Cornell 1L taking questions Forum

[neskerdoo]

there is a decently-sized puffers club... if you are so inclined to partake, you won't often be alone...

[Other25BeforeYou]

there is a decently-sized puffers club... if you are so inclined to partake, you won't often be alone...

Thanks for the responses!

[lsatbobby]

nesker: would you have brought a car if you didn't live off campus

[kn6542]

So, how bad is parking, exactly? It was mentioned by not really explained. I think if/when I go to Cornell I would want to live outside of Ithaca and drive in for classes. I like the quiet. And the cheaper rent.

Yeah me, too. I didn't really want to sell my vehicle, so I brought it. I only drive it occassionally because the bus is so good for getting me to school. Parking is EXPENSIVE for campus, but it is available. If you're saving money on rent it might be feasible, though.
I really hope Tom Waits comes to Cornell!

[lsatbobby]

I heard a rumor that parking was $500 a month on campus, but that seems ridiculous and is nowhere near the amount nesker said

[kn6542]

Parking is not that bad, but it does cost $680 (which I assume will increase at least a bit by next year?) My permit gets me in a lot that is about a 5 minute walk downhill to the building, and about a 6-8 minute walk back up (depending on how tired I am and on how many plastic bags full of books I have that day.) All times are approximate, and I should note that this part of the hill is not at all as steep as what a lot of the people who walk from home to school have to tackle. If my regular lot fills up by the time I get there, I have to go to one slightly farther away, which has never been full. I do not mind the walk to and from (even in the ice and snow), and upon whining about the parking price (my UG charged $20 a year), I have been told by many people that this is par for many a course...

Before I got here, all I ever heard was about how bad the parking is here and how inconvenient... it really isn't that bad...

Also, did you make it here for your visit today?

Nope, things were crazy at work. I probably won't get up there until people are gone for the holidays, and I'll explore Ithaca some. I haven't spent more than a few hours at a time in Ithaca since I was twelve, so some lasting exposure is necessary. Then I'll come up again soon after the spring semester starts.

I have a sort of weird question. Are there many smokers at the law school?

A lot of people seem to smoke. Where I've been living for the last decade, smoking is a big no-no. Like, you're supposed to be ashamed or something. Here, it seems like tons of people are smoking. Makes it hard to quit, but I'm determined to be off this one by the time next semester starts!

[kn6542]

I heard a rumor that parking was $500 a month on campus, but that seems ridiculous and is nowhere near the amount nesker said

Oh, no, it's more like $700 a semester or something. I can't remeber. It's high but possible if you really need it.

[Other25BeforeYou]

Parking is not that bad, but it does cost $680 (which I assume will increase at least a bit by next year?) My permit gets me in a lot that is about a 5 minute walk downhill to the building, and about a 6-8 minute walk back up (depending on how tired I am and on how many plastic bags full of books I have that day.) All times are approximate, and I should note that this part of the hill is not at all as steep as what a lot of the people who walk from home to school have to tackle. If my regular lot fills up by the time I get there, I have to go to one slightly farther away, which has never been full. I do not mind the walk to and from (even in the ice and snow), and upon whining about the parking price (my UG charged $20 a year), I have been told by many people that this is par for many a course...

Before I got here, all I ever heard was about how bad the parking is here and how inconvenient... it really isn't that bad...

Also, did you make it here for your visit today?

Nope, things were crazy at work. I probably won't get up there until people are gone for the holidays, and I'll explore Ithaca some. I haven't spent more than a few hours at a time in Ithaca since I was twelve, so some lasting exposure is necessary. Then I'll come up again soon after the spring semester starts.

I have a sort of weird question. Are there many smokers at the law school?

A lot of people seem to smoke. Where I've been living for the last decade, smoking is a big no-no. Like, you're supposed to be ashamed or something. Here, it seems like tons of people are smoking. Makes it hard to quit, but I'm determined to be off this one by the time next semester starts!

Hah, yeah. Where I grew up smoking was something people did late at night hiding in their garages. For three years I said I would quit when I was twenty, but my twentieth birthday came and went and I haven't even tried. Maybe when I turn 21 I'll quit . . .

