Cornell Class of 2018 Forum

[NotASpecialSnowflake]

Does anyone know of any deadlines for when we need to accept a scholarship? I don't see any besides Wednesday for Hughes Scholars.

[victorrrj]

So how long did it take for Cornell to make an initial scholarship offer after you send your financial aid info sheet? It's a month away since I sent it and no response at all... Do they just bury my file silently if they want to offer nothing?

[Shelbinole]

Does anyone know of any deadlines for when we need to accept a scholarship? I don't see any besides Wednesday for Hughes Scholars.

Everyone else is April 24th (i think)

[drballison]

Decided to withdraw (I just can't stand the idea of leaving California), and throwing a Hughes back into the pool. Hope one of you guys snags it!

[beef26]

just heard back from fin aid re: negotiation, bump of 30k and super excited!

pm for details.

[hairbear7]

I was looking at Hughes and saw that the suites range from 2-6 people, and they all share one bathroom. Is there a preference on the housing application to get into a 2 person suite instead of 6? Or is the preferences just limited to room size? And is there a pricing difference for the people in the suite? Thanks!

[Lavitz]

I was looking at Hughes and saw that the suites range from 2-6 people, and they all share one bathroom. Is there a preference on the housing application to get into a 2 person suite instead of 6? Or is the preferences just limited to room size? And is there a pricing difference for the people in the suite? Thanks!

Nope. Preferences are just for room size. Pricing difference? The prices depend on room size, not how many people are in the suite with you. FWIW, I was in the one 6-person suite and it was fine. You get two sinks and two toilets to compensate for the extra number of people, and I only had to wait for the shower like 4 times all year. But maybe that just worked out for us because we all showered at different times.

Also, why haven't you filled out the housing app yet? You know it's available in the OP, right?

[hairbear7]

Okay, thanks! Yeah I was going to fill it out but I read that once you get your housing you have to respond within 2 weeks and I'm still not 100% sure I'll be at Cornell in the fall. I think I will, but I don't want to make any housing commitments yet.

Would you mind sharing what you've heard about 13 south ave? I read through this thread and don't think I saw much on it =)

[Lavitz]

Okay, thanks! Yeah I was going to fill it out but I read that once you get your housing you have to respond within 2 weeks and I'm still not 100% sure I'll be at Cornell in the fall. I think I will, but I don't want to make any housing commitments yet.

If you're just filling out the app now, I highly doubt you're getting your assignment until around the first deposit deadline anyway, and you can always back out with no penalty if you accept a spot at Hughes, but then withdraw because you got into another school, as long as you do it before....idk, August or something.

Would you mind sharing what you've heard about 13 south ave? I read through this thread and don't think I saw much on it =)

There are some 1L TLSers who live there who could probably respond better. I can tell you that it's as close as you can get without being in Hughes. You just have to walk up the two flights of stairs through the parking lots. I guess I've heard positive things, but nothing specific.

[hairbear7]

Thanks Lavitz! I'll fill out my app right now =)

[betty_bojangles]

Are there any social disadvantages to not living on campus? Also, if I fill out the housing app and decide I would rather go off campus, are you allowed to back out?

[runthetrap1990]

There are some 1L TLSers who live there who could probably respond better. I can tell you that it's as close as you can get without being in Hughes. You just have to walk up the two flights of stairs through the parking lots. I guess I've heard positive things, but nothing specific.

Don't live there, but will note that if you can get yourself as far up the hill as possible, you're doing yourself some favors.

Are there any social disadvantages to not living on campus? Also, if I fill out the housing app and decide I would rather go off campus, are you allowed to back out?

To answer your first question, I would say no. I live off campus, and I've found no real social disadvantages because of it. In general, you're going to be on campus so much anyway that whether you live on or off campus won't really affect your law school "social life."

I will say, though, that I think the Hughes crew is pretty close-knit (as far as I can tell). But that doesn't mean anyone not living on campus is at a "disadvantage" otherwise.

[Yea All Right]

Are there any social disadvantages to not living on campus? Also, if I fill out the housing app and decide I would rather go off campus, are you allowed to back out?

