Cornell 1L taking questions Forum

[panda]

I just wanted to say, today is the last day of 1L fall semester finals (Torts today), and it's 0 degrees outside right now. Literally, on the bottom of the weather channel, 0 degrees. Take that factor into consideration when picking a school. Not to say Cornell isn't great, but if you don't like cold, consider Miami or Florida or UCLA or USC or somewhere like that maybe instead?

are you the matt i met today at chapterhouse?

[panda]

Just got in and have a few questions:

1) Is it a good idea to drive a Firebird (RWD with wide all-season tires) in Ithaca during winter time? I just want to keep my bird.

2) Among the 1Ls who tried to find paid internships in the summer, about what percentage of them actually found the internships? What kind of grade do I need to have in order to have a good chance of finding a paid internship as a 1L?

3) Among the 3Ls who tried to get into BigLaw, about what percentage of them found their jobs fairly smoothly?

4) Can I park my car at/near the school after 5/6/7?PM without a permit?

5) How difficult is it to get into the JD/MBA program as a 1L? My work experience is very limited, but I do think that I can nail the GMAT and have a decent interview. Is it still possible schedule-wise to do a study abroad program if I am in the 3-year JD/MBA program?

I visited Cornell many years ago and really liked the school and the overall environment. I also like the small size of the law school. While I don't really care about the ranking myself (and I also think that Cornell deserves a higher rank), I do want to know if the market treats Cornell law school graduates favorably, especially in the Northeast region.

Many thanks in advance!

1) Absolutely not -- you will end up crashing your 'bird into a telephone pole or another car. RWD & Upstate NY winter = disaster.

2) We're looking right now. Stay tuned.

3) I'm going to have to defer to 2 and 3Ls here. I'm not sure what the percentage is, although I heard that last year's OCI callbacks were depressing for most. That is probably the case at every school by the way. 2008 = sucked big time for most people looking for jobs or trying to hold onto one. The legal field was no different.

4) There is a parking lot on campus that (I think) is free after 7 or so. It's about a 5 or 6 minute walk from the law school. But again, refer to answer (1).

5) One of my friends is looking into this now. It might be prohibitively expensive, but it is certainly doable. I think you do an extra semester or two and end up with a MBA. You MIGHT be able to study abroad still, but you might get stuck taking a bunch of wishy-washy law classes that make you look like a 3d year undergrad trying to party in sevilla on his parent's dime.

We're all here because we believed Cornell would give us a good chance of getting a good job, whether it is in NY, Chicago, DC, Cali, or TX. There are folks from all over here and many are looking to return home after school. It's a good school with national rep, but yea, there are probably places that might be better if you're trying to break a particular market. Cornell does pretty well in NY. I know I've got like 10 emails from career services about summer jobs and winter-break meet&greets that I should definitely look at after this damn torts exam. Anyway, come check it out.

I'll show you around if you holler.

como, did you write this DURING the torts exam??? 11:07am?!
i wish i had your proctor ..

[kn6542]

Oh no, I am driving my 'bird and I really want to bring it to Ithaca. But of course I also want to know how people would describe the consequences of my stupid idea. como has been modest.

Ohhhh ok. It just seemed like you already knew it was a bad idea. A light car with RWD on snowy roads would probably get you killed. The thing is, if you swap those "all season tires" out for studded snow tires, most of the time you'd be fine if you're careful. You just wouldn't want to drive it while it was snowing or right after a big dump. You also would be limited in where you can go to the main roads that are clear.

[billyez]

Sorry if this question has been asked before - any of ya'll get accepted after being deferred? What do you think you did to be ultimately accepted if so?

Cornell sent me a fee waiver - which I was surprised by - and while I would be esctatic if I was accepted, that tuition cost is downright astronomical, especially since I'm going into public interest. Cornell has a few notes bout public interest programs and it seems like they really are interested in promoting that sort of thing. Is that just talk or is there actually some kind of focus on it there? If not, I see no reason why I would spend that much money ina place that doesn't reflect my interests.

And as an aside, any Texans up there? Besides the atrocious tuition cost, I'm a bit concerned about the fact that I'm pretty sure that New Yorkers and Texans have a different understanding of what cold really is. Thirty degrees is freezing to me.

[panda]

Sorry if this question has been asked before - any of ya'll get accepted after being deferred? What do you think you did to be ultimately accepted if so?

Cornell sent me a fee waiver - which I was surprised by - and while I would be esctatic if I was accepted, that tuition cost is downright astronomical, especially since I'm going into public interest. Cornell has a few notes bout public interest programs and it seems like they really are interested in promoting that sort of thing. Is that just talk or is there actually some kind of focus on it there? If not, I see no reason why I would spend that much money ina place that doesn't reflect my interests.

And as an aside, any Texans up there? Besides the atrocious tuition cost, I'm a bit concerned about the fact that I'm pretty sure that New Yorkers and Texans have a different understanding of what cold really is. Thirty degrees is freezing to me.

