Columbia students taking questions Forum

[ph5354a]

Does doing an internship for credit have any benefits? Does getting credit for it make you ineligible for the PI stipend? Does it make your 2L or 3L years any easier? Does anyone do an internship for credit during the semester?

Don't get me wrong, I love paying for the privilege of working for free and all...

[jubee]

Does doing an internship for credit have any benefits? Does getting credit for it make you ineligible for the PI stipend? Does it make your 2L or 3L years any easier? Does anyone do an internship for credit during the semester?

Don't get me wrong, I love paying for the privilege of working for free and all...

thanks! since you seem to be around answering Q's...any insight on trying to appeal your financial aid offer from columbia- how to do it/how likely getting anything is/are average offers outside of HYSCCN kinda worthless?

[ph5354a]

Does doing an internship for credit have any benefits? Does getting credit for it make you ineligible for the PI stipend? Does it make your 2L or 3L years any easier? Does anyone do an internship for credit during the semester?

Don't get me wrong, I love paying for the privilege of working for free and all...

thanks! since you seem to be around answering Q's...any insight on trying to appeal your financial aid offer from columbia- how to do it/how likely getting anything is/are average offers outside of HYSCCN kinda worthless?

I'm guessing this was meant for Tiago.... either way I'm not too helpful, I haven't appealed CLS yet. I've heard their traditionally pretty stingy though. Good luck

[thunderflesh]

Does doing an internship for credit have any benefits? Does getting credit for it make you ineligible for the PI stipend? Does it make your 2L or 3L years any easier? Does anyone do an internship for credit during the semester?

Don't get me wrong, I love paying for the privilege of working for free and all...

The general rule is: summer internships = no credit, semester internships = credit. Plenty of people (edit: 2Ls and 3Ls) do externships during the semester for credit; they're a good way to build your resume, especially if you're going into PI work.

On a side note, if you're a 0L, I wouldn't worry too much about stuff like that right now =)

[ph5354a]

Does doing an internship for credit have any benefits? Does getting credit for it make you ineligible for the PI stipend? Does it make your 2L or 3L years any easier? Does anyone do an internship for credit during the semester?

Don't get me wrong, I love paying for the privilege of working for free and all...

The general rule is: summer internships = no credit, semester internships = credit. Plenty of people (edit: 2Ls and 3Ls) do externships during the semester for credit; they're a good way to build your resume, especially if you're going into PI work.

On a side note, if you're a 0L, I wouldn't worry too much about stuff like that right now =)

Thanks!

[djwjddl]

posted this in the c/o 2016 forum, but thought it'd be appropriate here too:

anyone know why columbia locks in their grants for 3 years? i mean the purpose of offering need-based grants is that it's "need-based" and that need can certainly change year-to-year. i'm particularly concerned, as i'm sure others are, because i'm not a k-jd, and i will obviously not be employed in the current position i'm in when i enter law school. Thus, arguably, i should be eligible for more need-based during my second and third year, assuming my parents' financial status remains virtually unchanged, no?

does anyone know if fin aid at cls tries to address this issue somehow?

[thunderflesh]

posted this in the c/o 2016 forum, but thought it'd be appropriate here too:

anyone know why columbia locks in their grants for 3 years? i mean the purpose of offering need-based grants is that it's "need-based" and that need can certainly change year-to-year. i'm particularly concerned, as i'm sure others are, because i'm not a k-jd, and i will obviously not be employed in the current position i'm in when i enter law school. Thus, arguably, i should be eligible for more need-based during my second and third year, assuming my parents' financial status remains virtually unchanged, no?

does anyone know if fin aid at cls tries to address this issue somehow?

If I had to armchair as to *why*, part of it is probably the administrative cost of making effectively three times as many need evaluations (i.e., instead of just evaluating the incoming 1Ls every year, FinAid would have to re-evaluate incoming 2Ls and 3Ls as well). Also, the opportunity cost of not being employed during 1L hits everyone somewhat uniformly (i.e., even the k-jd kids probably would have gotten a job during what became their 1L year, had they not entered law school).

Though you would think there would be circumstances under which an adjustment to need-based aid would be proper (major illness, accident, going on Maury and finding out you had three more kids than you thought...).

[howlery]

posted this in the c/o 2016 forum, but thought it'd be appropriate here too:

anyone know why columbia locks in their grants for 3 years? i mean the purpose of offering need-based grants is that it's "need-based" and that need can certainly change year-to-year. i'm particularly concerned, as i'm sure others are, because i'm not a k-jd, and i will obviously not be employed in the current position i'm in when i enter law school. Thus, arguably, i should be eligible for more need-based during my second and third year, assuming my parents' financial status remains virtually unchanged, no?

does anyone know if fin aid at cls tries to address this issue somehow?

If I had to armchair as to *why*, part of it is probably the administrative cost of making effectively three times as many need evaluations (i.e., instead of just evaluating the incoming 1Ls every year, FinAid would have to re-evaluate incoming 2Ls and 3Ls as well). Also, the opportunity cost of not being employed during 1L hits everyone somewhat uniformly (i.e., even the k-jd kids probably would have gotten a job during what became their 1L year, had they not entered law school).

