Top Law Schools

As the Subj indicates, looking for a clever way to advertise this on a resume without lying. Top 1/3 would be nice for well documented reasons, but trying to think of some alternatives. Thoughts?

Just list your GPA.

I'm going to have my GPA, but wondering for rank line of resume. GPA in all actuality doesnt mean anything to an employer without a rank (unless that GPA reads 3.7+).

For the most part firms are going to know what the cutoffs are at your school. If not, just put top 35%.

Can you just put your actual class rank? I.e., 34/100 or whatever.

ph14 wrote:Can you just put your actual class rank? I.e., 34/100 or whatever.

This. If you say 68/203, they'll do the math in their head and say "Oh, top 1/3."

I'm making up the numbers, but perhaps something like this would work.

GPA: 3.257 (Top 33%=3.258)

Just say top third.

Druid wrote:Just say top third.

Don't be dishonest. Say top third-ish. Professional and honest.

You could put your class %.

transferror wrote:

Druid wrote:Just say top third.

Don't be dishonest. Say top third-ish. Professional and honest.

No. There's no need to lawyer this up. .13% from actual top third is top third for all intents and purposes.

i mean it's pretty likely that ONE person above you will transfer out before the year starts, right?

Bottom 2/3

Druid wrote:

transferror wrote:

Druid wrote:Just say top third.

Don't be dishonest. Say top third-ish. Professional and honest.

No. There's no need to lawyer this up. .13% from actual top third is top third for all intents and purposes.

I was clearly joking...i.e., "ish."

YYZ wrote:I'm making up the numbers, but perhaps something like this would work.

GPA: 3.257 (Top 33%=3.258)

The correct response.

+1

transferror wrote:

Druid wrote:

transferror wrote:

Druid wrote:Just say top third.

Don't be dishonest. Say top third-ish. Professional and honest.

No. There's no need to lawyer this up. .13% from actual top third is top third for all intents and purposes.

I was clearly joking...i.e., "ish."

My bad.

Thanks for the responses! While bottom 2/3 is tempting, Im thinking I like the "GPA: 3.257 (Top 33%=3.258)" example someone gave or just plain xx/xxx. thanks again

You could also just say like "Top 35%" or something.

Yea 35% would work but I know the legal comm. has hard on for simple fractions. I'll prob just go simple and throw down xx/xxx because a 2 digit number looks sexy next to a 3 digit number and hope attys hate simple math and will just say "oh thats probably in the top third"

chiguy99 wrote:Yea 35% would work but I know the legal comm. has hard on for simple fractions. I'll prob just go simple and throw down xx/xxx because a 2 digit number looks sexy next to a 3 digit number and hope attys hate simple math and will just say "oh thats probably in the top third"

"Class Rank: 98/105"

MSPeast wrote:

chiguy99 wrote:Yea 35% would work but I know the legal comm. has hard on for simple fractions. I'll prob just go simple and throw down xx/xxx because a 2 digit number looks sexy next to a 3 digit number and hope attys hate simple math and will just say "oh thats probably in the top third"

"Class Rank: 98/105"

"Seems like top half to me!"

I see what you did there ...

Check with career services/any published résumé guidance. Some schools (mine among them) permit rounding of rank, but not GPA, so 33.4x can become 33 but 33.54 must become 34 or may be 33.5 but 33.56 must be 33.6. Thus, at least at my school, you could say top 1/3 and be fine.

I would say actual class rank: ##/###. Same situation happened to me, and I later found out from friends that several interviewers actually checked top % for similar situations (even though outside one or two spots). Just don't lie on your resume. The parentheses percentage move might also be ok, but that just draws their attention to it, and you don't get points for being a boy scout like that IMO.