Top Law Schools

I'm really having trouble making a decision between Penn State and Villanova. I've visited the schools and like them both more or less equally, but have some concerns about each.

1). Until recently, I was pretty set on going to Nova - I like the Philly area and the school has a program that fits what I am interested in well. What really has started to bother me is all of the shenanigans related to the number-fudging. The dive-bomb in the rankings doesn't concern me as much as the reputation of the law school possibly changing, specifically related to job prospects. The issue didn't seem like that big of a deal to me until reading a few articles as well as some posts on here that made me a little paranoid (still can't really gauge the situation though). As a prospective student getting ready to invest a huge amount of time and money in my education, I really don't want to enroll at Villanova and get shortchanged later.

2). I like Penn State and the direction that the school is going. Again, I don't take much stock in the rankings but it did jump up about a dozen slots this year, some 20-odd spots ahead of Nova. They seem to be really serious about improving the law school in general and the facilities rock. However, I'm not quite as pumped about their curriculum for my intended focus area (though it's certainly sufficient). Additionally, I want to end up in a larger city and it seems as though a lot of Penn St grads place in the middle of PA as opposed to Pitt or Philly.

Ultimately, either school would be a comfortable fit, but I've really been back and forth and really need some help arriving a final decision! I sincerely appreciate any input that anybody has!

jb87 wrote:I'm really having trouble making a decision between Penn State and Villanova. I've visited the schools and like them both more or less equally, but have some concerns about each.

1). Until recently, I was pretty set on going to Nova - I like the Philly area and the school has a program that fits what I am interested in well. What really has started to bother me is all of the shenanigans related to the number-fudging. The dive-bomb in the rankings doesn't concern me as much as the reputation of the law school possibly changing, specifically related to job prospects. The issue didn't seem like that big of a deal to me until reading a few articles as well as some posts on here that made me a little paranoid (still can't really gauge the situation though). As a prospective student getting ready to invest a huge amount of time and money in my education, I really don't want to enroll at Villanova and get shortchanged later.

2). I like Penn State and the direction that the school is going. Again, I don't take much stock in the rankings but it did jump up about a dozen slots this year, some 20-odd spots ahead of Nova. They seem to be really serious about improving the law school in general and the facilities rock. However, I'm not quite as pumped about their curriculum for my intended focus area (though it's certainly sufficient). Additionally, I want to end up in a larger city and it seems as though a lot of Penn St grads place in the middle of PA as opposed to Pitt or Philly.

Ultimately, either school would be a comfortable fit, but I've really been back and forth and really need some help arriving a final decision! I sincerely appreciate any input that anybody has!

Don't worry about the rankings drop or even the numbers fudging. It will have zero short-term effects on local hiring. Additionally, Penn State's rise in the rankings does not change the fact that it's primarily a Harrisburg/York/Lancaster school. If your heart is set on Philadelphia, Villanova is the better choice.

Thanks!
When you say no short-term hiring effects, I assume you mean that the issue won't matter in the long-term?

jb87 wrote:Thanks!
When you say no short-term hiring effects, I assume you mean that the issue won't matter in the long-term?

Probably not. Granted, if Villanova stays down in the rankings long enough (and people start overwhelmingly preferring Temple as a result), the Philly market could noticeably tip in Temple's favor, but that requires a long string of conditionals which aren't worth worrying about. Such an effect would take years to accumulate (and I only think there's a very slight chance of that happening).

Also, i wouldn't put a great deal of stock in the fact that Nova has the program you're interested in. A lot of people I know go into law school thinking they want to do one thing but end up doing something entirely different. Heavenwood is right though, if you want to be in Philly, go to Nova. If you want to be in central-PA/have a little more flexibility (~50% of grads go outside of PA), then come to Penn St.

Isn't the University of Penn State located in Philly???

I know, I know, bad joke.