"Quality" of students at differing law schools Forum

[WaltGrace83]

I tried searching but couldn't find anything though I am sure this has been talked about before. I am gunning for admission into a top school (hopefully with a big scholly!). I also know a lot of students at a local TTT. From what I have seen (which may certainly not be representative), they generally act like law school is an extension of college. There are lots of people who don't take their classes as seriously as I would assume is best, tend to be more interested in the social aspects of law school than the classes themselves, and generally don't seem to act as professional as I would assume law students would. I go down to the law school on some Saturdays to study and it is routinely empty.

Now I don't want to judge people too harshly. I am not a law student and I have absolutely no idea how mentally draining law school is and maybe I only see people during their break times. However, I cannot help but think that for some people, they simply do not care or maybe weren't fit for the life of an attorney to begin with. I mean, this school's medians are around 3.3 and a 156 and so they aren't exactly attracting the highest quality students by law school admissions standards.

My question is, should I be expecting this if I were to gain admission into a top school? In general, are people reflective of their GPA/LSAT scores? Do people at Penn, UVA, UChicago, Michigan, etc. behave differently than a TTT/TTTT grad would? I am highly interested because, while I don't want to sound like a dick, I always felt like I took college super seriously in comparison to my peers and it always kind of agitated me.

Once again, I don't want to stereotype. There are geniuses/dumbasses at almost every school. There are people who will inevitably take things seriously at TTT as people at Yale who probably don't give a shit.

[alexrodriguez]

Walt, just worry about you dude.

There are going to be things you do and don't like about people everywhere you go no matter the school/profession.

And try to remember that your law school doesn't necessarily determine how far your legal career will go. That's up to you and your character. Your brother went to TTTT right? That doesn't mean he's fucked. In fact, I'm sure he's doing fine.

I was doing some browsing on this firms website yesterday and the Managing Partner in the Singapore office was a guy who went to Hawaii.

It's all on you man. Getting into a law school is one thing, but then what you do at that law school is another. Make law review, do moot court, blah blah blah. Just stand out and don't give a fuck about what other people are doing unless those people are your friends and have similar goals.

[McAvoy]

If employers did not think there were serious, structural differences in the quality of students at different schools, the employment landscape wouldn't (crudely) look like this:

- T13 = > 50% in biglaw
- T14-18 = > 30% in biglaw
- Strong regionals = > 10% in biglaw
- TTTs = < 10% in biglaw

[MistakenGenius]

If employers did not think there were serious, structural differences in the quality of students at different schools, the employment landscape wouldn't (crudely) look like this:

- T13 = > 50% in biglaw
- T14-18 = > 30% in biglaw
- Strong regionals = > 10% in biglaw
- TTTs = < 10% in biglaw

This. It also doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. If one of your classmates is lazy and dicking around, take that as a blessing since you're compared to others.

[Max923]

In my experience, there's a huge difference between tiers of schools. After my freshman year during undergrad I transferred between a regional and an Ivy, and the most notable change was the quality of the student body.

Aside from the name cache, I think part of what you gain at a T14 is increased quality of your peers, and the opportunity to befriend people who, on average, are going to be more successful than your peers at a lower-tiered school.

Certainly nothing guarantees success, but I do believe that your environment can put you in a better position, on balance, to succeed.

[Crowing]

I don't really understand why it matters to a prospective student, but as far as my experience goes, people do take law school quite seriously

[IAFG]

generally don't seem to act as professional as I would assume law students would.

uhhh

[Single-Malt-Liquor]

generally don't seem to act as professional as I would assume law students would.

uhhh

[UVAIce]

I would say that there are a lot of fairly good looking people at UVA on both sides of the gender divide. That's probably not true of the general correlation between looks and GPA/LSA

Is that unprofessional enough for you?

[El Pollito]

generally don't seem to act as professional as I would assume law students would.

uhhh

oh man

[unodostres]

Jesus...

[Holly Golightly]

generally don't seem to act as professional as I would assume law students would.

uhhh

Are you going to wear suits to class every day and give yourself casual Fridays while in school? Just wondering.

[A. Nony Mouse]

In my experience, there's a huge difference between tiers of schools. After my freshman year during undergrad I transferred between a regional and an Ivy, and the most notable change was the quality of the student body.

Aside from the name cache, I think part of what you gain at a T14 is increased quality of your peers, and the opportunity to befriend people who, on average, are going to be more successful than your peers at a lower-tiered school.

