. Columbia loves internationals and biglaw loves Columbia. If you have the grades, firms won't care that you need a visa.

[Aussiebum]

Where do most people at CLS workout? I plan on running outside (Riverside Park? Is it safe?) but I would like to do some weight training/stretching/abs and maybe some swimming indoors. Do we get a free gym membership? What facilities do we have access to? Are they nice or do you guys recommend getting a gym membership somewhere else. Any insight would be much appreciated.

[the_phoenix612]

Where do most people at CLS workout? I plan on running outside (Riverside Park? Is it safe?) but I would like to do some weight training/stretching/abs and maybe some swimming indoors. Do we get a free gym membership? What facilities do we have access to? Are they nice or do you guys recommend getting a gym membership somewhere else. Any insight would be much appreciated.

I run all over the city. In fact, that's how I got to know the neighborhood and surrounding area. It's perfectly safe during the day, but I wouldn't run through the parks at night.

We get "free" (part of tuition/fees) gym membership at the undergrad gym, but to put it politely the undergrad gym blows chunks. They do have a pool that I've heard okay things about but the running track is abysmal, the whole thing is cramped and underground, and is frankly significantly worse than the weight rooms in my high school, let alone undergrad.

[Aussiebum]

Where do most people at CLS workout? I plan on running outside (Riverside Park? Is it safe?) but I would like to do some weight training/stretching/abs and maybe some swimming indoors. Do we get a free gym membership? What facilities do we have access to? Are they nice or do you guys recommend getting a gym membership somewhere else. Any insight would be much appreciated.

I run all over the city. In fact, that's how I got to know the neighborhood and surrounding area. It's perfectly safe during the day, but I wouldn't run through the parks at night.

We get "free" (part of tuition/fees) gym membership at the undergrad gym, but to put it politely the undergrad gym blows chunks. They do have a pool that I've heard okay things about but the running track is abysmal, the whole thing is cramped and underground, and is frankly significantly worse than the weight rooms in my high school, let alone undergrad.

Thank you so much for the low down. So if the gym blows chunk, are there any other options?

[jbagelboy]

Where do most people at CLS workout? I plan on running outside (Riverside Park? Is it safe?) but I would like to do some weight training/stretching/abs and maybe some swimming indoors. Do we get a free gym membership? What facilities do we have access to? Are they nice or do you guys recommend getting a gym membership somewhere else. Any insight would be much appreciated.

I run all over the city. In fact, that's how I got to know the neighborhood and surrounding area. It's perfectly safe during the day, but I wouldn't run through the parks at night.

We get "free" (part of tuition/fees) gym membership at the undergrad gym, but to put it politely the undergrad gym blows chunks. They do have a pool that I've heard okay things about but the running track is abysmal, the whole thing is cramped and underground, and is frankly significantly worse than the weight rooms in my high school, let alone undergrad.

Thank you so much for the low down. So if the gym blows chunk, are there any other options?

what about tennis courts/pool?

also its hard to believe an ivy team works out in a less than high school caliber gym... unless there's a separate athletics gym for the teams from regular undergrads

[Tiago Splitter]

The gym is pretty weak but you have to make it work unless you want to pay 150-200 a month for a gym pass elsewhere.

[Aussiebum]

The gym is pretty weak but you have to make it work unless you want to pay 150-200 a month for a gym pass elsewhere.

Thanks! Roger that- deal with the dodgy fitness facilities.

What about groceries? Will I be able to find produce for a balance home-cooked meal?

[Humbert Humbert]

I received an email from admissions this afternoon inviting me to an information session in August; do you by any chance know anything about this? Is this a regular thing they do each year before the fall admissions season begins? And if it is, do you know if they invite everyone listed on LSAC as planning on applying to law schools in the upcoming year, or is it sent to select people (like fee waivers are)?

Sorry if this is a silly Q, I just couldn't find any info about this anywhere, and I'm hoping it's a good sign.

Also curious about this

[Bronck]

The gym is pretty weak but you have to make it work unless you want to pay 150-200 a month for a gym pass elsewhere.

Thanks! Roger that- deal with the dodgy fitness facilities.

What about groceries? Will I be able to find produce for a balance home-cooked meal?

Uh, yes. It's not like NY is devoid of good grocery options, they're just a tad more expensive. I personally shop at TJs on 72nd. Others shop at Fairway just north of 125th, others use Morton Williams, D'Ag, etc near campus.

[Gantor]

The gym is pretty weak but you have to make it work unless you want to pay 150-200 a month for a gym pass elsewhere.

Thanks! Roger that- deal with the dodgy fitness facilities.

What about groceries? Will I be able to find produce for a balance home-cooked meal?

Uh, yes. It's not like NY is devoid of good grocery options, they're just a tad more expensive. I personally shop at TJs on 72nd. Others shop at Fairway just north of 125th, others use Morton Williams, D'Ag, etc near campus.

Seconding what Bronck said regarding the variety of decent grocery options in the area. For fresh produce, I like Westside Market (around 111th). They also have a pretty nice cheese selection and a semi-reasonably priced deli, so that's a plus.

[StillIll]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

Edit: Just noticed this was asked by the infamous scifiguy on page 35. Assume the answer is still valid ^^

[Tiago Splitter]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

No. I've never been to any other school, but it's probably like any other school. Just regular people.

[jbagelboy]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

No. I've never been to any other school, but it's probably like any other school. Just regular people.

Dont trust anything coming from Mich adcoms (zearfoss et al) these days. They are the most bitter

[Tiago Splitter]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

No. I've never been to any other school, but it's probably like any other school. Just regular people.