So, i personally wasn't deferred, but I heard Cornell is being really harsh this year about ED applicants, and not letting a lot in.. they are basically playing the numbers game, plus they got a huge amount of applicants this year (more than usual..)
I do know that in my cycle, people got in after being deferred. Most if not all wrote a LOCI, some visited the school, called, etc.. otherwise, there isn't really much you can do..

Public interest is a big deal at Cornell from what I noticed from merely my first semester.. There are two full-time public interest career services women who will literally sit down with you and show you ALL the possibilities of PI work you could desire.. While a lot of the students at Cornell opt for Big Law, that's not for lack of resources.. Plus, there is a great loan repayment program if you decide to do PI work after you graduate. I'm not sure about all the details, but you can find everything you need to know here..

Also, with regard to PI, for your first summer job, if you do something pertaining to PI, every student (no exception) can apply and get accepted for a PILF grant of 1.5K for the summer, because you, obviously, won't be getting paid. All you have to do is a few hours work for Cabaret (a fundraiser party we have.) If my details are skewed, again, refer to the above website..

With regard to ppl from TX, I know several from TX and quite a few from other areas of the South and some from Cali. We have a good mix from all around (so no, it's not only people from the NE) .. They are all coping with the cold just fine even though it is new for them.. some of them are actually enjoying it! (although, some do have questionable footwear considering the snow.. ) But, if you plan on keeping your definition of cold to 30 degrees, you're in for a rude awakening friend! (it was -8 yesterday.. )

hth!

[KMaine]

Panda - Nice answer. . . but -8??? You know we don't use Celsius here. Yeah, it was cold yesterday. 4 degrees F in the morning. "Warmed up" to around 24 in the p.m. Have been kicking myself for not going to Duke all week. Seriously, though we do have a number from TX and other warm climes. Most of the time you will be inside anyway. They keep the library nice and warm.

[mbw]

Sorry if this question has been asked before - any of ya'll get accepted after being deferred? What do you think you did to be ultimately accepted if so?

Cornell sent me a fee waiver - which I was surprised by - and while I would be esctatic if I was accepted, that tuition cost is downright astronomical, especially since I'm going into public interest. Cornell has a few notes bout public interest programs and it seems like they really are interested in promoting that sort of thing. Is that just talk or is there actually some kind of focus on it there? If not, I see no reason why I would spend that much money ina place that doesn't reflect my interests.

As I mentioned in another thread, I was deferred from EA, and was told I wouldn't be looked at until April. I did nothing - actually thought I had withdrawn, as I didn't let them know by Feb. 1 that I still wanted to be considered with the regular applicants. I never sent a LOCI, additional recs, never visited (until long after I was accepted.) Not that I would recommend my strategy, but I wonder how much all of that really helps, unless you're being YPed and you really want to attend.

[mbw]

Panda - Nice answer. . . but -8??? You know we don't use Celsius here. Yeah, it was cold yesterday. 4 degrees F in the morning. "Warmed up" to around 24 in the p.m. Have been kicking myself for not going to Duke all week. Seriously, though we do have a number from TX and other warm climes. Most of the time you will be inside anyway. They keep the library nice and warm.

Yes, but who would I harass if you'd gone to Duke? Besides, they got something like a foot of snow dumped on them this morning - so, you'd still be complaining .

[panda]

mbw beat me to it, it's snowing in NC!

and, i'm sorry, but you can take the girl out of the metric system, but you can't take the metric system out of the girl..

and you're all silly for trying to be different from the rest of the world!! just sayin'

[KMaine]

Gotta' love the good ol' USA! We are waiting for the rest of the world to come back to our way of thinking about temperature.

[panda]

Gotta' love the good ol' USA! We are waiting for the rest of the world to come back to our way of thinking about temperature.

no comment. (there are so many comments i could say to that, but i decided it would be smarter to refrain )

[pianist]

KMaine,

I have just checked your profile (if you don't mind). What made you choose Cornell over Duke and Michigan?

Thanks!

[gitls]

Do any Cornell Law students here know of anyone who lives on Cayuga lake? How feasible is that?

[beesknees]

KMaine,

I have just checked your profile (if you don't mind). What made you choose Cornell over Duke and Michigan?

Thanks!

Bump. I may be faced with a similar decision (unless both Mich and Duke outright reject me).

[mbw]

KMaine,

I have just checked your profile (if you don't mind). What made you choose Cornell over Duke and Michigan?

Thanks!

Bump. I may be faced with a similar decision (unless both Mich and Duke outright reject me).

KMaine can chime in here regarding Duke (never stopped him before ;D), but I know of three of us who turned down Michigan for Cornell, and, IIRC, it was a combination of funding and environment (all three of us are non-trads, so that is part of it, I suspect.) Cornell can be very generous - as KMaine mentioned in the waiting room thread - even if you don't get the Deans Scholarship, there are other funding opportunities, which may not be full ride, but better or equivalent to what you're offered elsewhere.

