Hi all,

I've been very lucky and got into Virginia and NYU. However, I simply cannot make up my mind.

So far cost wise I'm leaning towards Virginia, because they are giving me $8,000 for funding, whereas NYU is not giving me anything. Am I also correct to assume that Charlottesville will be cheaper than New York?

As regards academics I am largely interested in Corporate law, with some Law and Economics thrown in. Which school do you think is better in this area?

thank you in advance

I am very interested in this post too, because this will probably be my decision too.

I think I will choose Virginia, because Charlottesville is magnificent I think. Has already been elected as best place to live in the US and stuff. You can even go skiing in the surroundings and stuff.

Moreover the University is the only Law school in the US that is world heritage of the UNESCO, and thus proves to provide for an incredible experience.

The LLM class is also much smaller than the NYU LLM. You follow courses with JD students, which must provide for an incredible experience. In NYU there are courses especially for LLM students (or so I've heard), and that must be a bit awkward.

The only thing I have no knowledge about is the quality of professors in Corporate law at Virginia.

Santa: still leaning towards Virginia?

To me it seems attractive but i've been speaking to a lot of people and they keep telling me that internationally, NYU has a far better reputation, that top 5 is better than top 10. your thoughts? anyone's thoughts?

Santa: still leaning towards Virginia?

To me it seems attractive but i've been speaking to a lot of people and they keep telling me that internationally, NYU has a far better reputation, that top 5 is better than top 10. your thoughts? anyone's thoughts?

Both great schools! difficult to make a choice between them tough! Lets to the facts!
8.000 dollares are a very good argument to go to charlottesville! I know some people from there that love it, and say tha regardless be a really small city, it is a pleasant place tostay for a while! classes are very small, and it can be a favor point too. The reputation inside US is great, don'tknow about outside.

NYU is also a great school, and nyc is the best place to live, ofcourse! (my opinion). It is very expensive,much more than charlottesville! and you can ski around here too! lots of ski stations in catskil area! I do believe that the NYU reputation is better outside US, but starting to question its reputation inside US since everybody seems to think it is a massive llm!

well,good luck!

For big law firms it does not matter one bit I think whether you went to NYU or UVA.

They all know the quality of both programs and the fact that you've done the LLM in a top 10-15 school is enough.

For big law firms it does not matter one bit I think whether you went to NYU or UVA.

They all know the quality of both programs and the fact that you've done the LLM in a top 10-15 school is enough.

For big law firms it does not matter one bit I think whether you went to NYU or UVA.

They all know the quality of both programs and the fact that you've done the LLM in a top 10-15 school is enough.

I agree with you.

I have strong interest in this post too as I have to face similar choices. I talked with my boss and my US colleagues, and they all said they can't see much more differences among the top 10 schools. Maybe NYU,CLS and UPenn have better reputation outside the US, but for me, I have to consider the financial grant or scholarships as an important factor to make my final decision. Anyway, the LLM is an investment for some of us.

thanks for all the opinions: hate making decisions!

I'm frigging tired of waiting for decisions to come. I want to know all the acceptances/rejections now and DECIDE >_

Hi guys!
Thank you for your interesting comments.
I am facing quite the same situation: Duke with a $10 000 scholarship or NYU with no aid at all?
I am a Belgian trained lawyer who used to live in NY.
I am a quite interested in discovering a new part of my country but I am really wondering if it doesn't make a difference to graduate from a top 5 rather than a top 10 law school? I have to admit though that smaller programs such as Duke or Virginia really give me the feeling that younger or shyer people would have more consideration from faculty. What do you guys think of Duke?
Thanks and good luck!

1.- In USA, it doesnt matter if you are graduated from Virginia, Duke, Michigan or NYU; they are all top 15, and for most employers it doesnt make diference to hire a Virginia or Berkeley alumni.

