What is the most (lay) prestigious school in your area? Forum

mattviphky · Post by **mattviphky** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:51 am

For instance, in my town that is midwestern and predominantly catholic, Notre Dame is up there with Harvard and Yale, and is higher than Stanford. I mean, if I told someone I went to NDLS, they would be far more impressed than if I went to Stanford and below.

CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:57 am

Stanford & Northwestern. But I grew up in a Catholic area in which Notre Dame was as highly regarded as any college in the country.

CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:06 am

This is an interesting question & certainly reflects where one lives. I know many parents & students in the Northeast US who think that Ivies are the only prestigious universities--along with Notre Dame, MIT & Stanford. Many in Georgia hold Georgia Tech in high regard. Some areas in the South look upon their flagship state university's honors program or honors college as the promised land of education.

omninode · Post by **omninode** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:07 am

Agree on the Notre Dame thing. Living in Michigan, people talk about that school with great reverence. Catholic, non-catholic, doesn't seem to matter. Maybe it's the "Rudy" effect. Meanwhile, certain highly ranked schools in the region (e.g. Chicago and Northwestern) have almost zero name recognition.

Michigan State's reputation (as a law school) is grossly overinflated, but maybe that is just a function of it being in the state where I live. People tend to judge a school by its sports programs, not realizing that the law school is a completely separate and unrelated entity. Of course the University of Michigan is highly regarded, but that is totally deserved.

mattviphky · Post by **mattviphky** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:20 am

yeah, maybe it is less of a catholic thing and more of a midwestern thing. yeah, sports programs definitely make any college much more reputable. ole miss is definitely a big deal down there. yeah, chicago and columbia are not nearly as awe inspiring as ND, or UIUC, at least in Illinois.

framboozer · Post by **framboozer** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:21 am

Schools that mean the most where I live: All the ivies + Georgetown
Schools that unfortunately don't mean as much: Chicago, NYU, Michigan, UVA, Northwestern
Schools that people seem to know are good, but underestimate how good: Stanford, Berkeley, Duke

And outside of the T14, I don't think any other school has lay prestige in my area. People will know schools like USC and UCLA, but they won't know exactly where they rank, just that they're good.

I think it's quite obvious I live in the Northeast.

CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:27 am

Maybe I misunderstood the original post. Are you referring to colleges & universities or to law schools ? If law schools, then it's Harvard & the state law school period. Catholic area where I grew up would include Georgetown & Notre Dame. My earlier posts refer only to undergraduate prestige, however.
In my experience, laypersons don't distinguish among law schools. But, for the few that do, it would reflect the perceived prestige of the undergraduate university with which the law school is affiliated. Law school is prestigious period. Same with respect to medical schools.

Moxie · Post by **Moxie** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:33 am

Harvard, then Yale. Although ND and Georgetown always impress people (Boston)

mattviphky · Post by **mattviphky** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:52 am

yeah, law school in general has tons of lay prestige. i guess i was asking about law school, but i know for most people law school and undergrad share the same name, so it really doesnt matter i guess

duckmoney · Post by **duckmoney** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:58 am

Harvard > Florida > all schools someone thinks is an ivy (most real ivies, not including Penn, because they that's Penn State, but including Georgeotown) > FSU > all other law schools

ndirish2010 · Post by **ndirish2010** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:19 am

Back home (Long Island)- HYP....rest of ivies/MIT/Stanford...Duke/Georgetown/ND/NYU/UVA/UNC...BC/BU...Vandy/USC/UCLA...Michigan/Berkeley

Here in South Bend- ND/HY....IU/Purdue/Michigan/Princeton+ rest of ivies...UIUC....Northwestern....Chicago

kapital98 · Post by **kapital98** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:43 am

Cornell...

But that's because I live 30 miles away -- and even then Cornell is not considered nearly as prestigious as Harvard (It's Harvard > Cornell > Every other 4 year college > community college)

JusticeHarlan · Post by **JusticeHarlan** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:48 am

CanadianWolf wrote:This is an interesting question

Really?

TheFutureLawyer · Post by **TheFutureLawyer** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:04 am

duckmoney wrote:Harvard > Florida > all schools someone thinks is an ivy (most real ivies, not including Penn, because they that's Penn State, but including Georgeotown) > FSU > all other law schools

This is probably true for most of Florida, though in Miami you'd want to exchange FSU for UM. If you asked most people in Florida to make a list of the top law schools, Florida would probably be put somewhere ahead of UCLA.

CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:06 am

JusticeHarlan: You take yourself too seriously. But thanks for taking the time to attempt to portray yourself as someone above the rest of us. BC Law is lucky to have you.

El_Gallo · Post by **El_Gallo** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:14 am

In the Mormon community, there are tons of people that think BYU is just as good as any of the ivies.

dudders · Post by **dudders** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:21 am

When I lived in Colorado, CU was considered highly prestigious. Now in DC, non-legal people similarly ooh-and-aah over Georgetown and GW (unlike everyone on TLS).

studebaker07 · Post by **studebaker07** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:24 am

Ivy league schools (harvard, yale, standford, etc.) > ASU = UA >> all other T1 and T2s >>>>>>>>>>>>> Phoenix School of Law (most people: "University of Phoenix actually has a law school?!")

**EDIT: Sorry; I should have said that this is in Arizona.

CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:27 am

Would like to read impressions from anyone familiar with the Dallas, Texas area regarding the perception of SMU versus UTexas. Thanks !

JusticeHarlan · Post by **JusticeHarlan** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:41 am

CanadianWolf wrote:JusticeHarlan: You take yourself too seriously. But thanks for taking the time to attempt to portray yourself as someone above the rest of us. BC Law is lucky to have you.

Campagnolo · Post by **Campagnolo** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:43 am

In Portland U Oregon gets all the love, then Lewis and Clark, then U Washington.

Top schools still trump.

CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:46 am

JusticeHarlan: If you don't like the thread, then why spend so much time on it ?
As I PM'd you, Suffolk let a good one get away.

P.S. Lighten up. You're not as deep as you imagine yourself to be. But I do sense a certain stalker quality....

JusticeHarlan · Post by **JusticeHarlan** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:48 am

CanadianWolf wrote:JusticeHarlan: If you don't like the thread, then why spend so much time on it ?

For the lulz, mainly.

CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:50 am

Guess this means that we're friends now !

imbored25 · Post by **imbored25** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 12:04 pm

CanadianWolf wrote:Would like to read impressions from anyone familiar with the Dallas, Texas area regarding the perception of SMU versus UTexas. Thanks !

Texas>SMU

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