BC, BU or Cornell Forum

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elm84dr

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BC, BU or Cornell

Post by elm84dr » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:18 am

I know it seems like a no-brainer here, but I really wanted to get some feedback. I was choosing between BC and BU, then Cornell goes and accepts me yesterday and throws everything out of whack (in a good way).

Here are the facts---I am from Boston, went to BC undergrad. I may want to be in Boston for work after---but I may NOT want to be here (maybe NYC or DC). I am very social and have a lot of social networks in Boston (read family, high school friends, girlfriend, college friends and work friends). I also know that isolation will help me focus---BIG TIME. But, I don't know that if I want to work in Boston if Cornell would be a wise choice. A lot of people told me that since I am from Boston and did BC undergrad, I should be good on the Boston legal circuit, but I just wanted some more advice.

BlueDiamond

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by BlueDiamond » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:21 am

scholarship amounts?

Peg

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by Peg » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:23 am

Assuming there are no scholarships affecting your decision:

I don't think Cornell would significantly hurt your chances of coming back to Boston, because 1) it's T-14 and 2) you have local connections already.

Plus with Cornell your options are better if you do decide you want to live somewhere else.

Plus Cornell's law school is gorgeous to look at, definitely a 100 times better than the ugly tower that is BU. (No idea what BC looks like, but it can't be as pretty as Cornell.)

And if you have a car that is brave enough to face the Ithaca snow, you aren't going to be "isolated", exactly, if you go to Cornell.

Take Cornell.

elm84dr

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by elm84dr » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:27 am

Only $$$ from BC so far, $75,000. Besides $90,000 from Fordham. BU will probably match BC, and Cornell, no word, but hopefully, something!

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KMaine

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by KMaine » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:31 am

It sounds like you have many factors pointing you towards accepting the Cornell offer. It should make it somewhat easier to get a job in NYC, D.C. Also, ALL of the major Boston firms interview at Cornell. I am a 2L, and I and a good number of classmates will be working in Boston this summer. Since I have New England connections, my desire to work in Boston never seemed to be an issue during the interview process. In fact, I had more callbacks in Boston than in NYC.

I would say, absent a large scholarship offer from BC/BU, Cornell seems like a good choice.

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ItsMyTimeBoston

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by ItsMyTimeBoston » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:32 am

If you want to work in Boston you should go to BC - no question about it.

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KMaine

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by KMaine » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:33 am

Yeah, that $75K from BC should be pretty tempting to you. I would say that evens things up significantly, maybe tilting the balance to BC. They seem very well respected in Boston. Many of the people I interviewed with in Boston firms were BC Law grads.

elm84dr

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by elm84dr » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:38 am

I thought the same about BC---but I have not gotten a package from Cornell, so if they match---I don't know. My friends that both work in BigLaw, one BC Law alum, and one BU Law alum, both told me, "Take Cornell" and I found it surprising.

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KMaine

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by KMaine » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:38 am

ItsMyTimeBoston wrote:If you want to work in Boston you should go to BC - no question about it.
I stand by my previous post saying that the scales may tip slightly in favor of BC absent any money from Cornell. However, I do think there is "a question about it" as I am not sure how many people around median at BC are getting biglaw offers anywhere, and OP may NOT want to work in Boston. I look at BC as a way of OP saving some money while giving up some degree of opportunity. If OP merely wants any job that pays 160K, I would wager the chances are doubled by going to Cornell.

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elm84dr

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by elm84dr » Wed Feb 23, 2011 11:23 am

I am still waiting on Duke and Georgetown---would those change anything?

ItsMyTimeBoston

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by ItsMyTimeBoston » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:33 pm

KMaine wrote:
ItsMyTimeBoston wrote:If you want to work in Boston you should go to BC - no question about it.
I stand by my previous post saying that the scales may tip slightly in favor of BC absent any money from Cornell. However, I do think there is "a question about it" as I am not sure how many people around median at BC are getting biglaw offers anywhere, and OP may NOT want to work in Boston. I look at BC as a way of OP saving some money while giving up some degree of opportunity. If OP merely wants any job that pays 160K, I would wager the chances are doubled by going to Cornell.
Agreed. OP definitely isn't dumb, and while nobody should bet on being at the top of the class, BC thinks he will be. I don't think people at the median or below at Cornell are getting biglaw right now either. If OP really wants to work in Boston, BC is the school to attend.

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by sullidop » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:40 pm

KMaine wrote:It sounds like you have many factors pointing you towards accepting the Cornell offer. It should make it somewhat easier to get a job in NYC, D.C. Also, ALL of the major Boston firms interview at Cornell. I am a 2L, and I and a good number of classmates will be working in Boston this summer. Since I have New England connections, my desire to work in Boston never seemed to be an issue during the interview process. In fact, I had more callbacks in Boston than in NYC.

I would say, absent a large scholarship offer from BC/BU, Cornell seems like a good choice.
This. Although in the event that you get into Duke, I'd really consider that (visit both to see what you prefer).

msridiculous447

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by msridiculous447 » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:47 pm

As a BU undergrad, I say BC law if you really want to stay in Boston after law school, especially if you're getting a substantial scholarship. Given the city's love affair with BC I think you'd be in really good shape if you graduated towards the top of your class. My impression has always been that the BC name holds a lot of weight with the older partners at the big Boston firms.

BU is obviously a great school (I was considering it until I heard from GW) but I don't think it has the same cache within Boston, despite the slightly higher ranking.

Cornell is an amazing school but I think you'd be better off graduating higher ranked at BC than lower ranked at Cornell.

