NYU v. Columbia

[ragdoll47]

thoughts?  i read somewhere recently that Columbia has more of a corporate focus, which was surprising to me..anybody know anything about the quality of life at either of these?

thanks!

[Javert]

I'm applying to both. The one that lets me in is awesome; the other one is a TTT.

[TheDecline]

I read a thread on XOXO talking about how the quality of life at Columbia was the worst out of all the T14 and NYU probably had the best quality of life in the T14.

[Casper]

I read a thread on XOXO talking about how the quality of life at Columbia was the worst out of all the T14 and NYU probably had the best quality of life in the T14.

That's the result of location of each law school.  NYU is located in east village, compared to columbia, which is located in upper manhattan, 116th street.  While columbia has an enclosed campus, vs. NYU which has buildings and virtually no campus.  When you're in the village, you're most closer to everything, bars, bowling, clubs, etc.  While up in columbia, you have bars, and a bad surrounding area.

[Sportseditor23]

Funny thing is you can get to NYU from Columbia in 15-20 minutes on the express, so it's not that big of deal.

[GoHuskies05]

I think the differnce in location is very much to your personal preference, with regards to which area you will like. 

The OP is correct about the 20 minute train ride, but if we look at the areas as exclusive from one another (which they're obviously not), I think you can easily say that NYU offers an atmosphere that Columbia does not, and that Columbia does the same. 

Personally, I don't think there is a substitute for experience, and I'm not sure how you can gain an understanding for Morningside Heights if you don't live it.  You are very close to a culture mix, and while all of Manhattan is a huge culture mix, you don't often feel a culture clash so much until you get up around 125th street on the Upper West Side. 

If you're not into that, and you're looking for fun, expensive bars, in the midst of the capital of "artsy", then NYU is probably a better fit, but again, no one, especially myself, is an expert, so maybe an extended visit to Manhattan isn't the worst idea.

It's a moot point for me, but just my two cents.

[ragdoll47]

thanks for your helpful replies..

any thoughts on the schools themselves?  student body, profs, facilities, housing, job prospects afterwards (esp non-corporate jobs).

am i wrong to assume that columbia has a better reputation?  or are the two pretty similar..

[T-Money]

I'd say that the difference in reputation between the two is negligible, either way you'd be going to a really great school, seems like personal preference, really.  As far as housing, if you want to live close to the school, Columbia's gonna be a little cheaper.  A basic studio in morningside heights/harlem = $1000-1200/mo or so, in the village you're looking at more like $1500-2000 and on up from there.  That said, you don't have to live in the school's neighborhood, just thought that might be kinda helpful...  Also, NYU has lots of nice student housing, I don't know about Columbia and I think NYU might be a little stronger in terms of public interest. 

[naomi288]

NYU! was my dream school, but the lsat says i'm not smart enough 

[amelus]

so not much diff in prof's (e.g. interest/ability to teach) and students (e.g. competitiveness/friendliness and diversity) b/w the 2?

i'm still trying to figure out diff's b/w them.  i see some minor ones mentioned, but is there nothing significant that distinguishes the two?