Hi everyone,
I applied to these schools and would very much appreciate feedback from current and past students about total costs of attending. How much did you spend in total for your LL.M. and did the amount exceed estimations provided by schools?
Thanks!

The budget estimates by the east coast schools are usually quite conservative and err on the higher side. You can easily shave a few thousand off the living expenses if you are careful and don't mind a 15-20 minute walk to campus.

One of the tips I picked up is to NOT blindly sign up for the law school housing, that's really expensive and the furnishings suck. Only +ve is that its close. I moved out within a week of moving I because rents less than a mile away were half of what I was paying. Ditto for food.. If you have one meal at home and curb the urge to party everynight theres a big saving in store.

I have no idea about Stanford and IMO its a waste to even think about going there.

Many thanks! I was almost certain that living on campus was the cheapest option available, this was enlightening. Did you feel like missing something of your experience for not living on campus?

Many thanks! I was almost certain that living on campus was the cheapest option available, this was enlightening. Did you feel like missing something of your experience for not living on campus?

Many thanks! I was almost certain that living on campus was the cheapest option available, this was enlightening. Did you feel like missing something of your experience for not living on campus?

That was my belief as well ..... till I moved in.

The on-campus housing is not only rather expensive but pests were a major problem since students are careless with food and drink. It's not fun to wake up at night with gigantic roaches moving around. Pest control is as expensive as the lease. I actually did not mind the roaches so much but it was ridiculous to have to pay for an airconditioner, microwave, coil-heaters, pillows, and other stuff I would have to end up junking. Plus sheets, linen, lamps, cushions, even some chairs for guests.

Staying away has its costs too - the distance sucks when it rains, and yes to an extent the burden of going back home can be annoying. The 'on-campus experience' is quite exaggerated as everyone tends to stay till late at the law school so unless you need to get home to change / cuddle / smoke its not a problem. At least not worth the excess $ paid.

Haha, I don't discuss my program publicly.

But feel free to pm if you have any further questions. One thing I realize is how pathetic it is that every year incoming LLMs repeat the same old mistakes because unlike JDs we dont get to meet earlier batches and discuss.

I don't have much time to write at the moment and will add more later. If going to Stanford (aks SLS) I would HIGHLY suggest staying in the dorms. They are a VERY short walk to the law school AND the housing costs are subsidized by the school. Apartments are much more expensive in the surrounding area unless you just try to rent a room somewhere. Then you have to contend with the super low speed limits getting to school if you drive.

More time so I'll add additional context. SLS offers no student aid for LLMs no matter how qualified/needy you are. The costs of living in Stanford and the surrounding area are quite expensive. In general California is an expensive place to live.

On the plus side, the weather here is generally amazing. Only a few times has it been below freezing this year. The campus is beautiful. I've been to the HLS campus and while I like Boston/Cambridge, the SLS campus is beautiful. The surrounding area is magnificent and there are so many things to do. Then again you won't have much time to do them other than on breaks if you are serious about your studies. Depending on how many courses you take and what areas, you could be reading pretty much full time. If you do have time to get away, San Francisco is nice and driving down Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway aka PCH) is an incredible drive.

Class sizes are generally small and for the most part excellent teachers. The LLM program at HLS is much bigger and that is a plus and minus. I chose SLS over HLS as I wanted smaller class sizes so I could get to know my professors better. At the same time, there are going to be less SLS almuni in the world than HLS but they tend to support each other better from what I've seen but still don't expect a lot of help either way. Generally the JDs in either place don't look too highly upon LLMs. I think we are viewed as somehow beneath them or in their way so to speak. Regardless that I've been an attorney at a high level and successfully litigated cases in very challenging environment.

If you are interested in Tech/West Coast/Silicon Valley then by all means consider SLS. If you are leaning toward the financial side, HLS might be better. One MAJOR difference between the schools is SLS is much more relaxed and the students are less competitive here. In general, once you are here, then you are here. There isn't a lot of dog biting dog mentality from what I've seen here.

The only other school I seriously considered was NYU. I had no real interest in Columbia. It seems to be more of a place for people that wanted to go into teaching or clerking for judges. The crime in New York is something I'd rather not deal with. SLS and the surrounding area is pretty safe.