I got a spot in Hughes and then backed out to live off-campus.

[WeeBey]

How is the kitchen situation at Hughes? At first I thought it wouldve been one kitchen per floor but from the site it sounds like one kitchen for all of Hughes to be shared by 50 people.

[Lavitz]

How is the kitchen situation at Hughes? At first I thought it wouldve been one kitchen per floor but from the site it sounds like one kitchen for all of Hughes to be shared by 50 people.

There is one kitchen. You technically share it with 50 people, but realistically, only like 8-10 people regularly use the kitchen. The rest get meal plans, eat out, get food delivered, etc. I was probably the most frequent user, and I never had to wait to use the stove except like one time when they were cooking food for a food fair. It could be a nice place to hang out and chat with people, or it could be awkward depending on who's in there when you want to cook. Fortunately, I think most people got along with everyone else my year. As runthetrap mentioned, the Hughes group is usually close-knit. People would also leave food in there that they baked or got from other random events, and then post in the Hughes facebook group that there was free food in the kitchen. Lastly, you will probably get mad at other people for leaving stuff in the sink without cleaning it, but there is a maintenance guy who otherwise cleans the kitchen regularly.

Anyway, the kitchen should look like this, assuming the current 1Ls haven't wrecked the place:

[hodzdoh]

a question for all the current law students out there: regarding laptops, will anything do?

i have a sony vaio, running windows 8. all the basic stuff
any/all relevant input is appreciated!

[runthetrap1990]

a question for all the current law students out there: regarding laptops, will anything do?

i have a sony vaio, running windows 8. all the basic stuff
any/all relevant input is appreciated!

I think you'll be good. though, when I look around the room these days it looks like Steve Jobs has amassed a small army in the law school. dare to be different.

[smiles123]

Are the small rooms in hughes incredibly cramped? Is it worth it to have a large room?

[radio1nowhere]

Anyone else ITT wanting to pursue a judicial clerkship and a little worried about Cornell's clerkship numbers?

[NotASpecialSnowflake]

Are the small rooms in hughes incredibly cramped? Is it worth it to have a large room?

I think Lavitz posted a picture of his room, which I believe is a smaller one. Looked like a typical dorm room.

[Lavitz]

Anyone else ITT wanting to pursue a judicial clerkship and a little worried about Cornell's clerkship numbers?

What are you worried about? Our numbers last year were better than everyone except Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and UVA. Will probably drop this year, but it shows we can do just fine during years when the people who are at the top of the class actually want to do it.

More importantly, that was before the new Dean arrived, and he's made it a major initiative to increase clerkship placement. I'm not sure how much of it I can discuss here, so you'll have to PM if you want details on that.

Are the small rooms in hughes incredibly cramped? Is it worth it to have a large room?

I think Lavitz posted a picture of his room, which I believe is a smaller one. Looked like a typical dorm room.

I did that this year? I know I did that last year, so it's somewhere in the c/o 2017 thread. That was a regular size. Again, there's a picture of a small room if you follow the Hughes link in the OP.

Is it worth it? Depends on how much stuff you have and whether you plan to be the one having your friends hang out in your room.

[Winter is Coming]

Anyone else ITT wanting to pursue a judicial clerkship and a little worried about Cornell's clerkship numbers?

2 points on this:

1.) Not to be overly pessimistic, but I don't think its a great idea to use clerkship numbers as a heavy factor in you decision making. There are too many intangibles (grades obviously, but other things like luck and the type of networking/nepotism that clerkship's involve).

2.) Cornell's recent clerkship numbers have been great and I know the new Dean is really pushing a personalized clerkship application process. Our class is small enough that Professor Blume reached out to a group of 1Ls after the first semester (I assume there was some type of internal grade cutoff for this). I also know people who reached out on their own and received a lot of really great feedback.
The clerkship process is kind of in a bad spot right now with OSCAR collapsing (incredibly there are COA judges who have already hired their clerks for my first term after graduation). Nothing stops you from working Biglaw for a year or two and clerking after.

