Columbia University, School of Law Admission
Columbia University, School of Law Undergraduate Program
Columbia University, School of Law Application

The Facts

Columbia University is one of the most prestigious private universities in the country located in New York City. The university has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 25,000 students, however, the School of Law is significantly smaller, and is home to about 1,240 graduate law students. The average age of students when they enroll is around 24, and it is rather rare for students to enter directly from undergraduate school. The school of law is perhaps best known for its fantastic research resources, as well as for its deep connections within the New York law and justice community. Students have plenty of opportunities for internships, externships, as well as clerkships in order to make connections and gain valuable real-world experience. The school offers degrees in the 1 year LLM, as well as the JSD, which includes semesters in residence and a dissertation. The school also offers a wide range of joint degrees including JD/PhD, JD/MA, JD/MBA, JD/MFA in arts administration, JD/MS in urban planning, JD/MS in social work, JD/MS in journalism, JD/MIA in international affairs, JD/MPA in public affairs in conjunction with the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, as well as a JD/MPH in public health. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of civil procedure, commercial law, constitutional law, corporation securities law, criminal law, environmental law, government services, human rights law, intellectual property law, international law, labor law, legal history, legal philosophy, property, as well as taxation.

Admission to Columbia's School of Law is extremely competitive among the many students who apply; last year, over 8,355 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 1,187 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 374 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 167-173, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.65. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and students are able to take advantage of the early application program if they so choose.

The school has 163 faculty members, whom students say are extremely devoted to their positions as well as to their students progress and well-being. The school has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of 11:1, and students are in agreement that the small classes are a wonderful way to learn through interaction and discussion with fellow students.

Employment Facts

The School of Law students seem to be recruited from all angles of the legal world, which is particularly vibrant in New York City. Over 99% of the most recent graduates were able to find a job within a few months of receiving their degrees, and their average starting salary was around $125,000. Students are primarily hired by large international corporate law firms, federal judges, federal government agencies, as well as public interest organizations.

What's Good

"There isn't a better city in which to study as far as I'm concerned. The possibilities here are endless."

"There is a lot of work to do, but the professors have a way of making it interesting and worth your while."

"The internship and clerkship opportunities here are incredible, and have been where I've certainly learned the most."

What's Bad

"Things do tend to get pretty intense and competitive here, and the pressure can really get to you."

"The school itself is really big, and the administration is difficult to get a hold of."

"I wish more financial aid was offered to us graduate students; this school and this city are very expensive."

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