[fsohn]

The stress of law school doesn't help in quitting...

[prezidentv8]

Know anything about international law at Cornell?

[etudiantededroit]

It sounds like Cornell has several interesting semester abroad/dual degree programs abroad -- have any of you considered such programs or know people who have? I'd imagine that making a study abroad program fit into your law school curriculum would involve a lot more sacrifices than it would during undergrad (in terms of interesting electives missed, job prospects, etc) but I'd be interested to hear about people who've made it work.

[JJim1919]

How are the clinical programs at Cornell? Ive become pretty interested in these, and while I realize that many schools have them, I know that certain schools place more emphasis on them than others.

[wuhoo]

We have a ton of clinics, see http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/academ ... /index.cfm and they're actually competitive. I talked to the Securities Clinic advisor and he only takes on maybe 6 students from an applicant pool of ~30. I see people go in and out of the Legal Aid Clinic all the time, and from what the upperclassmen have told me, clinics are a lot more time-consuming than you might imagine.

As for the question on the study abroad, a lot of people do the Paris/China summer programs. The Paris program is supposed to be structured a little better, but the China one sounds pretty interesting. They have different time frames though, so depending on which one you pick, you might be able to squeeze in an externship or do a bit of research before the trip. They're pretty easy to get into, not sure about the ones that take place during the school year. A few friends were really interested in going to Barcelona or London next year. I'll let you know how that pans out. See http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/intern ... /index.cfm for more.

If you do the summer abroad thing your 1L year, apparently no employers care that you were studying while your other peers were doing other things. So long as you can talk about something interesting related to the law for your 2L interviews, you're golden.

[Other25BeforeYou]

We have a ton of clinics, see http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/academ ... /index.cfm and they're actually competitive. I talked to the Securities Clinic advisor and he only takes on maybe 6 students from an applicant pool of ~30. I see people go in and out of the Legal Aid Clinic all the time, and from what the upperclassmen have told me, clinics are a lot more time-consuming than you might imagine.

As for the question on the study abroad, a lot of people do the Paris/China summer programs. The Paris program is supposed to be structured a little better, but the China one sounds pretty interesting. They have different time frames though, so depending on which one you pick, you might be able to squeeze in an externship or do a bit of research before the trip. They're pretty easy to get into, not sure about the ones that take place during the school year. A few friends were really interested in going to Barcelona or London next year. I'll let you know how that pans out. See http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/intern ... /index.cfm for more.

If you do the summer abroad thing your 1L year, apparently no employers care that you were studying while your other peers were doing other things. So long as you can talk about something interesting related to the law for your 2L interviews, you're golden.

Do you know anyone who went/is going to Australia? I think I read somewhere that it's one of the places students can go.

[fsohn]

Just a heads up, the Paris program can get pretty expensive. It is only five weeks and estimated costs run over 9000 on the high end.

[zay]

The USAO clinic can be a great experience. But note that it's in Syracuse, so you'll need to be able to get to/from (most people carpool). On the issue of cars/parking, I know a lot of 2Ls/3Ls who rented through http://www.ithacastudentapartments.com, which has parking included with their properties. They also offer a shuttle bus that goes to school so you don't have to drive. Or you can walk to school; it's about 10-15 minutes. But up a steep hill.

[JJim1919]

We have a ton of clinics, see http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/academ ... /index.cfm and they're actually competitive. I talked to the Securities Clinic advisor and he only takes on maybe 6 students from an applicant pool of ~30. I see people go in and out of the Legal Aid Clinic all the time, and from what the upperclassmen have told me, clinics are a lot more time-consuming than you might imagine.

Thanks for the answer. If you wanted to do a clinic, do you think the odds of getting a clinic if you applied to several are good?

Also, as far as clerkships go, I am pretty interested in doing one after law school. How are the opportunities for federal clerkships at cornell? Are they extremely hard to get? Do many people do them?

Thanks.

[lsat_fear]

Also, as far as clerkships go, I am pretty interested in doing one after law school. How are the opportunities for federal clerkships at cornell? Are they extremely hard to get? Do many people do them?