Dont trust anything coming from Mich adcoms (zearfoss et al) these days. They are the most bitter

I'm just trying to figure out how an inter-student atmosphere could even be cutthroat. Zearfoss' stories probably include tales of people ripping pages out of books and shit, as if that's going to accomplish anything in the digital age. Love those tales. But seriously, CLS is probably less competitive than most schools because people at CLS all think they're going to get jobs.

[smaug_]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

Edit: Just noticed this was asked by the infamous scifiguy on page 35. Assume the answer is still valid ^^

I don't know what it is really like at other schools, but we're not that scary. I promise.

From talking with practicing attorney's who went to CLS, I get the impression that it used to be pretty dead/there wasn't much social activity within the law school. These days between bar review, fun people you meet from classes and student orgs, I think people end up knowing each other too well to be huge jerks. I won't lie and say that everyone is universally loved, as there are people who definitely stand out (both in terms of people who everyone knows and loves and people who tend to get on people's nerves) but on the whole I think CLS is fairly social.

To echo what Tiago is saying above, I'd wager that people are more willing to help each other out because most people are fairly secure and aren't trying to claw their way to a job. I've noticed at networking events, CLS students tend to have less hustle. Good, bad or otherwise, people pretty much assume they're getting a job so one of the huge elements of competition isn't present.

[StillIll]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

No. I've never been to any other school, but it's probably like any other school. Just regular people.

Very refreshing to hear that. Though really it's irrational to suspect otherwise, sometimes paranoia sets in.

Switching gears, I see you're a basketball fan. That's Noguiera, right... Are you an Atlanta fan? Coming from Utah, can't help but be a pretty big Jazz fan, and an NBA fan in general. Jazz are going to (intentionally) be one of the three worst teams this year... hope I can find it in the budget to attend a Brooklyn or NYK game. I assume even the nosebleeds there are $$$$... but the Jazz games should be cheap(er)! Schedule should be released next week.

[StillIll]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

Edit: Just noticed this was asked by the infamous scifiguy on page 35. Assume the answer is still valid ^^

I don't know what it is really like at other schools, but we're not that scary. I promise.

From talking with practicing attorney's who went to CLS, I get the impression that it used to be pretty dead/there wasn't much social activity within the law school. These days between bar review, fun people you meet from classes and student orgs, I think people end up knowing each other too well to be huge jerks. I won't lie and say that everyone is universally loved, as there are people who definitely stand out (both in terms of people who everyone knows and loves and people who tend to get on people's nerves) but on the whole I think CLS is fairly social.

To echo what Tiago is saying above, I'd wager that people are more willing to help each other out because most people are fairly secure and aren't trying to claw their way to a job. I've noticed at networking events, CLS students tend to have less hustle. Good, bad or otherwise, people pretty much assume they're getting a job so one of the huge elements of competition isn't present.

Hey thanks for responding. Looking forward to bar revue and etc. Obviously I'll be a law student first and foremost... but I'll be living in NYC for cripes sake.. would be wasting a terrific opportunity if I didn't get a good feel for some of the night life and etc. Especially for all the ̶g̶i̶r̶l̶s̶ friends who say they'll be coming out to visit me.

[Tiago Splitter]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

No. I've never been to any other school, but it's probably like any other school. Just regular people.

Very refreshing to hear that. Though really it's irrational to suspect otherwise, sometimes paranoia sets in.

Switching gears, I see you're a basketball fan. That's Noguiera, right... Are you an Atlanta fan? Coming from Utah, can't help but be a pretty big Jazz fan, and an NBA fan in general. Jazz are going to (intentionally) be one of the three worst teams this year... hope I can find it in the budget to attend a Brooklyn or NYK game. I assume even the nosebleeds there are $$$$... but the Jazz games should be cheap(er)! Schedule should be released next week.

I'm actually a Timberwolves fan, as weird as that seems from the handle/avatar combo. I'm always down to chat about basketball when you roll into town. And yeah, game tickets are pretty pricey but like anything else you can find good deals.

[StillIll]

So is the inter-student atmosphere as cutthroat as rumored? I only ask this now because a friend of mine was meeting with the Michigan dean last week and she had some pretty dicey things to say about CLS. And he only told me because he thought I was deliberating between CLS and NYU. Lol. Still excited to attend, simply curious.

No. I've never been to any other school, but it's probably like any other school. Just regular people.

Very refreshing to hear that. Though really it's irrational to suspect otherwise, sometimes paranoia sets in.

Switching gears, I see you're a basketball fan. That's Noguiera, right... Are you an Atlanta fan? Coming from Utah, can't help but be a pretty big Jazz fan, and an NBA fan in general. Jazz are going to (intentionally) be one of the three worst teams this year... hope I can find it in the budget to attend a Brooklyn or NYK game. I assume even the nosebleeds there are $$$$... but the Jazz games should be cheap(er)! Schedule should be released next week.

I'm actually a Timberwolves fan, as weird as that seems from the handle/avatar combo. I'm always down to chat about basketball when you roll into town. And yeah, game tickets are pretty pricey but like anything else you can find good deals.

I just assumed the Tiago Splitter handle was a clever reference to your splitter statistics... possibly?

[Tiago Splitter]

I just assumed the Tiago Splitter handle was a clever reference to your splitter statistics... possibly?

You guessed it.

I should also add that hibiki nailed it on the head when he said "good, bad, or otherwise" about people all thinking they'll get jobs. I know at least a couple people who seem a bit too cavalier about the difficulty of landing certain jobs, but that also contributes to the lack of competitiveness.