| Topic Name: |
Columbia Law |
| Message Name: |
Depends.... |
| Date Posted: |
03/19/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
Since your wife went to Yale, I was wondering what you guys would say about the prospect of going to Columbia on a tuition scholarship versus going to Yale and assuming what I suspect to be a heavy debt load (I was accepted to all the schools). Is it worth the 100K to go to Yale, especially considering the grading policy, to ensure a spot at a top firm? I'm interested in practicing corporate law for a while, but then I wouldn't mind getting into government (ftc, commerce, ustrade rep, etc.).
I like Yale alot, but I'm not sure the opportunities are really worth the 100K plus interest, especially when compared with a great school like Columbia. |
| Message: |
I think it depends on what your goals are. Yale is an extraordinary community, and people from Yale commonly go on to do amazing things -- high court clerkships, academia, etc. Columbia is a bit more of a traditional corporate law school -- you and the vast majority of your classmates are going to end up at BIGLAW NYC or somewhere similar. I think that if your goal is NOT to become a supreme court clerk or to go into high academia, then Yale and Columbia are a horse apiece. Columbia people get some of the same things that Yale people do, but you have to do much better relative to your classmates at CLS to stand out and get those things.
And that's without considering the money. Buddy, if you are getting a free ride at CLS, and you don't really care what you do after law school, go for CLS. (Although you should know that Yale has a great loan repayment assistance program for those who go into public service -- CLS does also, but it is more limited.) And the money matters -- believe me, if you have 100K of debt, that's at least $1500 per month (or more if you want to be rid of the loans in less than 10 years, like me). CLS will probably require more work to ensure top 30% -- Yale you can be anything and do well -- but you will be fine with CLS. And I CANNOT OVERSTATE the importance of the financial freedom.
Congratulations! And good luck.
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