<p>Im currently a sophomore philosophy and business double major at SUNY Binghamton. For awhile, Ive been considering transferring to a school such as Columbia, Vassar, Brown, or Yale. I have this very romantic idea of being in such an academically intense community, staying in the library until 5 am and drinking buckets of coffee every single day while conversing with some of the worlds brightest undergraduates. Maybe Id even find my unique calling in life amidst all of that youthful brilliance.</p>
<p>Im very unsure about what I would like to do later in life, but recently I started thinking about law school. Columbia Law costs $62,000, which seems to be the norm for many of the top private law schools.</p>
<p>If I was to transfer, Id be pretty much eating up my savings entirely (unless I was to get a nice amount of financial aid), and so I would have practically nothing for after graduation. This would require me to take out a lot of loans if I was to go to law school. However, I also know that top law schools such as Columbia accept a third of its class from the undergraduate school.</p>
<p>So basically, I see extreme pros and extreme cons of transferring. Given that Im not even sure what Id like to do, Im curious to hear the advice of CC, even if to just have the pros and cons further evaluated. Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>"However, I also know that top law schools such as Columbia accept a third of its class from the undergraduate school."</p>
<p>I wonder if they actually give preference to their undergrads. I doubt it. law admissions simply look at your lsat and gpa. they want the highest possible.</p>
<p>i think what i'm trying to say is that I don't think you will enhance your chances much by transferring to a prestigious school. admissions don't weigh one's Under graduate institution very, if at all, heavily.</p>
<p>A friend of mine at Columbia law said that only about 4-5% per class were former Columbia undergraduates. It seems like more Columbia undergrads either opt for Harvard or wind up at less stellar law schools.</p>
<p>As for the experience of "very romantic idea of being in such an academically intense community, staying in the library until 5 am and drinking buckets of coffee every single day while conversing with some of the worlds brightest undergraduates"...you may find yourself disillusioned. The world's brightest undergrads are usually far more interested in experimenting with their toxin tolerance at that hour...or if they are in the library, solitarily popping enough Adderall to pump out a paper or four...</p>
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The world's brightest undergrads are usually far more interested in experimenting with their toxin tolerance at that hour...or if they are in the library, solitarily popping enough Adderall to pump out a paper or four...
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<p>Unfortunately, for the most part, this is true. I recall hearing that Reed College, perhaps one of the most academically intense institutioins in the nation, is known for high substance abuse among undergraduates.</p>
<p>However, one can find the kind of scholarly community donpon seeks...</p>
<p>...at <em>perhaps</em> MIT, Caltech, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, JHU, and Rice.</p>
<p>The Adderall thing is, sadly, very true. Worse in law school - I know quite a few people who use it to put in unholy amounts of time. Makes it hard for those of us who aren't using controlled substances to compete. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, you can find intellectually curious people at any school, and some schools - more than others - are known for having students who sit up and talk about stuff. Really consider finding a school where students also drink buckets of coffee as they spend the night talking about life, politics, academics, etc.</p>