Columbia Kent Scholars as 2L/3L Forum

[djwjddl]

Couldn't find much on this, but how much of an "achievement" is being Kent 2L or 3L year? Given the upper year curve, it doesn't seem to be THAT impressive? Any idea of what % of the class you fall into?

Wondering whether it's worth working really hard 2L or 3L year to try to get it rather than taking it easy and enjoying the rest of law school.

[MCFC]

I could have sworn I saw top 2-5% somewhere (so assuming closer to 5% for upper years). But I can't find it anywhere now. This says top 2-11%, but the link it goes to doesn't say that anywhere anymore.

[banjo]

Even a modest effort gets you Stone in 2L/3L year, but I think it's still hard to get Kent. There's too much unpredictability in grades, especially if you tend to fall around the A/A- cusp. My approach is to study at least a few days for each class and let the chips fall.

[smaug]

Not sure how many people end up with it. If you gun for it, it's totally possible, so I think some people realize it isn't a huge accomplishment, but relatively few gun for it in a given year.

Congrats if you got it, though! Most places will still put it on the website, so it's something that you should be proud of, regardless of how many people get it.

[Tiago Splitter]

See how first semesters goes. You might be surprised. If you do well hang tough and see if you can snag it. But don't go into the year gunning for it if you don't have clerkship or other aspirations that require great grades.

[bowser]

There are ways to get it without even trying that hard.

Seminars are 50% A/A-, but that curve includes actual seminars plus clinics and externships. Some of those are almost automatic A's if you show up and do your work. There are people who aren't Stone 1L year who get Kent as 2Ls/3Ls. I think you need to have some minimum of an actual class or seminar per year, though--maybe 2?

[Tiago Splitter]

I think you need nine real credits per semester to get counted for honors.

[nerdalicious05]

bump

[jbagelboy]

Seems like it would be relatively easy (at least compared to 1L) if you stack seminars and avoid taking more than one class a year where you risk a B+. I know more people that will hit kent this year than last just because they took like 2-3 seminars a semester and only 1-2 BLL. I guess you still have to work a little to get the A-'s so it won't be a total slouch, but the fact that a seminar A counts for backdooring purposes definitely makes it cheaper.

Then again, I guess if you're doing this for clerkship purposes judges like to see more of those black letter classes where you're most likely to get a B/B+.. So i dont really know what the end goal of that honors scheming would be. I agree w Tiaggo that you should just design your schedule and studying around more important things and if you happen to name yourself a kent scholar, that's just a bonus

[john_brown]

This is my dilemma going into 3L. Barring a spectacular turn of events (in either direction) I will finish 2L with Stone. As somebody said earlier, it's not particularly difficult. Show up, do more than the bare minimum and it's yours.

Still, I want Kent. The problem is that the most reliable way to get the necessary As is to take seminars. Those can be great, but there are several BLLs I really want to take (antitrust, fed courts etc.) and I feel my education will be poorer if I skip them for the sake of an easier A.

Can anyone relate?

[Tiago Splitter]

This is my dilemma going into 3L. Barring a spectacular turn of events (in either direction) I will finish 2L with Stone. As somebody said earlier, it's not particularly difficult. Show up, do more than the bare minimum and it's yours.

Still, I want Kent. The problem is that the most reliable way to get the necessary As is to take seminars. Those can be great, but there are several BLLs I really want to take (antitrust, fed courts etc.) and I feel my education will be poorer if I skip them for the sake of an easier A.

Can anyone relate?

I found it easier to get A's in BLL classes than in seminars. Don't know if this is possible in antitrust and especially fed courts so much, but the best way to get A's in these classes is to take them with LLM's. Find ones with a lot of LLM's (Pistor's Corps. class is a good start) and work fairly hard.

[MCFC]

Solid number of LLMs taking antitrust in my experience. Open to 1Ls too though in the spring, so maybe it cancels out?

[cws277]

This is my dilemma going into 3L. Barring a spectacular turn of events (in either direction) I will finish 2L with Stone. As somebody said earlier, it's not particularly difficult. Show up, do more than the bare minimum and it's yours.

Still, I want Kent. The problem is that the most reliable way to get the necessary As is to take seminars. Those can be great, but there are several BLLs I really want to take (antitrust, fed courts etc.) and I feel my education will be poorer if I skip them for the sake of an easier A.

Can anyone relate?

I found it easier to get A's in BLL classes than in seminars. Don't know if this is possible in antitrust and especially fed courts so much, but the best way to get A's in these classes is to take them with LLM's. Find ones with a lot of LLM's (Pistor's Corps. class is a good start) and work fairly hard.

Milhaupt corps also has a huge number of LLMs. Btw, seminars are terrible and no one should ever take them.

[jbagelboy]

This is my dilemma going into 3L. Barring a spectacular turn of events (in either direction) I will finish 2L with Stone. As somebody said earlier, it's not particularly difficult. Show up, do more than the bare minimum and it's yours.

Still, I want Kent. The problem is that the most reliable way to get the necessary As is to take seminars. Those can be great, but there are several BLLs I really want to take (antitrust, fed courts etc.) and I feel my education will be poorer if I skip them for the sake of an easier A.

Can anyone relate?

I found it easier to get A's in BLL classes than in seminars. Don't know if this is possible in antitrust and especially fed courts so much, but the best way to get A's in these classes is to take them with LLM's. Find ones with a lot of LLM's (Pistor's Corps. class is a good start) and work fairly hard.

Milhaupt corps also has a huge number of LLMs. Btw, seminars are terrible and no one should ever take them.

I think it's really faculty/subject dependent. I took one each semester, enjoyed them both and felt fair for 2cr, although admittedly I've heard of some people running into immense workloads for very low payout in seminars too.