Our Experiences at Admitted Students Day

This topic is the discussion of our specific experiences at admitted students day and what we have chosen. It is pulled from the discussion here. For the specific issue of choosing CLS over a public state school, see here.

NYU vs. Columbia

One major focus of the Admitted Students Day is to convince students that there are substantive opportunities for public interest. This either is designed to appeal to students simply because incoming students often speak of wanting to do public interest work, or is specifically targeted to counter the prevailing perception that NYU is more public-interest friendly than Columbia. Following are individual recollections of this sale and the following decision-making process

At admitted students day at both NYU and Columbia last year, Columbia sold the prestige of the school, the expertise of the professors, and the dynamic current students. Columbia then sent an enormous number of materials after admission. What else would you expect the school to do? NYU sent materials as well, and had alumns who had chosen NYU over CLS call to talk about the decisionmaking process.

Our role in the process

During Admitted Students Day, I found myself cheerleading for Columbia at various events. Others say this is 'perpetuating the con.' I don’t know if I’ve just completely guzzled the law school Kool-Aid, but I am happy here, and don't feel like I'm conning anyone, but I wonder if I'm in the minority, of if others are having conflicts.

The admitted students program follows a script -- the admit knows which questions to ask, and which answers to expect, and the student provides them. Glorifying CLS's public interest focus, for the purpose of selling the school, reeks like a con.

Although it is a script, we can easily change it: just make a conscious effort to be very thoughtful and as honest as possible in your discussions with admitted students next year. Instead of telling the admits about things they probably can't understand or be interested in until they actually interface with the law (e.g., public interest), I generally try to let my happiness with Columbia shine through. If anything, the approach makes me feel less like a conman.

Other possible topics not discussed, feel free to add your experiences:

-- AndrewCase - 02 Apr 2009

In my opinion, the admitted students event experiences should not be different based upon where it is you're choosing between. I think that the most helpful people I spoke to were the forthright ones who knew that they can't really compare their law school to other schools (since they don't attend them and only know superficial information that the admitted students also know). People will make their own decisions based upon their perceptions at each school; all we can do is try to provide an accurate representation of Columbia's academic life, student organizations, and faculty. On the other hand, telling individuals why Columbia is better than say, NYU, makes it seem like we are trying to prove something. I've always adopted the cliche, honesty is the best policy; we don't want people attending our law school for the wrong reasons (because someone convinced them at admitted students day) and later despising this atmosphere. If we let them know what exactly it is that Columbia offers, then students can make the best choices for themselves. Sometimes that will mean choosing Columbia over "higher prestige" schools (and sometimes it will mean the opposite), sometimes it will mean convincing someone that law school is the right decision for them, and hopefully it will always mean an accurate explanation of the competitive nature of law students.

-- LaurenRosenberg - 02 Apr 2009

I think the role of students in the admissions process is not to sell the merits of the school, but instead to demonstrate that the students at Columbia are honest, friendly, outgoing, level-minded thinkers. Admissions explicitly tells us that Admits judge our school based on how "cool" we appear to be. In order to guarantee a good performance, admissions supplies free wine and fancy finger food which, in contrast with the long hours of reading and Famiglia pizza we are used to, puts us in an amicable mood. From my experience with Admits, the substance of what a current student tells them is not nearly as important as how that current student carries him or herself.

Admissions does not need us to lie, they just need us to show up.

-- AlexanderUballez - 02 Apr 2009