Villanova Reported Innacurate Data to the ABA Forum

[javancho]

To all those that got accepted into Villanova Law, you should know that the school admitted reporting inaccurate information to the ABA:

--LinkRemoved--

[dissonance1848]

Law schools reporting inaccurate data? NO WAY! I thought my TTTTT's report that the median private sector salary for the class of 2011 of $123000 was for real since, you know, only 7% of the students reported.

[javancho]

This news might hit the reputation of Villanova and is relevant to people considering attending. It seems that the fudged data involves LSAT and GPA scores.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ ... _law_dean/

[gothamm]

Law schools reporting inaccurate data? NO WAY! I thought my TTTTT's report that the median private sector salary for the class of 2011 of $123000 was for real since, you know, only 7% of the students reported.

So you are saying that I wont be making making $120,000 out of a tier 4 school? I mean thats just the median. I thought I would be making more than the median, because I am a hard worker.

[rose711]

I know people may not be shocked by this, but I am. I thought that the misleading numbers were all related to employment. It never occurred to me that schools would be so dishonest that they would lie about data that is so easy to double check. It is pretty sickening actually.

[Miracle]

The article doesn't address specifics.

[javancho]

The article doesn't address specifics.

No, but the ABA journal article states that:

Although the letter doesn't specify what admissions data, exactly, was fudged, a university spokesman tells the ABA Journal that "at this point it appears that it is limited to LSAT and GPA scores."

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ ... _law_dean/

[slacker]

This is why it's funny when adcomms say that they don't care about the rankings.

[HopefulFish]

It's so disheartening to see these tragic realities of the law school game. I sincerely despise USNWR and everyone who participates in it.

[soullesswonder]

I'm sorry...aside from the general principle of the thing, why does this matter? In no way does fudging LSAT and GPA medians disadvantage students. What matters is student outcomes as determined by post-graduate employment - and we all know how disingenuous schools are about that. It's disturbing to contrast the opprobrium this incident is receiving with the fatalistic attitude towards employment transparency.

[rose711]

I am even more concerned about the false employment data - but that wasn't what this article was about. What bothers me is that this data is easy to collect, quick to audit and easy to get caught cheating. The data from graduates about employment is more difficult to verify. I just think that if schools are lying about this then pretty much everything they report should be considered bogus. It matters because it further undermines credibility.

And I do think that students look at LSAT scores and GPA to decide where to apply- where they think they might get in- and also to decide where to accept - if they feel they might do better (or worse) at a certain school depending on where their scores fit into the reported medians.

[luckyme]

I'm sorry...aside from the general principle of the thing, why does this matter? In no way does fudging LSAT and GPA medians disadvantage students. What matters is student outcomes as determined by post-graduate employment - and we all know how disingenuous schools are about that. It's disturbing to contrast the opprobrium this incident is receiving with the fatalistic attitude towards employment transparency.

it's easier in some ways to assess/criticize the wrongdoings of one school than of an entire industry

[soullesswonder]

I'm sorry...aside from the general principle of the thing, why does this matter? In no way does fudging LSAT and GPA medians disadvantage students. What matters is student outcomes as determined by post-graduate employment - and we all know how disingenuous schools are about that. It's disturbing to contrast the opprobrium this incident is receiving with the fatalistic attitude towards employment transparency.

it's easier in some ways to assess/criticize the wrongdoings of one school than of an entire industry

I completely agree, which is why I'm concerned. Can't you just see the ABA rolling out a "Mission Accomplished" banner and pretending like the rot begins and ends with Villanova?

[Stonewall]

Say it ain't so! *does home alone face slap*

[ntugwater]

This news might hit the reputation of Villanova and is relevant to people considering attending. It seems that the fudged data involves LSAT and GPA scores.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ ... _law_dean/

nah it wont b/c no one really cares that much

[javancho]

This news might hit the reputation of Villanova and is relevant to people considering attending. It seems that the fudged data involves LSAT and GPA scores.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ ... _law_dean/

nah it wont b/c no one really cares that much

Your are probably right, and that is very sad. We all know schools "massage" employment data, but now one of them gets caught fabricating LSAT and GPA data, and lots of people will think it's not a big deal.

Well, I think it is a huge deal. We will give these law schools a huge chunk of money and time. I think the minimum we can expect in return from them is honesty.

When we have to pass the bar, we will go through the C&F examination, and we need to disclose everything, or so we are told. If we forget about even a silly parking ticket, it's a big deal. But when it comes to schools being dishonest, the attitude is: "no, that's OK, it's not a big deal."