Though you would think there would be circumstances under which an adjustment to need-based aid would be proper (major illness, accident, going on Maury and finding out you had three more kids than you thought...).

I'll armchair with you and add that HYS are the only people who really need to re-evaluate every year because the only basis for their awards are need. At CLS, like every other school, its probably a mix of need and/or merit. So if you have a Hamilton are you going to refile your Need Access during 2L to see if you got smarter and deserve more money? I guess you could appeal for more grants later on, but 1) their biggest awards (hamilton and butler) are offered at admission and have their own criteria 2) most people on TLS who appeal seem to get turned down.

Also, everyone quits their job because law students aren't allowed to work full-time while taking classes. Max 20 hours per ABA rules.

[timbs4339]

posted this in the c/o 2016 forum, but thought it'd be appropriate here too:

anyone know why columbia locks in their grants for 3 years? i mean the purpose of offering need-based grants is that it's "need-based" and that need can certainly change year-to-year. i'm particularly concerned, as i'm sure others are, because i'm not a k-jd, and i will obviously not be employed in the current position i'm in when i enter law school. Thus, arguably, i should be eligible for more need-based during my second and third year, assuming my parents' financial status remains virtually unchanged, no?

does anyone know if fin aid at cls tries to address this issue somehow?

That's because it's not need based.

[ph5354a]

I saw that Columbia only allows UAH subletting during breaks or approved academic fieldwork. Is it unusual for people to be subletting their university apartments during the fall? I'd ideally like to find a sublet for the first semester and then move off campus in January.

ETA: does anyone live on the UES and walk or commute to Columbia, or is that really difficult? How far up can you live in the UES and still be in a safe area? Are the 90s/low 100s okay?

[Bronck]

I saw that Columbia only allows UAH subletting during breaks or approved academic fieldwork. Is it unusual for people to be subletting their university apartments during the fall? I'd ideally like to find a sublet for the first semester and then move off campus in January.

ETA: does anyone live on the UES and walk or commute to Columbia, or is that really difficult? How far up can you live in the UES and still be in a safe area? Are the 90s/low 100s okay?

no idea about subletting, but UES traditionally goes to 96th st, and Harlem is perfectly fine up to 100th.

I would NOT walk from there.... The Met is on 86th and that probably takes me 35-45 minutes every time I've walked there... public transportation is going to be annoying unless you want to take the lolbus, even then it's going to be 20-25 minutes.

Why do you want to live on the UES?

[ph5354a]

I saw that Columbia only allows UAH subletting during breaks or approved academic fieldwork. Is it unusual for people to be subletting their university apartments during the fall? I'd ideally like to find a sublet for the first semester and then move off campus in January.

ETA: does anyone live on the UES and walk or commute to Columbia, or is that really difficult? How far up can you live in the UES and still be in a safe area? Are the 90s/low 100s okay?

no idea about subletting, but UES traditionally goes to 96th st, and Harlem is perfectly fine up to 100th.

I would NOT walk from there.... The Met is on 86th and that probably takes me 35-45 minutes every time I've walked there... public transportation is going to be annoying unless you want to take the lolbus, even then it's going to be 20-25 minutes.

Why do you want to live on the UES?

Thanks. I don't, I just noticed in doing some apartment searches that there seemed to be more apts in my price range in that area. I'll definitely try to confine my search to the UWS. I'm going to wait and see what UAH offer I get first though, because that would take a lot of the stress out of my move.

[Bob-Loblaw 1]

Hey guys, just got in last week and couldn't be more excited.
Two questions:

1. Do a lot of people go for judicial externships for their 1L summer? Is it hard to get one?

2. Does anyone have experience (or secondhand knowledge) regarding trying to work in Southern California after school (I'm a k-jd who went to UG in LA but no other ties)?

Thanks a lot!

[bhan87]

Hey guys, just got in last week and couldn't be more excited.
Two questions:

1. Do a lot of people go for judicial externships for their 1L summer? Is it hard to get one?

2. Does anyone have experience (or secondhand knowledge) regarding trying to work in Southern California after school (I'm a k-jd who went to UG in LA but no other ties)?

Thanks a lot!

1. Can't comment specifically, but I think that people who really wanted one were mostly successful in getting one.

2. CA was a slaughterfest this season from what I heard.

[Bronck]

1. Do a lot of people go for judicial externships for their 1L summer? Is it hard to get one?

I doubt many go for it. I have some friends who locked them up in Dec/Jan, but since you don't get law school funding for them, they come across as entirely useless to me.

[piccolittle]

Does doing an internship for credit have any benefits? Does getting credit for it make you ineligible for the PI stipend? Does it make your 2L or 3L years any easier? Does anyone do an internship for credit during the semester?

Don't get me wrong, I love paying for the privilege of working for free and all...