2.- Money: The budget for NYU or Columbia should be around $85,000 a year (althought the estimated budget stated in the Columbias admitted website was 75,000, most people agree that that budget is the minimum); whereas the budget for Duke or Virginia is $ 60,000 65,000. Nowadays is the worst moment for asking loans, so if you dont have enough money, chose the cheaper law school (and city)

3.- Smaller law school tend to have better attention for LLM students, and you will have more contact with faculty as well.

4.- An scholarship will give you prestige.

Rankings change. For example, a couple of years ago Berkeley was #13 and Penn #12. Maybe next year NYU will be #11 and Virginia #7, who knows! Thats another reason why among Top 15 schools (by top 15 I mean not only the top 15 of this year, but also others like UCLA) most people agree that you should not worry to much about the ranking in a given year, but think in which law school is better for you.

I my opinion, you should go to the law school in which you will be happier, and I believe that is difficult (at least for me) to be happy in a law school in which nobody knows who you are, but thats my case. I have heard also wonderfull srories about Duke.

thank you for your prompt response!

One major thing you forget to tell is that UVA atmosphere is known to be very friendly, which is not the case in NYC. Two of my friends are in the NYU LLM program this year and they spent the first 3 months almost alone, because the majority of the students already have friends living in NYC (that's why they come to NY). And the fact that there are almost 400 students does not help making friends. But if you know some people in NYC it's really ok.

In UVA, 30 LLM students who obviously don't know anyone in Charlottesville: that creates a "spirit of group".

Plus, I sopke with a lawyer of a big US law firm yesterday, and he told me that they only hire graduates from the top-10 rankings, without making difference between them, except maybe for Harvard.

So I think you choice is much more a choice between 2 ways of living...

Im so thankful for creating this thread, it is very thoughtful and informative.

Im kinda in the similar situation, i hv to choose btw Duke and UVA (rejected by NYU +_+), both are really great schools, same raking with small LLM group, friendly staff, and beautiful campus (but UVA may take a lead on this).... There is no outstanding differnce I can find btw them... making decision is so tense!

Howver, im likely to choose Duke only for one reason (by now), that is Duke is a bit more renowed in my homecountry so its network here is pretty stronger....

anyone hs more resources, please keep posting!!! Thanks!

Im so thankful for creating this thread, it is very thoughtful and informative.

Im kinda in the similar situation, i hv to choose btw Duke and UVA (rejected by NYU +_+), both are really great schools, same raking with small LLM group, friendly staff, and beautiful campus (but UVA may take a lead on this).... There is no outstanding differnce I can find btw them... making decision is so tense!

Howver, im likely to choose Duke only for one reason (by now), that is Duke is a bit more renowed in my homecountry so its network here is pretty stronger....

anyone hs more resources, please keep posting!!! Thanks!

I really don't think uva belongs to the same league that berkeley, columbia, nyu or even upenn

8k$ might be a lot now... but no so much afterwards, and in the end columbia and nyu have so many specializations and courses that you rarely feel lost in the middle of strangers (from what I've read)

here are a few thoughts from a guy currently doing an NYU LLM.

1) Whoever said that it is kind of hard to meet people/make friends quickly at NYU was pretty much correct. Of course, that can be a function of what kind of person you are.
2) Expensive - NYC is super expensive. I rent a tiny apartment for what I could get a nice house for in in the South.
3) Law & Economics - I'm currently taking law & economics at NYU (prof Kornhauser). it's a great class. very, very well taught. moreover, it's nice to know that my professor and the dean of the NYU school of law have written significantly on the subject.
4) Corporate Law - I'm not in the corporate law LLM program, but I've heard mixed reviews about it. With regards to employment, the only person who I have talked to about jobs (who is in the corporate LLM program) has found employment in the City.

I think Berkeley is def. the best of those schools. But trusting on getting a spot from the waitlist is a little dangerous. Id accept Virginias offer if I were you, just in case Berkeley won't take ya...to be on the safe side.

I really don't think uva belongs to the same league that berkeley, columbia, nyu or even upenn

8k$ might be a lot now... but no so much afterwards, and in the end columbia and nyu have so many specializations and courses that you rarely feel lost in the middle of strangers (from what I've read)