What is the deal with "sections" in classes? Forum

[2807]

Sorry, I cannot get a grasp on this.

1. Is an incoming class always divided into large groups (sections)? WHY?

2. Are the people in the section together for all classes first year?

3. Is the grading curve based off of your section only?

I am wondering if people can be in a classes and the person sitting next to you is NOT in your "section" are your grades/curve decided differently? That seems crazy.

Do they put all the "smartest" together? Do they put the lower scoring (LSAT / GPA) people with the highest scoring?

I asked about this at an open house at a local law school and they had no idea what I was talking about when I asked about "sections". I'm going to another open house soon, I would like to be more informed! Thanks

[dougroberts]

Yes to your three questions.

[dougroberts]

Do they put all the "smartest" together? Do they put the lower scoring (LSAT / GPA) people with the highest scoring?

Rumor is yes, there is section stacking at all/most schools, but of course there isn't any proof of this, so don't worry about section staking.

[Eugenie Danglars]

Have you read Harry Potter? House=section is a decent analogies. Just like all the Gryffindors take Transfiguration together, all 1L's in a given section will have Torts together. To extend the analogy, Professor McGonagall will determine the Transfiguration curve for the Gryffindors alone. The Ravenclaws might have a different curve. And Hogwarts is upfront about section stacking- Ravenclaw gets the clever folks.

/nerdiness

[2807]

I have no grasp of any Harry Potter reference. I have never seen any of it, quite to the dismay of my niece and nephew. Sorry. What the heck is a hogwart? goodgrief....

I'm old. 39. Now, you want to talk Jawa's, Jedi's, or Blair and Natalie, or David Lee Roth, then I'm in.

[kazu]

Have you read Harry Potter? House=section is a decent analogies. Just like all the Gryffindors take Transfiguration together, all 1L's in a given section will have Torts together. To extend the analogy, Professor McGonagall will determine the Transfiguration curve for the Gryffindors alone. The Ravenclaws might have a different curve. And Hogwarts is upfront about section stacking- Ravenclaw gets the clever folks.

/nerdiness

<3

[Eugenie Danglars]

I have no grasp of any Harry Potter reference. I have never seen any of it, quite to the dismay of my niece and nephew. Sorry. What the heck is a hogwart? goodgrief....

I'm old. 39. Now, you want to talk Jawa's, Jedi's, or Blair and Natalie, or David Lee Roth, then I'm in.

Sorry for being too modern. Ok...ummm....

Every year, the Jedi training school receives a bunch of young trainees. They split them into groups. To encourage brotherly Jedi bondingness, each group (or section) of young Jedi take their classes together. All together for levitation lessons, all together for light saber 101, etc. When the Jedi masters go to determine the grades, they look at each group individually. (Because it would be unfair to penalize the kiddos who didn't benefit from being in Anakin's section, clearly.) And the Jedi masters, unlike most law schools, probably don't section stack because they are so fair-minded.

Yeah, the Harry Potter one was better...

[2807]

Nice. Confusing, but funny. "A" for effort.

[Eugenie Danglars]

Nice. Confusing, but funny. "A" for effort.

Yeah, I know, I tried.

[tea_drinker]

Have you read Harry Potter? House=section is a decent analogies. Just like all the Gryffindors take Transfiguration together, all 1L's in a given section will have Torts together. To extend the analogy, Professor McGonagall will determine the Transfiguration curve for the Gryffindors alone. The Ravenclaws might have a different curve. And Hogwarts is upfront about section stacking- Ravenclaw gets the clever folks.

/nerdiness

This post makes my day.

[Hedwig]

Have you read Harry Potter? House=section is a decent analogies. Just like all the Gryffindors take Transfiguration together, all 1L's in a given section will have Torts together. To extend the analogy, Professor McGonagall will determine the Transfiguration curve for the Gryffindors alone. The Ravenclaws might have a different curve. And Hogwarts is upfront about section stacking- Ravenclaw gets the clever folks.

/nerdiness

This post makes my day.

Hahahaha, you just made me like ten times happier I'm applying to law school, just with that post.

[yoitsmebenny]

HP references...beautiful. Who's got their tickets for the new movie already??

[094320]

..

[Grizz]

Do they put all the "smartest" together? Do they put the lower scoring (LSAT / GPA) people with the highest scoring?

Rumor is yes, there is section stacking at all/most schools, but of course there isn't any proof of this, so don't worry about section staking.

What probably actually DOES happen at schools is that they give out scholarships with a "top quarter" requirement to half of the class, so it feels like section stacking.