I'm also curious about this. I know that a relatively low percentage of Cornell grads do clerkships compared to peer schools. Is that self-selection, or is it just hard to get a clerkship out of Cornell for some reason? Anyone know how awesome your grades have to be to have a reasonable shot at federal district/circuit court or state supreme court clerkships?

[AlfredRoy]

I really want to live on campus, but the thought of a roommate gives me a flashback to my freshman year ( the only year I had a roommate). It was horrible. Horrible. The guy would get drunk and throw up/shit everywhere. I ended up actually living at my bf's. I am very, very, very clean, anti-social, and have a fear of using bathrooms used by my own kin, let alone roommates. Wow, I sound so uptight. I'm really friendly and nice though, I swear. I just need my own space. lol

annnyways. Are there SINGLE dorms? Perhaps with their own bathroom??? Perhaps with their own floor? Perhaps with their own building.........? lol

[18488]

I really want to live on campus, but the thought of a roommate gives me a flashback to my freshman year ( the only year I had a roommate). It was horrible. Horrible. The guy would get drunk and throw up/shit everywhere. I ended up actually living at my bf's. I am very, very, very clean, anti-social, and have a fear of using bathrooms used by my own kin, let alone roommates. Wow, I sound so uptight. I'm really friendly and nice though, I swear. I just need my own space. lol

annnyways. Are there SINGLE dorms? Perhaps with their own bathroom??? Perhaps with their own floor? Perhaps with their own building.........? lol

All rooms in Hughes Hall are single rooms. You'll share a bathroom with between 1 and 5 other people, and share a kitchen with everyone in the dorm. There is a janitorial service who keeps the kitchen and bathrooms quite clean, and we have enforced (albeit inconsistently) rules about washing dishes right after you use them, etc. Everyone is pretty civil and considerate, though there are occasional keg parties on the weekends. Hughes also has the advantage of being about 12 feet from the law school--I get up at 8:30, shower, eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc, and get to my 9:05 class with time to spare.

[Other25BeforeYou]

I really want to live on campus, but the thought of a roommate gives me a flashback to my freshman year ( the only year I had a roommate). It was horrible. Horrible. The guy would get drunk and throw up/shit everywhere. I ended up actually living at my bf's. I am very, very, very clean, anti-social, and have a fear of using bathrooms used by my own kin, let alone roommates. Wow, I sound so uptight. I'm really friendly and nice though, I swear. I just need my own space. lol

annnyways. Are there SINGLE dorms? Perhaps with their own bathroom??? Perhaps with their own floor? Perhaps with their own building.........? lol

I don't go to Cornell, but I'm going to next year.

You sound like me. I had a roommate for one semester and one week of undergrad, hate sharing bathrooms with people, and while I wouldn't describe myself as anti-social, I really enjoy frequent stretches of uninterrupted alone time.

This is why I'd rather carve out my own stomach with a grapefruit spoon than live on campus. You can get a one bedroom apartment reasonably close to the law school for the same amount as one of the extra large singles in Hughes, with utilities included. Ride the bus for five minutes, and you're at school. You can socialize when you want to rather than having people knocking on your door, and you have your own bathroom, kitchen and living room.

I guess if you really don't like commuting or are worried that you'll be too anti-social living alone Hughes Hall is a good idea, but the concept of going back to living in a dorm room (which, granted, I haven't done in three years) is horrifying in my book.

[Jenaimarre]

What's is like for the homos at Cornell? I heard the only gay bar in Ithaca closed....

[kn6542]

I get up at 8:30, shower, eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc, and get to my 9:05 class with time to spare.

That only works when you don't have any hair.

[AlfredRoy]

What's is like for the homos at Cornell? I heard the only gay bar in Ithaca closed....

Ithaca is a lot of fun for us there. I know a few gay people there and they love it.

[AlfredRoy]

I get up at 8:30, shower, eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc, and get to my 9:05 class with time to spare.

That only works when you don't have any hair.

shave it all off. it's the best.