Dear All,

I am really confused and in need of advice. I am interested in capital markets and I would like the best LL.M. in this area. I got admitted to NYU yesterday and moreover, offered a half-tuition waiver. This offer will expire if I dont make up my mind by Thursday. Is it worth it to accept it or wait for Columbia? I have heard that Columbia is better in securities and capital markets.

And I forgot to mention that I also got accepted to Chicago Law School. I would rather study in NYC than in Chicago but if Chicago Law School is better for securities... I am not sure, what do you think?

Thank you in advance!

If you have the money go for Columbia, otherwise NYU.

That'a a high-class "problem", huh? Well done! Chicago, NYU and Columbia are all great universities. I believe you will do fine in any of them. A half-tuition scholarship is very, very tempting... Put pros and againts on the paper to help you decide, but, again, any choice is really great!!!

Hi ally!

I was admitted in the same 3 law schols that you.

I believe that, if you are not really sure that some of those law schools is better than the other, maybe you should go to NYU, because half tuition are more less $25,000 and this days that amount of money is like 50,000 last year (because nowadays we all have lees money).

HI Ally,

I'm also in the same dilemma. I got the offer yesterday morning from NYU together with the scholarship. The half-tuition waiver is so tempting, but I'm still waiting for the decisions from Columbia and Harvard.

May I ask why you mentioned "This offer will expire if I dont make up my mind by Thursday"? I didn't see any deadline in the letter but NYU indeed hoped we could make the final decision asap because they are not able to guarantee any amount if we reply too late.

Thanks!!!

My own two cents worth. The choice between Chicago and Columbia is a difficult one that depends on your goals precisely (and whether you'd rather be in NY or Chicago) but, on the assumption you have money, as I think was mentioned quite some time back by some other people, you should think about why NYU provides for scholarship and waiver schemes in which you have to commit before the acceptance of other institutions come due (and why the law schools deemed "prestigious" do not do the same) and which pits its own students against each other in financial aid in a mechanism that has the effect of forcing its students not to consider any other university. Of course, others might have a different view on this and that is fair enough.

That said, if the singular aim is to get an LLM at all cost, I say go for NYU given the waiver. Otherwise, my own personal opinion (and I accept that everyone may not share the same view) the option isn't even a real option: Columbia or Chicago by far. Between the two, I'd plump for Columbia, but that's just my take and one can make an equally convincing argument for Chicago.

my personal ranking would be CLS, Chicago and last NYU (although even NYU is an excellent school; what a nice choice!), but with a 25K scholarship I wouldn't waste a second... NYU first pick beyond doubt

With half-tuition waiver, NYU; without it, first Columbia, and then Chicago. NYU obtains its current ranking more from its location, much less from the quality of its program.

don't forget the size of the class...NYU 425, CLS 210, Chicago 50 more or less...that's why NYU is often called production line. brand plus setting, and they sell you their program for big money...