Obviously if clerking is really your absolute goal, HYS is the answer, but within the rest of the T14 I wouldn't use it as much of a tiebreaker (especially if you look at a 3 or 5 year average), except in the sense that you can probably assume the people getting clerkships could have gotten big law and is indicative of employment outcomes.

[NotASpecialSnowflake]

Anyone else ITT wanting to pursue a judicial clerkship and a little worried about Cornell's clerkship numbers?

What are you worried about? Our numbers last year were better than everyone except Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and UVA. Will probably drop this year, but it shows we can do just fine during years when the people who are at the top of the class actually want to do it.

More importantly, that was before the new Dean arrived, and he's made it a major initiative to increase clerkship placement. I'm not sure how much of it I can discuss here, so you'll have to PM if you want details on that.

Are the small rooms in hughes incredibly cramped? Is it worth it to have a large room?

I think Lavitz posted a picture of his room, which I believe is a smaller one. Looked like a typical dorm room.

I did that this year? I know I did that last year, so it's somewhere in the c/o 2017 thread. That was a regular size. Again, there's a picture of a small room if you follow the Hughes link in the OP.

Is it worth it? Depends on how much stuff you have and whether you plan to be the one having your friends hang out in your room.

Oops yeah its not in this thread. But it did look nice.

[radio1nowhere]

What are you worried about? Our numbers last year were better than everyone except Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and UVA. Will probably drop this year, but it shows we can do just fine during years when the people who are at the top of the class actually want to do it.

More importantly, that was before the new Dean arrived, and he's made it a major initiative to increase clerkship placement. I'm not sure how much of it I can discuss here, so you'll have to PM if you want details on that.

That's good news! I've been scrounging around the internet and only found data from about three years ago, when Cornell wasn't even in the top 20 as far as clerkship placements. I've probably missed an obvious source, but could you direct me where to look for more recent figures?

2 points on this:

1.) Not to be overly pessimistic, but I don't think its a great idea to use clerkship numbers as a heavy factor in you decision making. There are too many intangibles (grades obviously, but other things like luck and the type of networking/nepotism that clerkship's involve).

2.) Cornell's recent clerkship numbers have been great and I know the new Dean is really pushing a personalized clerkship application process. Our class is small enough that Professor Blume reached out to a group of 1Ls after the first semester (I assume there was some type of internal grade cutoff for this). I also know people who reached out on their own and received a lot of really great feedback.
The clerkship process is kind of in a bad spot right now with OSCAR collapsing (incredibly there are COA judges who have already hired their clerks for my first term after graduation). Nothing stops you from working Biglaw for a year or two and clerking after.

Obviously if clerking is really your absolute goal, HYS is the answer, but within the rest of the T14 I wouldn't use it as much of a tiebreaker (especially if you look at a 3 or 5 year average), except in the sense that you can probably assume the people getting clerkships could have gotten big law and is indicative of employment outcomes.

It's important to me beacause my super-duper long term goal (just a goal, mind you) is to be a judge, so 1.) I need to figure out if I'm off-base and aren't actually cut out for that, and 2.) clerkships are just great preparation for the judiciary, even if it's a decade or two down the road. I have some HYS acceptances, but financial aid didn't really come through for me and I'd rather dodge the crushing debt at a school like Cornell as long as I'm not cutting myself off from a potential future shot at the judiciary. Thanks!

[CFC1524]

What are you worried about? Our numbers last year were better than everyone except Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and UVA. Will probably drop this year, but it shows we can do just fine during years when the people who are at the top of the class actually want to do it.

More importantly, that was before the new Dean arrived, and he's made it a major initiative to increase clerkship placement. I'm not sure how much of it I can discuss here, so you'll have to PM if you want details on that.

That's good news! I've been scrounging around the internet and only found data from about three years ago, when Cornell wasn't even in the top 20 as far as clerkship placements. I've probably missed an obvious source, but could you direct me where to look for more recent figures?

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/cornell/2013/

You can get ABA data from 2009-2013 using LST. 2014 info should come out relatively soon.