I'm still waiting on Georgetown and Duke as well, but I want to be based out of DC after graduation. Duke might be an interesting choice because there seem to be few Duke grads in Boston?

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obsessedandproud

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by obsessedandproud » Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:13 pm

Wow, I am in the exact same position as the OP - down to the scholarship offer amount from BC and just got into Cornell yesterday. I also went to BC UG (I know OP, we are creepily alike), but am not from Boston originally and don't have any family there. Does this count as having ties in Boston? So if I decided on Cornell but want to practice in Boston, will the Boston firms take me as seriously as the BC/BU candidates? Is Boston the only market that seems to be super concerned with "ties" (a concept I'm still unclear about), or are other markets like this too?
Sorry for hijacking this thread. It just seems that the OP and I are in such similar situations that I felt it might be redundant to post a new topic about it. Thanks in advance TLSers!

elm84dr

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by elm84dr » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:38 pm

I think BC undergrad is considerable ties to Boston. A lot of the top legal eagles in Boston are actually "Double eagles" and would see your BC undergrad as a plus.

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Perch

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by Perch » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:42 pm

Similar situation (sort of) and waiting on BC offers...hoping they come out sooner rather than later, good luck all!

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by bk1 » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:44 pm

I think BC/BU CoA would need to be 100k or less for me to take it over Cornell at sticker.

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glacierfrost

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by glacierfrost » Wed Feb 23, 2011 2:51 pm

Cornell because with it you have more options and you're not that far away from your friends. I would only consider BC/BU if I had a full or near full scholarship.

ItsMyTimeBoston

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by ItsMyTimeBoston » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:03 pm

Really, it comes down to how bad OP wants to work in Boston post law school. Cornell is NOT the best choice considering the money if Boston is where OP wants to be. If the legal market wasn't in the state it is in, BC places 40 percent in Boston biglaw. Considering the legal market, it pays more to be coming out of BC in Boston than Cornell - you've got a bunch of BC law grads doing the hiring and they are going to pick the BC kids all day long.

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zonto

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by zonto » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:08 pm

I get the feeling from this thread that a lot of the Boston jobs are given to BC grads because of the affinity toward the school. What does that mean for BU? Is it a disadvantage going there? Do more of their grads end up leaving Boston or something?

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by bk1 » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:10 pm

zonto wrote:I get the feeling from this thread that a lot of the Boston jobs are given to BC grads because of the affinity toward the school. What does that mean for BU? Is it a disadvantage going there? Do more of their grads end up leaving Boston or something?
Almost everybody says BU = BC in Boston.

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by NOLA Proud » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:37 pm

bk187 wrote:
zonto wrote:I get the feeling from this thread that a lot of the Boston jobs are given to BC grads because of the affinity toward the school. What does that mean for BU? Is it a disadvantage going there? Do more of their grads end up leaving Boston or something?
Almost everybody says BU = BC in Boston.
I think that is basically proven true for biglaw. The placement numbers for biglaw in boston are very similiar.

However, BU sends more people to NY I believe. BC sends more people to non-biglaw jobs in boston/new england though.


If you certainly want to stay in boston, but aren't necessarily concerned with biglaw then BC is probably (slightly) better. If you want biglaw regardless of location then BU is (slightly) better.


That's always been my impression.

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rman1201

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by rman1201 » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:39 pm

bk187 wrote:
zonto wrote:I get the feeling from this thread that a lot of the Boston jobs are given to BC grads because of the affinity toward the school. What does that mean for BU? Is it a disadvantage going there? Do more of their grads end up leaving Boston or something?
Almost everybody says BU = BC in Boston.
From another thread, but seems spot on:
dakatz wrote:
Here is the typical wisdom in this. BC for a long time attracted many of the Irish Catholic kids from here in Boston. The local kids have chosen that school for a long time. As expected, many of these locals stay in Boston after they graduate. So that allowed them to build up a great network in Boston.

BU, on the other hand, has always been the more eclectic school with an international student body, and kids coming from all over the place. As expected, many of them leave Boston upon graduation. So yes, BC has a stronger alumni network in Boston. But you are apt to find more BU representation in places like NY, DC, etc. So the advice almost always boils down to "if you are deadset on Boston, then you should go with BC all things being completely equal". But anywhere else, BU likely has the edge.

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zonto

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by zonto » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:24 pm

Thank you for these posts. Any other resources/links you can post that has information like this?

Image

Doesn't have percentages, but you can get an idea at least. I can't find any graphs like that for BC.
Last edited by zonto on Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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KMaine

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Re: BC, BU or Cornell

Post by KMaine » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:26 pm

ItsMyTimeBoston wrote:Really, it comes down to how bad OP wants to work in Boston post law school. Cornell is NOT the best choice considering the money if Boston is where OP wants to be. If the legal market wasn't in the state it is in, BC places 40 percent in Boston biglaw. Considering the legal market, it pays more to be coming out of BC in Boston than Cornell - you've got a bunch of BC law grads doing the hiring and they are going to pick the BC kids all day long.
I am sorry, I just can't agree with this. I think top 40% from Cornell gets Boston biglaw with ties NOW. Considering the money, I would probably go to BC if I were OP. But you seem to be saying that a similarly situated BC grad will always do better in Boston than a Cornell kid with Boston ties, and I just don't buy it. Name the class rank - top 10%, top 20%, top 30%, or top 50%, I still give Cornell the advantage, even in Boston, but certainly in terms of keeping options open for ANY job that will pay back the loans.

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