jne381 wrote:I would like to note that I received a message from MSU Law today telling me that applications to the school are up 25% this year, and this 3 times greater than the national average rise in applications. Take that for what it is worth, but this is one metric that USNWR does look at when ranking law schools.
There's a pretty obvious reason why number of applications received isn't a metric in calculating rankings (not saying the formula they use is a good one).
jne381 wrote:Taken with the news during last semester that MSU Law had the highest Bar passage rate for first time Bar-takers of any school that has significant amount of students taking the Bar in Michigan (Better than U of M), I think this is a positive trend. I don't find these things to be highly significant, but once again, they are small things that help boost the ranking of the school in USNWR.
Not sure if that offsets the last 2 bar exams where MSU got pwned. E.g.-
February 2009 bar exam passage at MSU:
FIRST-TIME Bar Exam Takers Breakdown (Statewide: 85%)
Michigan State University: 76%
Ave Maria: 100%
Cooley: 86%
U of D Mercy: 90%
U of M: 100%
Wayne: 78%
University of Toledo: 100%
Out of State Law Schools: 84%
ALL Exam Takers Breakdown (Statewide: 71%)
Michigan State University: 65%
Ave Maria: 50%
Cooley: 75%
U of D Mercy: 63%
U of M: 100%
Wayne: 70%
University of Toledo: 100%
Out of State Law Schools: 64%
FWIW bar passage rates are a somewhat dumb metric that USNews uses being that bar passage is a lot more correlated with bar prep courses, study, etc and not what you learn in law school.