The general rule is: summer internships = no credit, semester internships = credit. Plenty of people (edit: 2Ls and 3Ls) do externships during the semester for credit; they're a good way to build your resume, especially if you're going into PI work.

On a side note, if you're a 0L, I wouldn't worry too much about stuff like that right now =)

Well, I mean, you can get supervised research credit for the internship over the summer if you write a paper... But yeah, I suppose it doesn't count as getting credit for the internship itself. Also note that getting credit for internships during the semester is only in connection with school-arranged externships, which I honestly have found very limiting.

[banjo]

posted this in the c/o 2016 forum, but thought it'd be appropriate here too:

anyone know why columbia locks in their grants for 3 years? i mean the purpose of offering need-based grants is that it's "need-based" and that need can certainly change year-to-year. i'm particularly concerned, as i'm sure others are, because i'm not a k-jd, and i will obviously not be employed in the current position i'm in when i enter law school. Thus, arguably, i should be eligible for more need-based during my second and third year, assuming my parents' financial status remains virtually unchanged, no?

does anyone know if fin aid at cls tries to address this issue somehow?

That's because it's not need based.

timbs, you've mentioned language skills being a factor at OCI. Can you or anyone else say a bit more about which languages help? I want to brush up on a language this summer (my only 0L prep), but don't know any of the East Asian languages

[djwjddl]

Hey guys, just got in last week and couldn't be more excited.
Two questions:

1. Do a lot of people go for judicial externships for their 1L summer? Is it hard to get one?

2. Does anyone have experience (or secondhand knowledge) regarding trying to work in Southern California after school (I'm a k-jd who went to UG in LA but no other ties)?

Thanks a lot!

1. Can't comment specifically, but I think that people who really wanted one were mostly successful in getting one.

2. CA was a slaughterfest this season from what I heard.

Good or bad slaughterfest?

[Bronck]

Hey guys, just got in last week and couldn't be more excited.
Two questions:

1. Do a lot of people go for judicial externships for their 1L summer? Is it hard to get one?

2. Does anyone have experience (or secondhand knowledge) regarding trying to work in Southern California after school (I'm a k-jd who went to UG in LA but no other ties)?

Thanks a lot!

1. Can't comment specifically, but I think that people who really wanted one were mostly successful in getting one.

2. CA was a slaughterfest this season from what I heard.

Good or bad slaughterfest?

I have no interest in CA, so I didn't pay close attention to the 2012 EIP numbers... but IIRC hardly anyone accepted offers to go back. PM if you want to know more about specific firms/offices.

[Yardbird]

Columbia students!

I'm making a calculator to help calculate COA with tuition/COL increases but I need some data to help the project (http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2&t=208464). The data specifically needs to come from current students who can look at their budget for the past 1-3 years. I would like to know the average rent, utilities, food, cable/internet for the following schools. If you can help out, please fill out this form. Thanks!

Link to Form (LinkRemoved)

[timbs4339]

posted this in the c/o 2016 forum, but thought it'd be appropriate here too:

anyone know why columbia locks in their grants for 3 years? i mean the purpose of offering need-based grants is that it's "need-based" and that need can certainly change year-to-year. i'm particularly concerned, as i'm sure others are, because i'm not a k-jd, and i will obviously not be employed in the current position i'm in when i enter law school. Thus, arguably, i should be eligible for more need-based during my second and third year, assuming my parents' financial status remains virtually unchanged, no?

does anyone know if fin aid at cls tries to address this issue somehow?

That's because it's not need based.

timbs, you've mentioned language skills being a factor at OCI. Can you or anyone else say a bit more about which languages help? I want to brush up on a language this summer (my only 0L prep), but don't know any of the East Asian languages

Off the top of my head, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Arabic. My advice is not to try and learn one of these languages in the three months before law school. Just relax, go into 1L ready to give it your best shot, and if you end up with an international firm you have two years at a school with a generous grade curve to take easy seminars and learn a language.

[jubee]

so this topic has been touched on a little but does anyone know if the building super wont store the bed that comes with furnished apartments in the basement, that you can bring the bed offsite/out of the building for storage somewhere else or will they not allow you to do that- either prevent you or will fine/charge you? I have relatives living not too far where I could store the bed, i really don't care about dormy furniture that much but would like the bigger bed like most people.

relatedly- have there ever been issues with bedbugs?

[Bob-Loblaw 1]

Has anyone lived in Lionsgate before? I am specifically interested in the apartments shares.
The rent doesn't seem that much higher than UAH and it's right next to campus. Thoughts?

[tortuga]

Do any of you do your course readings on an iPad or tablet? Is there any downside to buying digital textbooks for studying or outlining later in the semester?

Thanks!

[Bronck]

Do any of you do your course readings on an iPad or tablet? Is there any downside to buying digital textbooks for studying or outlining later in the semester?

Thanks!

Do whatever you can to save money. Makes no difference whether you read it on paper or on the computer. You're never going to touch the CB again after you finish the reading anyway. The CBs are a flame.