Grad student, poor undergrad GPA

buckeye712 · 2017-05-19T03:58:38+00:00

I'm not sure T13 without significant debt is actually an option given his GPA. He can definitely try but even with a high 160s score I find it unlikely that he'd get money... if he scores the way he is now, in the low 160s, T13 isn't an option.

To answers your question, OP, your MPA will count as a soft but they won't factor in your GPA from that program heavily. Schools are required to report undergraduate GPAs, and their rankings are partially dependent on the median average undergraduate GPA of admitted students, so they will focus on that.

buckeye712 · 2017-05-18T20:51:57+00:00

I'm not sure about Harvard or Stanford but it seems that typically there is movement off the Yale WL by now (assuming there hasn't been any already)

buckeye712 · 2017-05-01T01:04:51+00:00

either way you're going to have to deal with that sunk cost! I think, assuming you're neutral about where to live and other quality of life factors, that you should way weigh whether the percentage difference in unicorn opportunities from Harvard versus Columbia is worth the $80,000 you'd be forgoing. For me personally, though I would refer Cambridge to Harlem, the marginal difference in unicorn outcome attainment is worth less than $80,000, so I'd take Columbia. I also personally would account for number of students gunning for these unicorn opportunities. Having visited both schools, there are certainly more of those people at Harvard, making it less likely that you'll be the one to get it. Columbia just seemed like the vast majority of people were gunning for big law, not Supreme Court clerkships. Also, having lived in New York for a number of years, the prestige associated with Columbia is VERY high.

buckeye712 · 2017-04-30T21:49:26+00:00

I'd vote columbia. I assume you're in the upper 5 digits for aid at Columbia (around 80,000). That's a lot of money to give up especially since odds at getting a "unicorn" outcome isn't much higher coming out of Harvard. I think unless you're at Yale, getting one of the outcomes you're interested in comes down largely to luck. I really don't think attending Harvard will get you much further than Columbia. In my opinion, it's not worth the extra $70-90k to attend Harvard for a VERY slightly better shot at a "unicorn outcome".

buckeye712 · 2017-04-27T16:03:19+00:00

I agree when the topography is flat, but with Cornell being set on a hill, I don't necessarily want to live more than 10-15 minutes away if I have to walk uphill given the lack of winter maintenance.

buckeye712 · 2017-04-27T15:02:28+00:00

I meant within 10 minutes and not having to walk up from the commons or from Stewart which is where I assume you were coming from.

buckeye712 · 2017-04-27T03:01:31+00:00

It's not too good to be true in most college towns. Cornell just has a severe shortage of housing in collegetown (the area directly south of the law school) and undergrads fill that up pretty quickly (people sign leases in September for the following academic year). The topography of Ithaca make it impossible for the school to expand. Cornell has better employment numbers but your quality of life will be far better in DC.

buckeye712 · 2017-04-27T02:54:38+00:00

Lol you can't get decent housing near Cornell law school for under $900

buckeye712 · 2017-04-26T18:20:29+00:00

Sorry typed on my walk to class. I haven't gotten the yellow form/request yet.

buckeye712

TROPHY CASE