[etlien]

So on Cornell's app, theres a question asking who influenced your decision to apply. What did everyone put? Law faculty? Alumni? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank...anyone done that?

[fsohn]

Do any Cornell Law students here know of anyone who lives on Cayuga lake? How feasible is that?

Some friends of mine are getting a lake house for 3L year, and there are occassionally lakeside apartments popping up on craigslist. It isn't too difficult, if you want it.

[galahad85]

So on Cornell's app, theres a question asking who influenced your decision to apply. What did everyone put? Law faculty? Alumni? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank...anyone done that?

I left it blank.

[kn6542]

So on Cornell's app, theres a question asking who influenced your decision to apply. What did everyone put? Law faculty? Alumni? I am leaning towards just leaving it blank...anyone done that?

Leave it blank unless you have someone who influenced you that you want to put down. I think that's pretty plain.

[kn6542]

Do any Cornell Law students here know of anyone who lives on Cayuga lake? How feasible is that?

I know a woman here who owns several lakeside properties. Some of them are full houses for rent, others are individual apartments or rooms for rent. I think she likes responsible ppl. There are kayaks. PM me if you want to contact her.

[Fuser]

Can anyone elaborate on how one gets on Law Review? In the Law School Profile on NALP it says some spots are grades, some write-on, and some interview, is this correct? How do interviews work?

[fsohn]

Can anyone elaborate on how one gets on Law Review? In the Law School Profile on NALP it says some spots are grades, some write-on, and some interview, is this correct? How do interviews work?

There is a single writing competition for all of the journals at the end of the spring semester. You get a large packet and about two weeks to produce a 7 page mini-note and finish an editing test. There's also a possible extra point awarded (out of an otherwise possible five) for "diversity." After the competition, you rank your desired journals (ILJ, JLPP, and LR), and in a few weeks you will receive your invitations to the journals. If you make LR, you are formally rejected from the other two journals.

Law review spots are "awarded" as follows, if memory serves: 1/3 are reserved for the "grade on" students, who, as long as they complete the writing competition, get their spot; another third are "composite on" students, who combine grades and their writing competition score in some proportion to get their spot; finally, the remaining third goes to those who scored highest on the writing competition.

I'll let my fellow 2Ls correct any mistakes I've made here.

[mbw]

Do any Cornell Law students here know of anyone who lives on Cayuga lake? How feasible is that?

Some friends of mine are getting a lake house for 3L year, and there are occasionally lakeside apartments popping up on craigslist. It isn't too difficult, if you want it.

The bolded controlling here. While Cayuga Lake itself isn't at all far, lake house options are generally either up East Shore Drive or up Rt. 89 on the west side. I checked TCAT, and the 36 bus does go up the ESD, but only a couple times a day, and nothing seems to go up 89. So a car would be a necessity, and then you have to purchase parking up on the Hill. Cabs are relatively inexpensive in Ithaca (there are "zones" and most trips around Cornell cost about $6) but you probably wouldn't want to depend on them everyday.

As a 1L, expect to be at the law school from 8:30-9am until 3-4pm, M-F (schedules will fluctuate by section, but everyone has at least 2 classes per day, and some days as many as 4.) And while the lake is enjoyable for much of September and October, at some point, the inconvenience of travel to and fro outweighs the quaintness of ones surroundings.

[KMaine]

pianist wrote:
KMaine,

I have just checked your profile (if you don't mind). What made you choose Cornell over Duke and Michigan?

Thanks!

Sorry, painist. Have not checked thiis thread for a while. First of all, I did not apply to any schools in big cities. Wanted to be somewhere where my daughters could go go a good public school (yes, I am old). I liked all of the three schools, and would have been happy to go to any of the three. But:

Michigan - No $, did not like Ann Arbor.

Duke - Love Duke, but it would have ended up costing $50 thousand more than Cornell. Wanted to be closer to home in the Northeast. Liked Duke but not so much Durham, did not want to commute from Chapel Hill. Really just a few factors made it not ideal.

Cornell - Visit was very positive. School increased my scholarship offer and really took an interest. I decided that the school would set me up pretty well for a job in Boston or a smaller New England city. I knew that I would be proud to graduate from Cornell. Amazing faculty and campus (though this is true of all three).

I have been really happy at Cornell so far. You should really visit, consider all factors and decide what is best for you. My decision was a really personal one. I ended up deciding that marginal differences in rankings were less important than other factors. Good luck with your choice. It is a little stressful making a choice, but it is mostly a great experience.

[Other25BeforeYou]

Panda - Nice answer. . . but -8??? You know we don't use Celsius here. Yeah, it was cold yesterday. 4 degrees F in the morning. "Warmed up" to around 24 in the p.m. Have been kicking myself for not going to Duke all week. Seriously, though we do have a number from TX and other warm climes. Most of the time you will be inside anyway. They keep the library nice and warm.

Where in the library do you study? I find the reading room rather chilly a lot of the time, which is okay because it keeps me from dozing off, but I certainly wouldn't categorize it as "nice and warm."