Columbia ASW versus Penn ASW Forum

[qmn101]

Hi TLSers,

Anyone have thoughts on the Columbia ASW versus Penn ASW?
They seem to very different law school experiences.

[GreenEggs]

Columbias was beyond awful.

[AOT]

Can you expand? I missed Columbia's so interested to hear more

[lnick93]

Also interested in this. I went to Columbia's fist ASW and had a great time.

I wasn't able to get to Penn's, so any thoughts on that one would be helpful.

[middlebear]

Columbias was beyond awful.

I can't speak to Penn's, but I went to Columbia's most recent ASW and also did not enjoy. I think parts of that might be personal--I was fairly certain going in I didn't want to be in NYC, and I'm interested in gov't/PI work and Columbia's infamously corporate.

This sounds terrible, but honestly I think some of the stuff the students said to me was kind of what killed it. The faculty put on all these social justice/here's the cool work and research we're doing panels, which sounded great, and then you talked to students in pretty much any class year and they said the equivalent of "well, yeah, that's great, but we're all only here for the firms and that's what CLS is really good at." It felt weirdly like the school was trying to trick us in the door? Though I had some great conversations with professors/staff.

I also, on an unrelated note, was really struck by how many people there were (mainly KJDs, I think?) who, even though almost no one knows anything on scholarships yet, were already saying they were committed to CLS--both EDers and people who said they had already made up their minds. And the number of parents wandering around. I felt almost like it was a different/less informed (not everyone, obviously, but… more visibly so) group of students than I've seen at other schools.

Also, the first day where you sat in that auditorium for like 2 hours straight was hell. I was not feeling well from traveling the day before and thought I was going to introduce myself to all you lovely people by vomming in the middle of the first panels. I'm still not really sure organizationally the whole two days was planned very well.

[Clemenceau]

I'm deciding mostly between penn and columbia and quite frankly I'm kind of glad that I didn't attend either official ASW. I went to dukes last week and I think simply the idea of sitting through 12 hours of propaganda at any law school would have turned me off of it. Being hungover probably didn't help either.

Thats not intended to be a testament against duke by any means. Duke was great. I think I just don't enjoy ASWs.

[Clemenceau]

I'm fortunate to know current students at all the schools I'm considering. Reaching out to them has proved more valuable than any panel discussion or faculty lunch or whatever

[middlebear]

I'm fortunate to know current students at all the schools I'm considering. Reaching out to them has proved more valuable than any panel discussion or faculty lunch or whatever

lol is it terrible that the current students I know are sometimes major reasons NOT to go to a school?

[jbagelboy]

Columbias was beyond awful.

I can't speak to Penn's, but I went to Columbia's most recent ASW and also did not enjoy. I think parts of that might be personal--I was fairly certain going in I didn't want to be in NYC, and I'm interested in gov't/PI work and Columbia's infamously corporate.

This sounds terrible, but honestly I think some of the stuff the students said to me was kind of what killed it. The faculty put on all these social justice/here's the cool work and research we're doing panels, which sounded great, and then you talked to students in pretty much any class year and they said the equivalent of "well, yeah, that's great, but we're all only here for the firms and that's what CLS is really good at." It felt weirdly like the school was trying to trick us in the door? Though I had some great conversations with professors/staff.

I also, on an unrelated note, was really struck by how many people there were (mainly KJDs, I think?) who, even though almost no one knows anything on scholarships yet, were already saying they were committed to CLS--both EDers and people who said they had already made up their minds. And the number of parents wandering around. I felt almost like it was a different/less informed (not everyone, obviously, but… more visibly so) group of students than I've seen at other schools.

Also, the first day where you sat in that auditorium for like 2 hours straight was hell. I was not feeling well from traveling the day before and thought I was going to introduce myself to all you lovely people by vomming in the middle of the first panels. I'm still not really sure organizationally the whole two days was planned very well.

Lol the parents were def weird, not sure what that was about. Then again, I guess it's kinda sweet they care so much. My folks didn't even know I was visiting law schools. It can be crazy overbearing though.

From the current student side, I'm surprised by the description of other 0Ls; I didn't meet a single EDer, and the applicants I did speak to appeared to be contemplating a thoughtful decision (typically b/t cls and nyu, harvard, chicago). Very very few from c/o 2015 undergrad. A few kids cited us news and I told them that was an awful way of making a choice, but lol.

Many students - including myself - have a lot of grievances with the administration, so it's no surprise they would alienate some admitted students. Don't let it sour the school too badly. As for firms, sure most people work at firms their 2L summer, but many of those who summered start their careers with a government honors, international agency, or fellowship (everything you see on LST other than firms) and take a different track from there. SJI is pretty legit.