The law is about honesty and truthfulness, and the fact that many future lawyers have become so complacent about law school data misrepresentation is very disturbing to me.

I also wish that schools would undergo some sort of C&F examination to get accredited and re-accredited.

[beach_terror]

The timing here is interesting, we're up for reaccrediation this year and the ABA reps are doing their campus evaluations this semester.

[HeavenWood]

Villanova's overrated, anyway. If you want to work in Philly, can't get into Penn, and have no ties to the region, pick the cheaper option between Temple and Rutgers-Camden.

[sanjola]

I am even more concerned about the false employment data - but that wasn't what this article was about. What bothers me is that this data is easy to collect, quick to audit and easy to get caught cheating. The data from graduates about employment is more difficult to verify. I just think that if schools are lying about this then pretty much everything they report should be considered bogus. It matters because it further undermines credibility.

And I do think that students look at LSAT scores and GPA to decide where to apply- where they think they might get in- and also to decide where to accept - if they feel they might do better (or worse) at a certain school depending on where their scores fit into the reported medians.

According to the article, it went unnoticed for several years, so it's not that easy to pinpoint false reports. I don't think it's a big deal, unless you are an uniformed applicant who relies on school reporting. I just think it's funny how law schools never admit to their dependency on the rankings, yet they scandals like this prove it.

[javancho]

I am even more concerned about the false employment data - but that wasn't what this article was about. What bothers me is that this data is easy to collect, quick to audit and easy to get caught cheating. The data from graduates about employment is more difficult to verify. I just think that if schools are lying about this then pretty much everything they report should be considered bogus. It matters because it further undermines credibility.

And I do think that students look at LSAT scores and GPA to decide where to apply- where they think they might get in- and also to decide where to accept - if they feel they might do better (or worse) at a certain school depending on where their scores fit into the reported medians.

According to the article, it went unnoticed for several years, so it's not that easy to pinpoint false reports. I don't think it's a big deal, unless you are an uniformed applicant who relies on school reporting. I just think it's funny how law schools never admit to their dependency on the rankings, yet they scandals like this prove it.

Really? I am one of those "uniformed applicant who relies on school reporting" when it comes to LSAT and GPA. USNWR and the ABA also rely on the data provided by the schools. Please enlighten me about the other resources you imply I can use to find LSAT and GPA data.

[sanjola]

I am even more concerned about the false employment data - but that wasn't what this article was about. What bothers me is that this data is easy to collect, quick to audit and easy to get caught cheating. The data from graduates about employment is more difficult to verify. I just think that if schools are lying about this then pretty much everything they report should be considered bogus. It matters because it further undermines credibility.

And I do think that students look at LSAT scores and GPA to decide where to apply- where they think they might get in- and also to decide where to accept - if they feel they might do better (or worse) at a certain school depending on where their scores fit into the reported medians.

According to the article, it went unnoticed for several years, so it's not that easy to pinpoint false reports. I don't think it's a big deal, unless you are an uniformed applicant who relies on school reporting. I just think it's funny how law schools never admit to their dependency on the rankings, yet they scandals like this prove it.

Really? I am one of those "uniformed applicant who relies on school reporting" when it comes to LSAT and GPA. USNWR and the ABA also rely on the data provided by the schools. Please enlighten me about the other resources you imply I can use to find LSAT and GPA data.

If you aren't going to apply because their reported numbers are too high, oh well. If you REALLY want to go to Vanderbilt and are disparaged by their reported stats, then you would apply anyway and call it a reach. I don't know the level of inflated numbers, but it was probably a point or two above the actual numbers.

I think the misleading employment statistics are worse.

[Bildungsroman]

It's always nice to see dishonest people slammed, but I hope this doesn't negatively affect the current students as well.

[javancho]

It's always nice to see dishonest people slammed, but I hope this doesn't negatively affect the current students as well.

Of course it's going to impact the school reputation and the current students. And that's why I think this is a a big deal. If Villanova fudged data, and got away with it for years, how do I know that the school which I'll be attending in a few months, and paying lots of money to attend, is not going to have a similar issue/scandal?

[beach_terror]

Our old Dean used to bang hookers, it can't come as that big of a surprise that there was other scandalous shit going too.

[Miracle]

It's always nice to see dishonest people slammed, but I hope this doesn't negatively affect the current students as well.

Of course it's going to impact the school reputation and the current students. And that's why I think this is a a big deal. If Villanova fudged data, and got away with it for years, how do I know that the school which I'll be attending in a few months, and paying lots of money to attend, is not going to have a similar issue/scandal?

+1