Cornell University, Cornell Law School Admission
Cornell University, Cornell Law School Undergraduate Program
Cornell University, Cornell Law School Application

The Facts

Cornell University is perhaps one of the most prestigious private institutions in the country located in the town of Ithaca in Upstate New York. The university has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 20,000 students, however, the university's law school is significantly smaller, and is home to about 585 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 23, and it is fairly rare for students to enter the school directly after their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its excellent research resources, as well as for its beautiful campus and dedicated faculty. The school offers degrees in the 3 year JD, the 1 year LLM, the 3 year JD/LLM in international and comparative law, the 4 year JD/Matrise en Driot French law degree, the 2 year JSD, the 4 year JD/MLLP master of German and European law and legal practice, as well as the 3 year JD/DESS French degree in global business law. The school also offers several joint degrees including the JD/MBA, JD/MPA, JD/MA, JD/PhD, JD/MRP, as well as the JD/MILR. Some of the most popular programs include courses in the areas of international law, global business law, intellectual property law, as well as criminal law.

Admission to Cornell University's law school is extremely competitive among the many students who apply each year; last year, over 4,706 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 794 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 193 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 165-168, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.6. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and there is currently no early application program available to students.

The Cornell Law School has 60 full-time faculty members, and students are in agreement that they are extremely dedicated to the school and to the well-being and success of their own students. The school has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of 12:1, and the small classes allow for plenty of discussion and interaction between the students and their professor.

Employment Facts

Cornell students are constantly being sought out by employers, and they don't seem to be overly anxious about finding a job after completing their law degree. Over 98% of the most recent graduating class were able to find jobs within a few months of receiving their degrees, and their average starting salary was around $116,080. Students are most frequently recruited by employers in the areas of academia, business, industry, government, judicial clerkships, military services, private practices, large national and global law firms, as well as public interest organizations.

What's Good

"Things do get competitive, but in general, everyone is very supportive of one another, which is quite nice."

"The faculty here is absolutely amazing. Not only are they experienced and intelligent, but they really care about us."

"The job placement rates here go to show that firms really recognize the prestige of the school."

What's Bad

"There are students here who feel the need to cut others down in their quest for greatness."

"The school is not cheap, and the financial aid could be a but more significant in my opinion."

"There is a significant lack of internships available because we are fairly remote in terms of location."

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