Overall Rankings v. Specific Programs Forum

[gravityrides0]

Hi everyone! I have not looked through more than the first page of this forum, but I have an interesting question (sorry if this has been discussed).

At what point would you prioritize a higher ranked overall school before a higher ranked specific program, and vice versa?

As you can see by my profile, I have thus far only been admitted into the lowest ranked school I applied to. However, I am interested in IP and BU ranks 4th in IP nationally. If I got into Berkeley or Stanford (which obviously won't happen. and yes, I know I should have retaken the LSAT), I would easily choose those schools which are both better overall and in IP... But if I get into a school that is much better in overall ranking but worse in IP, I have no idea what to do (i.e. GULC, or even UCLA off the waitlist).

Have any of you had to think about the overall school v. specific program dilemma?

[kalvano]

This comes up all the time. Specialty rankings are worthless. Go to the best school you can get into.

[SnowDude]

I took a look at your profile and I saw that your major was sustainability and political science. Is sustainability an actual major or is it a concentration?

I ask because I have an extremely esoteric major as well and people often ask me the same question.

[20130312]

To give you the board's general consensus: Specific program rankings are useless (unless you want a tax LLM, in which case you should only think about NYU, Georgetown, or Florida). The only ranking distinctions that should be made are between the T14 and the rest, where the former schools have more national reach and the latter are regional. So you shouldn't go to a school because it's ranked 23rd, you should go to one either because it's a T14 or because it's in an area that you have ties to.

[Cupidity]

I agree with the poster above save a handful of IP programs in the T-50 like BU and GWU.

[gravityrides0]

I took a look at your profile and I saw that your major was sustainability and political science. Is sustainability an actual major or is it a concentration?

I ask because I have an extremely esoteric major as well and people often ask me the same question.

It is an actual major! I go to a university that has the first and best sustainability program in the nation. People don't understand what exactly it is or how useful it is just yet, but the program grows dramatically every year and has some amazing programs, faculty members, and research attached to it. What is your major?

[rad lulz]

.

[20130312]

People don't understand what exactly it is or how useful it is just yet, but the program grows dramatically every year

Wait, is this talking about law school?

[gravityrides0]

People don't understand what exactly it is or how useful it is just yet, but the program grows dramatically every year

Wait, is this talking about law school?

Are you being sarcastic with me?

I'm talking about my undergraduate program

[rad lulz]

.

[gravityrides0]

Stick to the original question ! If you guys really want, I can better explain the value of a sustainability background... but you probably are not interested, so don't just make fun of it

[rad lulz]

.

[rad lulz]

.

[20130312]

Stick to the original question ! If you guys really want, I can better explain the value of a sustainability background... but you probably are not interested, so don't just make fun of it

My posting followed its usual pattern: Answer the question in one post, troll in subsequent posts.

[20130312]

To give you the board's general consensus: Specific program rankings are useless (unless you want a tax LLM, in which case you should only think about NYU, Georgetown, or Florida). The only ranking distinctions that should be made are between the T14 and the rest, where the former schools have more national reach and the latter are regional. So you shouldn't go to a school because it's ranked 23rd, you should go to one either because it's a T14 or because it's in an area that you have ties to.

Even the T14 are regional.

To some degree, especially as you move further away from HYS.

[rinkrat19]

Stick to the original question !

You must be new to the internet.

How can you be an expert in "sustainability," when so many fields are affected? There's no way you can be competent in fossil fuel efficiency AND solar power AND tree farms AND agriculture AND mass transit AND recycling AND city planning AND wind generation AND ecology AND zoology (ad infinitum), not to mention the politics and marketing and psychology and economics involved.

[Guchster]

These programs are typically bullshit to convince clueless 0Ls to pick their school over others. Minus a few like GW for IP. Othewrise it's a crock of shit.

Go to the best ranked school you can get into or where the $$ is at.

[Mal Reynolds]

Minus a few like GW for IP.

Really? Come on I thought we were being serious here.

[Guchster]

Minus a few like GW for IP.

Really? Come on I thought we were being serious here.

wat the fuck are you talking about?

[gravityrides0]

Stick to the original question !

You must be new to the internet.

How can you be an expert in "sustainability," when so many fields are affected? There's no way you can be competent in fossil fuel efficiency AND solar power AND tree farms AND agriculture AND mass transit AND recycling AND city planning AND wind generation AND ecology AND zoology (ad infinitum), not to mention the politics and marketing and psychology and economics involved.

Right-- well, at this point, Sustainability is only useful if you have another area of expertise. The program has many focuses-- a degree in "Sustainability with a focus on ___." (options include stuff like Policy and Governance (BA), Economics (BS), Ecosystems (BS), Urban Planning (BA), etc. etc. etc.). Recognizing that the program is still in its formative years, and that I wanted to go to law school, I took up a concurrent major.

The major itself is mostly about problem solving, focused on the intersection of economics, environmental issues, and society. i.e. how does a business continue to profit as resources become more scarce? how do we construct policy that protects or preserves natural resources without hindering the economy? how do we develop land without disrupting ecosystems and losing the services they provide to society or inhibiting the livelihoods of those in rural communities? Which alternative energy sources are most economically feasible? The problems that we delve into cover a variety of fields, but you would likely be using the degree in the context of one area: business consulting, policy, urban planning, etc. The rest of the classes you take are tailored to your concentration.

[rinkrat19]

Stick to the original question !

You must be new to the internet.

How can you be an expert in "sustainability," when so many fields are affected? There's no way you can be competent in fossil fuel efficiency AND solar power AND tree farms AND agriculture AND mass transit AND recycling AND city planning AND wind generation AND ecology AND zoology (ad infinitum), not to mention the politics and marketing and psychology and economics involved.

Right-- well, at this point, Sustainability is only useful if you have another area of expertise. The program has many focuses-- a degree in "Sustainability with a focus on ___." (options include stuff like Policy and Governance (BA), Economics (BS), Ecosystems (BS), Urban Planning (BA), etc. etc. etc.). Recognizing that the program is still in its formative years, and that I wanted to go to law school, I took up a concurrent major.

The major itself is mostly about problem solving, focused on the intersection of economics, environmental issues, and society. i.e. how does a business continue to profit as resources become more scarce? how do we construct policy that protects or preserves natural resources without hindering the economy? how do we develop land without disrupting ecosystems and losing the services they provide to society or inhibiting the livelihoods of those in rural communities? Which alternative energy sources are most economically feasible? The problems that we delve into cover a variety of fields, but you would likely be using the degree in the context of one area: business consulting, policy, urban planning, etc. The rest of the classes you take are tailored to your concentration.

That...actually makes sense. Good to hear they're not just churning out people who think they're going to save the world but really have no qualifications to do it.

[gravityrides0]

Stick to the original question ! If you guys really want, I can better explain the value of a sustainability background... but you probably are not interested, so don't just make fun of it

My posting followed its usual pattern: Answer the question in one post, troll in subsequent posts.

And I appreciate the trolling, but it happened too early At least wait until page 2!

[Guchster]

this is a very strict thread.

[20130312]

this is a very strict thread.

OP is really cracking the whip.

Did you have any other questions, grav?

[gravityrides0]

this is a very strict thread.

OP is really cracking the whip.

Did you have any other questions, grav?

oh god, the pressure's on!!

So the majority of you guys would choose gtown or UCLA over BU despite BU's IP program? Eeeeee....

other than that....umm. I guess no more questions. troll away.