T14 Trumps anything? Cornell v. Illinois - Champaign (UIUC)

[spaa]

Hi,

Which would you pick? Cornell with no $$ or University of Illinois Champaign with a full scholarship?

The difference in rank (USNWR)is only 10 spots, does rank trump every other considerantion?

I've heard the mantra of choosing a T14 over anything else many times.

Which would you pick and why?

Thanks 

[the white rabbit]

If I had to make this decision, I would probably go with Cornell for the following reasons:

1. I'm relatively unconcerned about the price tag.
2. I have no real interest in being anywhere in the Midwest long-term.

Just my $.02. 

[Alamo]

If you were set on living in Chicago or NYC, you'd pick the closer school.  If you really value freedom of mobility, Cornell, as an Ivy, is probably worth the price.

If you're set on doing public interest work, you'd be silly to pay full ride anywhere.  If you're set on a big firm, your odds will be much better from Cornell, and paying off loans would not be too much trouble for you (if you do decently well at Cornell).

One other thing to keep in mind--according to the Princeton Review, Cornell Law students spend more hours per day studying than at any other school.  Kinda scary.

I don't think it's a no-brainer either way.  Good luck.

[HR6352]

Go to Cornell.  In the long run you'll earn more than enough to pay off the loans.

[the white rabbit]

One other thing to keep in mind--according to the Princeton Review, Cornell Law students spend more hours per day studying than at any other school.

I'm guessing that Cornell Law students also spend more hours per day snowed-in than at any other school. 

[violaboy]

I would go to Cornell, since the degree is more mobile than UIUC. Given that, if you want to practice in Chicago, go to UIUC and do well there.

[mbw]

One other thing to keep in mind--according to the Princeton Review, Cornell Law students spend more hours per day studying than at any other school.

I'm guessing that Cornell Law students also spend more hours per day snowed-in than at any other school. 

Uh, not this year.  We've had two snowfalls of over 3" (yes, mere inches) and the rest of the winter thus far has consisted of cold and flurries.

OP, if you're interested in PI, check out the LRAP of both schools - Cornell's is pretty good, but I don't know anything of UIUC's.

I had to initially chose between Cornell w/ no $$ and Minn w/ $$ last year - and chose Minn.  Fortunately, it was discovered that my scholly award from Cornell had been lost in the mail, and I picked up and moved from Minneapolis to Ithaca.  I'd much prefer Cornell was located in the lovely city of Minneapolis, but am very glad I chose Cornell.  I now think my previous decision of choosing Minn just for the cash was a mistake - I should have gone to Cornell anyway.

[spaa]

One other thing to keep in mind--according to the Princeton Review, Cornell Law students spend more hours per day studying than at any other school.

I'm guessing that Cornell Law students also spend more hours per day snowed-in than at any other school. 

Uh, not this year.  We've had two snowfalls of over 3" (yes, mere inches) and the rest of the winter thus far has consisted of cold and flurries.

OP, if you're interested in PI, check out the LRAP of both schools - Cornell's is pretty good, but I don't know anything of UIUC's.

I had to initially chose between Cornell w/ no $$ and Minn w/ $$ last year - and chose Minn.  Fortunately, it was discovered that my scholly award from Cornell had been lost in the mail, and I picked up and moved from Minneapolis to Ithaca.  I'd much prefer Cornell was located in the lovely city of Minneapolis, but am very glad I chose Cornell.  I now think my previous decision of choosing Minn just for the cash was a mistake - I should have gone to Cornell anyway.

Thanks for your help!

What made you feel that choosing $$ and Minn over Cornell was a mistake? What was so different that made you think that?

[snowpeach06]

I have no experiences to speak from, but sometimes I think people on these boards, and law school kids in general are too concerned with rank. Either way, your going to a top school. Chicago and NY are both great. Either way, you'll wind up with a good job. Perhaps you have a slightly better chance at one of those crazy competitive Big Law jobs from Cornell. But, I don't think you would be ruled out coming from U. Illinois. I don't know, a full ride to a pretty good school seems hard to pass up. Sure you could make a ton of money one day, but why would you want to count on that? I have a friend who graduated from Northwestern and is saddled with debt, and now says he feels "trapped" in corporate law so he can pay off his loans. Why not take the full ride, and then have a choice as to how you spend the rest of your life?

[the white rabbit]

Either way, you'll wind up with a good job.

I agree that the obsession with rank borders on unhealthy, but it's not for no reason.  Different schools do present significantly different job prospects.  The question is how much better, and whether that difference equals a full tuition.  It's silly to take Cornell full price over Georgetown full ride because of one spot in the rankings, but it's also silly to take some non-accredited school full ride over Cornell full price because of the full tuition.  So somewhere between those extremes comes a point where the decision is roughly a tossup.  It makes a lot of sense to try to figure out where this decision falls on that spectrum.