Certainly nothing guarantees success, but I do believe that your environment can put you in a better position, on balance, to succeed.

So law school is exactly like undergrad?

[Holly Golightly]

In my experience, there's a huge difference between tiers of schools. After my freshman year during undergrad I transferred between a regional and an Ivy, and the most notable change was the quality of the student body.

Aside from the name cache, I think part of what you gain at a T14 is increased quality of your peers, and the opportunity to befriend people who, on average, are going to be more successful than your peers at a lower-tiered school.

Certainly nothing guarantees success, but I do believe that your environment can put you in a better position, on balance, to succeed.

So law school is exactly like undergrad?

Law school was the crazy, drunken undergrad experience I never had.

[IAFG]

generally don't seem to act as professional as I would assume law students would.

uhhh

Are you going to wear suits to class every day and give yourself casual Fridays while in school? Just wondering.

Oh, that's actually a medical condition.

[drevo]

I am highly interested because, while I don't want to sound like a dick, I always felt like I took college super seriously in comparison to my peers and it always kind of agitated me.

This is an absolutely terrible attitude to have. Why does it agitate you? Why should anyone else live their life the way you live yours? I can understand being upset if you were in a group for a project and others slacked off and potentially harmed your grade in a class. But to be agitated because other people are different from you? Come on. Live your own damn life and just worry about yourself. People are going to have different work ethics, attitudes, and actions than you. Get used to it.

[El Pollito]

I am highly interested because, while I don't want to sound like a dick, I always felt like I took college super seriously in comparison to my peers and it always kind of agitated me.

This is an absolutely terrible attitude to have. Why does it agitate you? Why should anyone else live their life the way you live yours? I can understand being upset if you were in a group for a project and others slacked off and potentially harmed your grade in a class. But to be agitated because other people are different from you? Come on. Live your own damn life and just worry about yourself. People are going to have different work ethics, attitudes, and actions than you. Get used to it.

Law students are fundamentally incapable of doing this.

[spleenworship]

From everyone I have met, both T14 and TTT, you are likely to find LS intolerable unless you stop giving a sh*t about what other people are doing.

Actually, life in general as well.

Worry about yourself.

[Holly Golightly]

From everyone I have met, both T14 and TTT, you are likely to find LS intolerable unless you stop giving a sh*t about what other people are doing.

Actually, life in general as well.

Worry about yourself.

Also, everyone is going to hate you. Having fun and doing well and law school do not need to be mutually exclusive, unless you are a terrible douche who just hates fun.

[elterrible78]

Also, everyone is going to hate you. Having fun and doing well and law school do not need to be mutually exclusive, unless you are a terrible douche who just hates fun.

I'll echo this. Prior to shipping out to army basic training, a guy I knew in the military told me I would meet people there the likes of whom I never knew existed. I played it off, but he was right. I met people who didn't know how to bathe, had no idea who the president was, could not remember to flush a toilet to save their lives, etc.

Prior to going to law school, TLS told me that law students are, as a lot, absolutely insufferable douchebags. I played it off, but they were right. I've met people who don't know how to smile, who think they're the center of the universe, and who subscribe to the theory of trickle-down sandwiches.

Don't be an insufferable douche.

[ScottRiqui]

Prior to going to law school, TLS told me that law students are, as a lot, absolutely insufferable douchebags. I played it off, but they were right. I've met people who don't know how to smile, who think they're the center of the universe, and who subscribe to the theory of trickle-down sandwiches.

What's this? I'm intrigued, and I couldn't find anything in a search.

[elterrible78]

Prior to going to law school, TLS told me that law students are, as a lot, absolutely insufferable douchebags. I played it off, but they were right. I've met people who don't know how to smile, who think they're the center of the universe, and who subscribe to the theory of trickle-down sandwiches.

What's this? I'm intrigued, and I couldn't find anything in a search.

It's not a real theory, it's just something I was made aware of recently by one of my classmates. PMed with the story.

[Nebby]

I've met people who don't know how to smile, who think they're the center of the universe, and who subscribe to the theory of trickle-down sandwiches.

Basically, this.

Also, pull up those mustard straps and make your own sammich.

[Holly Golightly]

I've met people who don't know how to smile, who think they're the center of the universe, and who subscribe to the theory of trickle-down sandwiches.

Basically, this.

And sadly, that seems like what OP is looking for.

[spleenworship]

I am now on the edge of my seat to have the "Theory of Trickle-down Sandwhiches" explained to me. Seriously.