Hi, I'd be happy for all insights and opinions on those two options.
My knowledge so far: Chicago has an amazing program, it seems to be rather small and therefore increasing the student-teacher interaction, it is ranked tied with Columbia, living costs in Chicago are lower, the brand recognition is not that good though (at least in my country)

Columbia has a world reputation, is an ivy league school (whether any employee cares, I have no idea), is really good in banking and finance (possible area of specialization), living costs in NY are pretty high though and the program seems to be rather big and less personal.

Are their any other criteria you would take into account? I am happy to hear all opinions and thoughts on that.

Thanks a lot!

Hi urkt13, I was in exactly the same dilemma the last few days and waited for some response to this post. However, since the deadline is nearly here, I sent an acceptance decision to UChicago a couple of minutes ago and declined Columbia! I thought through this carefully and here are the reasons why I chose UChicago:

1. I was completely bowled over with how personal the application process as well as all the emails from Dean Badger seemed to be in comparison to Columbia or the other Universities. UChicago seems to be such a warm and friendly place to study in.

2. Financial Assistance - I believe that students who had clearly demonstrated a need have been offered financial assistance by the University. This was a clear plus factor for me as I could not have been able to afford the entire tuition and living expenses had I chosen Columbia (and they did not offer me any assistance).

3. Area of interest - I know that both are great Universities, but I want to study courses in antitrust/competition law and law & economics and given the history of the University, I think that UChicago is clearly the place to go to for these subjects. I'm not very sure about banking and finance, but I did come across some interesting allied courses on the UChicago website.

4. Class size - Not only will UChicago help in facilitating a greater student-professor interaction, but it will also help you to get to know your classmates better. This I believe is definitely a huge plus factor.

5. Reputation - As you note, both UChicago and Columbia are tied in rankings and the reputation/brand value is equally good. Because UChicago has a smaller intake of students for the LL.M Program, it is natural that our home countries may not have as many students from UChicago as those from Columbia. I would look this as a positive i.e., being one of the few students who has been admitted to UChicago as opposed to 15-20 students at Columbia from my home country.

Lastly, my gut feeling just tells be that the Chicago experience is just worth giving up Columbia! I hope you are able to evaluate the pros and cons and take a decision. Good luck!

Hi urkt13, I was in exactly the same dilemma the last few days and waited for some response to this post. However, since the deadline is nearly here, I sent an acceptance decision to UChicago a couple of minutes ago and declined Columbia! I thought through this carefully and here are the reasons why I chose UChicago:

1. I was completely bowled over with how personal the application process as well as all the emails from Dean Badger seemed to be in comparison to Columbia or the other Universities. UChicago seems to be such a warm and friendly place to study in.

2. Financial Assistance - I believe that students who had clearly demonstrated a need have been offered financial assistance by the University. This was a clear plus factor for me as I could not have been able to afford the entire tuition and living expenses had I chosen Columbia (and they did not offer me any assistance).

3. Area of interest - I know that both are great Universities, but I want to study courses in antitrust/competition law and law & economics and given the history of the University, I think that UChicago is clearly the place to go to for these subjects. I'm not very sure about banking and finance, but I did come across some interesting allied courses on the UChicago website.

4. Class size - Not only will UChicago help in facilitating a greater student-professor interaction, but it will also help you to get to know your classmates better. This I believe is definitely a huge plus factor.

5. Reputation - As you note, both UChicago and Columbia are tied in rankings and the reputation/brand value is equally good. Because UChicago has a smaller intake of students for the LL.M Program, it is natural that our home countries may not have as many students from UChicago as those from Columbia. I would look this as a positive i.e., being one of the few students who has been admitted to UChicago as opposed to 15-20 students at Columbia from my home country.

Lastly, my gut feeling just tells be that the Chicago experience is just worth giving up Columbia! I hope you are able to evaluate the pros and cons and take a decision. Good luck!