Attending a lower ranked school vs. higher Forum

[airplay355]

Sorry if this has been covered before...

I was browsing law school transparency and noticed some lower ranked schools had similar (almost identical) employment prospects as higher ones. Cardozo and BU for example.

How does one choose between schools like that? Does ranking mean so much anymore or does the choice come down to scholly money, where you ultimately want to end up and COL.

[dingbat]

Sorry if this has been covered before...

I was browsing law school transparency and noticed some lower ranked schools had similar (almost identical) employment prospects as higher ones. Cardozo and BU for example.

How does one choose between schools like that? Does ranking mean so much anymore or does the choice come down to scholly money, where you ultimately want to end up and COL.

Rankings aren't perfect. Also, it's better to think of schools in bands rather than by ranking.
HYS - anyone should be able to land a job anywhere
T14 - Most people should be able to get a good job, in most any location
T1 - this is a regional school. Don't go if you don't want to work in that region
TTT - A) the only school in a small market (e.g. Wyoming), which may be worth attending if you want to work in that market; or B) a bottom-feeder in a saturated market. Don't attend under any circumstances

Note that a lot of markets have several schools that feed into them. Typically, there's a well-established ranking within that market, which is worth keeping in mind at all times.
Comparing schools in different markets is pointless - who cares if the second best school in Tennessee outperforms the second best school in Wisconsin? they don't compete with each other.

[Nova]

Choose based on location, cost, and prospects. Rank does not matter.

For instance, I would have rather attended SMU/UHLC over many T1s.

[TLSwag]

Sorry if this has been covered before...

I was browsing law school transparency and noticed some lower ranked schools had similar (almost identical) employment prospects as higher ones. Cardozo and BU for example.

How does one choose between schools like that? Does ranking mean so much anymore or does the choice come down to scholly money, where you ultimately want to end up and COL.

ummmmm where are you getting these "identical" employment prospects?

BU - 19.8% (Large Firm) + 1.8% (Fed. Clerkship)

Dozo - 11.8% (Large Firm) + 2.9% (Fed. Clerkship)

[BruceWayne]

Rankings aren't perfect. Also, it's better to think of schools in bands rather than by ranking.HYS - anyone should be able to land a job anywhere T14 - Most people should be able to get a good job, in most any location[/size]T1 - this is a regional school. Don't go if you don't want to work in that regionTTT - A) the only school in a small market (e.g. Wyoming), which may be worth attending if you want to work in that market; or B) a bottom-feeder in a saturated market. Don't attend under any circumstances

Lol

[20130312]

Also, make sure you aren't just comparing one year of data to draw the conclusion that "employment prospects are identical."

[locthebloke]

T14 - Most people should be able to get a good job, in most any location

Pfffft. Tell that to my friend who who graduated from Northwestern. She was firmly middle of her class. 8 months to find a job. Job is in Bumfucksville, IL for 45k/yr... Northwestern!

It is even worse out there than many folks here on TLS like or want to believe it is. Open your eyes, people.

[flem]

T14 - Most people should be able to get a good job, in most any location

Pfffft. Tell that to my friend who who graduated from Northwestern. She was firmly middle of her class. 8 months to find a job. Job is in Bumfucksville, IL for 45k/yr... Northwestern!

It is even worse out there than many folks here on TLS like or want to believe it is. Open your eyes, people.

Oh cool this guy again

[bk1]

Sorry if this has been covered before...

I was browsing law school transparency and noticed some lower ranked schools had similar (almost identical) employment prospects as higher ones. Cardozo and BU for example.

How does one choose between schools like that? Does ranking mean so much anymore or does the choice come down to scholly money, where you ultimately want to end up and COL.

There is one drastic difference between BU and Cardozo... the amount of people going into big firms (it's essentially double at BU). The percentage of grads that get set into highly desirable employment (which is mostly big firms) is something that is important to consider between schools. That being said, BU's predicament (and that of many of its peer schools) shows how rough it is finding desirable work at schools below the T14 or so. The things you mentioned, total CoA (which is essentially tuition plus CoL minus scholarship money) and location are important, but job prospects are as well. There is a definite difference between BU and Cardozo but there are also even larger differences between say Cornell and Fordham. You shouldn't necessarily consider USNWR rankings but you should consider employment stats (all of the various ones such as underemployment, unemployment, NLJ250 percentage, etc) and those things do vary.

[BruceWayne]

Oh cool this guy again

Yeah personally I'm sick of hearing what happens to people at top 14 who end up below median. It's just not that relevant. Not many people end up below median in the top 14 anyway so what's the point in talking about it?

[flem]

Oh cool this guy again

Yeah personally I'm sick of hearing what happens to people at top 14 who end up below median. It's just not that relevant. Not many people end up below median in the top 14 anyway so what's the point in talking about it?

Or anecdotal evidence is fucking anecdotal?

[BruceWayne]

Oh cool this guy again

Yeah personally I'm sick of hearing what happens to people at top 14 who end up below median. It's just not that relevant. Not many people end up below median in the top 14 anyway so what's the point in talking about it?

Or anecdotal evidence is fucking anecdotal?

LOL yeah keep telling yourself that ending up unemployed or working a terrible job is merely an "anecdote" for those who end up below median at a top 14.

[Aberzombie1892]

I'm sure by now that everyone knows that T14s don't guarantee good employment outcomes.

[bk1]

LOL yeah keep telling yourself that ending up unemployed or working a terrible job is merely an "anecdote" for those who end up below median at a top 14.

I feel like you have completely gone off the deep end with trying to formulate cogent arguments.

[flem]

Instead of actually formulating a cogent argument, who wants to see me mow down a fucking straw man?

[bigvinny]

Instead of actually formulating a straw man, who wants to see me get mowed down by fucking cogent argument?

[flem]

Instead of actually formulating a straw man, who wants to see me get mowed down by fucking cogent argument?

132

[rglifberg]

Yeah personally I'm sick of hearing what happens to people at top 14 who end up below median. It's just not that relevant. Not many people end up below median in the top 14 anyway so what's the point in talking about it?

You clearly don't understand what a median is?

[Ruxin1]

Yeah personally I'm sick of hearing what happens to people at top 14 who end up below median. It's just not that relevant. Not many people end up below median in the top 14 anyway so what's the point in talking about it?

You clearly don't understand what a median is?

(clearly doesn't understand what sarcasm is)