Class Rank and School Choice

[whereskyle]

Something to spark discussion: Is it better to be #1 at a Regional than to be #100 at a non-HYS T14?
I've read people sobbing on these forums about how their low class rank at a T14 dissolves any perceivable boost, and that law school is a huge mistake. What do you think?

[rebexness]

Depends on the regional school, the non HYS 14, and how that 100 ranking falls into the class percentile.

[kwais]

for what career goal?

#100 at CLS for NYC biglaw (that's actually honors and you should snag V5)
#1 at UofMontana for Montana state prosecutor gig.

[wolfgang]

maybe i'm too deep in tls, but my mind immediately went to, "if you want biglaw in a particular region, is it better to be #100 at a mid/low t-14 out of region, or to be #1 at a STRONG non-14 regional (but still probably tier 1) in the area you're hoping to snag biglaw?"

Am I super far off? given where this question is posted, this seems like a reasonable interpretation. As it stands, without more specifics, it's going to be hard to answer!

[UnderrateOverachieve]

Not sure if it makes too big of a difference. There is a special power in being #1 at a lot of schools that firms will take notice of. But that falls off quickly after #2. There is always intrigue about number 1. I think it is better to be 50% at a non-HYS T14 than being #5 at a 50-100. Otherwise, I think it would be fine to be #1 at 50 versus 50% at Boalt.

[lawschool22]

Depends on your goals, and your desired employment location compared to the location of the so-called regional.

[bk1]

You can't actually determine whether you'll be #1 at school X or #100 at school Y so this is a pretty pointless comparison.

Is it tougher when you have poor grades at a T14 than if you had good grades? Of course it is. It doesn't "erase the boost" since having the high ranked school on your resume is still beneficial compared to having a lower ranked school on your resume.