Cornell vs. BU

Law School Admissions Choosing a Law School
1

Cornell or BU?

  • Cornell
  • BU
0 voters

It’s time to choose between Cornell and BU.

About me:
–Older student (30 y/o)
–Goal is to work in a small, tax-focused practice in New England (already have a job lined up)
–At BU, I would seek to complete a JD and LLM in Taxation in 3 years (BU offers this as a track). My biggest concern in going to Cornell is replicating the LLM course material, which is world-class and tailored to precisely what I’d be doing after graduation.
–I have lived in Boston and enjoy it there, although the idea of a rural LS experience is a major draw for me (I know many will disagree)
–I have strong family ties to Cornell Law School, and my girlfriend will be attending Cornell (not the law school) beginning in the fall for 2 years.
–I am in a fortunate place where $ is not the deciding factor, but my total, 3-year COA will be about $50k higher at Cornell.

I am basically weighing the Cornell setting/“prestige”/personal factors against the strength of the BU coursework, which I don’t think I can come close to replicating at Cornell. Any and all thoughts would be appreciated.

2

You already have a job lined up. Save the money and go to BU. You’ll just have to manage the LDR, which should be pretty doable between Boston and Ithaca.

3

I have a friend who did the JD/LLM tax dual-degree at BU and he said you should go to cornell and let the biglaw/midlaw/tax boutique firm pay for your tax llm once you start working.

4

BU Tax LLM does not cost more money on top of your JD tuition. Not sure if that’s how it works at Cornell. Just FYI.