The U.S. News Law School Rankings are Over-Emphasized
I love the idea of the U.S. News law school Rankings going to a "Top 10", 1st Tier, 2nd Tier, Regional Schools listing (as suggested by articles and comments here) because I hate to see law school applicants choose #21 over #24 simply because that's how the schools are ranked in a particular year. What this really shows is that law schools are really offering essentially the same education within a certain ranking range and that prospective law students are not necessarily looking at factors like location, who hires recent grads, where they hope to practice, etc...
"So Ann, tell us how you Really Feel about the Rankings..."
This is getting a little bit off the subject of rankings, but it does tie in with the over-reliance on law school rankings. You'd be surprised how many people decide where to attend law school without actually visiting the campuses they are considering - as though meeting people who run the school and attend the school (and seeing the facilities where they'll be spending 60 hours a week) were completely unrelated to performance in law school and networking in the job market....
For more about my observations relating to the usefulness (or lack of usefulness) of the U.S. News Rankings, see my previous post, "What do the Law School Rankings Really Mean?"
Law School Expert Wants Your Ideas for Future Topics
I am happily accepting suggestions for future blog topics. So feel free to use the comments section to provide ideas.
Please keep in mind that the blog format does not lend itself well to giving individualized advice (for example, your chances at a particular law school given your LSAT/GPA, etc.) For advice related to your specific situation, please consider contacting me through my law school admission consulting website, LawSchoolExpert
Monday, July 28, 2008
Additional Insights About Law School Rankings
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I know that you have addressed the topic of older students(30+) in regards to securing LOR, but I wanted to see if you might be willing to address the topic of non-traditional applicants further. I know the request is somewhat vague, so let me clarify...
ReplyDeleteAs an older applicant, I wonder what admissions officers really think about us.
Do they see it as a positive or a negative? What is the best way to present yourself as an older student?
I am really excited to be applying to law school and to take the LSAT this fall, but I have to admit that I am a bit apprehensive when considering how admissions officers will see me.
I am adding this to my list and promise to write more about it soon - thanks for reading my blog!
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