where to visit??? Forum

[tintin]

Hi all...
So far I have gotten into Chicago, NYU, Penn, UVA, and Cornell. Problem is that I live in CA so visiting, even with travel stipends, is a very expensive prospect. I definitely want to visit Chicago and NYU and possibly Penn, but would it be stupid of me not to visit Cornell and UVA? Since they are lower ranked and I will be paying sticker anyways (most likely), I don't think I will end up at either just because it isn't the smartest choice. Am I selling myself short by not visiting all?? Opinions / advice?

[thelawguy777]

I am in a similar situation... For me, I am going to visit my top 2. To tell you the truth (some may call me crazy) but I have already withdrawn from t8-t14 schools... If I get in at HYS it will be hard to turn those down, but I am also going to visit two of my personal favorite schools (Chicago/Berkeley). I don't know why, I just have a good feeling about those two.

I was a university tour guide for years during my undergrad. So I am a little skeptical of the whole "student weekend" process... I enjoy looking at faculty profiles, reading blogs, etc... I also like the anecdotal information from current students who are my friends (because they think like I do). Visiting a school can give you a good vibe, but spend time on your own, away from the dog and pony show...

I think Cornell is awesome, I just think the other schools you mentioned (NYU, Chicago, Penn) are demonstratively better than UVA and Cornell. Really, I get sick of the splitting hairs about t-14 schools done on this and other forums (even though I thrive on it ... There are plenty of good lawyers and good educational opportunities at the other 200 or so law schools.

With that said, I think there would have to be some great incentive to attend anything ranked lower than Penn when you are in at places like NYU.

Just know that you have to choose between awesome law school and awesome law school. Don't feel bad to cut some of these excellent law schools loose...

Good luck, and congratulations. You current acceptances are a tribute to your ability as a student.

[Applicant2010]

UVa gives $400 to CA residents to attend ASW. That covers flight and car rental. Plus, they have an option to stay with a current student.

[vanwinkle]

Pick the three schools you most want to go to and visit them.

Do you like living in a big city? If so you probably shouldn't go to Cornell or UVA. They're in smaller college-town type cities. I like living in UVA but it's not for everyone. If you love big city life then Chicago, NYU, and Penn are the obvious choices.

On the other hand, if you like smaller, rural, cheaper places to live, UVA is your winner. (Unless you love freezing to death half the year, then go to Cornell. )

Is there something in particular you want to do? NYU or Penn is best if you wanna place in the NYC market or other east-coast BigLaw. Chicago is great for academia. UVA is pretty well-rounded and prides itself in placing grads into all 50 states.

Try to figure out what you want and what you're looking for before you start visiting places. It'll help you pare down the list a little, at least.

[superflush]

Hi all...
So far I have gotten into Chicago, NYU, Penn, UVA, and Cornell. Problem is that I live in CA so visiting, even with travel stipends, is a very expensive prospect. I definitely want to visit Chicago and NYU and possibly Penn, but would it be stupid of me not to visit Cornell and UVA? Since they are lower ranked and I will be paying sticker anyways (most likely), I don't think I will end up at either just because it isn't the smartest choice. Am I selling myself short by not visiting all?? Opinions / advice?

I would visit as much as you can.

[summerschooled]

Hi all...
So far I have gotten into Chicago, NYU, Penn, UVA, and Cornell. Problem is that I live in CA so visiting, even with travel stipends, is a very expensive prospect. I definitely want to visit Chicago and NYU and possibly Penn, but would it be stupid of me not to visit Cornell and UVA? Since they are lower ranked and I will be paying sticker anyways (most likely), I don't think I will end up at either just because it isn't the smartest choice. Am I selling myself short by not visiting all?? Opinions / advice?

I'm in a similar situation, and as of now I'm only going to visit three of my options. As much as I'd like to see them all, it's just not feasible -- especially for someone who's still in school. It doesn't make much sense to visit schools you really don't see yourself attending. If I were you, I'd only visit UVA and Cornell if I were considering them as much as the other schools. But I don't see any reason to visit them all if you've already narrowed it down to Chicago, NYU, and Penn. Regardless, you can't go wrong with that group of schools.

[superflush]

You could try to group them into trips as much as possible.
Obviously you can do Penn & NYU on the same trip, and maybe you could add UVA and Cornell if you are interested in them.

[im_blue]

It sounds like you prefer cities, so you can cross UVA and Cornell off your list. I think visiting Chicago, NYU, and Penn would be doable, if you fly to Chicago, then to NYC, then take the train to Philly and fly back to Cali.

If you're planning to practice in Cali, Chicago places the best out of all your choices.

[superflush]

It sounds like you prefer cities, so you can cross UVA and Cornell off your list. I think visiting Chicago, NYU, and Penn would be doable, if you fly to Chicago, then to NYC, then take the train to Philly and fly back to Cali.

You can take the BoltBus from NYC to Philly and back (if you need to go back). It should cost around $10 each way and take about to hours. It'll take you to 30th Street Station which is right near Penn.