Penn State Dickinson and Penn State Law Forum

[adj8103]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

[psu2016]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

[adj8103]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

That's definitely my instinct! Carlisle has alumni and kept the (?better?) professors. Also, the smaller class sizes.
these rankings though arggghhh... at least we're still tier two .. TLS has given me the fear.

[Nachoo2019]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

That's definitely my instinct! Carlisle has alumni and kept the (?better?) professors. Also, the smaller class sizes.
these rankings though arggghhh... at least we're still tier two .. TLS has given me the fear.

Why is there such a strong Carlisle>>>>UP sentiment?

[psu2016]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

That's definitely my instinct! Carlisle has alumni and kept the (?better?) professors. Also, the smaller class sizes.
these rankings though arggghhh... at least we're still tier two .. TLS has given me the fear.

Why is there such a strong Carlisle>>>>UP sentiment?

1. People in Carlisle tend to be older, more focused on school (and less on football), and more mature than UP.
2. It isn't located in the middle of nowhere, and we can get to the state capital in ~30 minutes as opposed to 2 hours. Relatedly, we can get to DC in 2:30.
3. Professors are far more approachable - everyone has an open door policy and exactly no one puts their research above teaching. Probably hurts us in the rankings, but it's really, really nice around exam time.
4. It's located closer to the major cities so employers are more likely to drive for OCI than up to State College.

I'm a "unified" student so I've been able to compare/contrast the cultures pretty well over the last three years. UP is basically great if you want three more years of undergrad, but the people who are more career focused come to Carlisle.

[ddoomm]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

That's definitely my instinct! Carlisle has alumni and kept the (?better?) professors. Also, the smaller class sizes.
these rankings though arggghhh... at least we're still tier two .. TLS has given me the fear.

Why is there such a strong Carlisle>>>>UP sentiment?

1. People in Carlisle tend to be older, more focused on school (and less on football), and more mature than UP.
2. It isn't located in the middle of nowhere, and we can get to the state capital in ~30 minutes as opposed to 2 hours. Relatedly, we can get to DC in 2:30.
3. Professors are far more approachable - everyone has an open door policy and exactly no one puts their research above teaching. Probably hurts us in the rankings, but it's really, really nice around exam time.
4. It's located closer to the major cities so employers are more likely to drive for OCI than up to State College.

I'm a "unified" student so I've been able to compare/contrast the cultures pretty well over the last three years. UP is basically great if you want three more years of undergrad, but the people who are more career focused come to Carlisle.

The above reasons are many of my top reasons for choosing Dickinson!

[FamilyLawEsq]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

That's definitely my instinct! Carlisle has alumni and kept the (?better?) professors. Also, the smaller class sizes.
these rankings though arggghhh... at least we're still tier two .. TLS has given me the fear.

As I stated in another thread:

Dickinson Law has been around since 1834, I don't think it will be shut down anytime soon. Dickinson graduates, a ton of whom are practicing in the Susquehanna Valley, are unhappy with the affiliation with Penn State. Their perception is that Dickinson is better, period.

[adj8103]

Well, I got my Starbucks gift card today. Consider me wooed.

[col1]

Full ride at Dickinson. Anyone know about housing scholarships?

[Sera Numquam]

TLS fear? You mean discussions on law schools here are seriously misleading?

Never......


Also, just found out I may get a housing scholarship. There is only one person ahead of me.. waiting for them to make a decision..... my nerves...

Think that person might be me

[psu2016]

Just for my own amusement, how much is the housing scholly and is it three years?

[Nachoo2019]

Still waiting on a response for my negotiation letter.I made it clear I had narrowed it down to the two Penn State schools, but that I could not ignore the extra 6k/year UP was offering. Hopefully i get an answer before the deposit deadline!

[jeremydc]

Just for my own amusement, how much is the housing scholly and is it three years?

I want to know this as well.

[adj8103]

Just for my own amusement, how much is the housing scholly and is it three years?

I want to know this as well.

As far as I currently know, there are two types of housing scholarships. The first is three years in a furnished house provided by Dickinson. The men's house is full and the women's is waiting on one decision, then will be full.

The second type is an allocation from alumni. $15k total = $5k per year for housing. Of course, I think this kind is based on the student/ your other offers/ how badly they want you /etc... From my understanding, It is not something they do regularly.

[jeremydc]

Just for my own amusement, how much is the housing scholly and is it three years?

I want to know this as well.

As far as I currently know, there are two types of housing scholarships. The first is three years in a furnished house provided by Dickinson. The men's house is full and the women's is waiting on one decision, then will be full.

The second type is an allocation from alumni. $15k total = $5k per year for housing. Of course, I think this kind is based on the student/ your other offers/ how badly they want you /etc... From my understanding, It is not something they do regularly.

Thanks for the clarification.

[corporatesellouttt]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

That's definitely my instinct! Carlisle has alumni and kept the (?better?) professors. Also, the smaller class sizes.
these rankings though arggghhh... at least we're still tier two .. TLS has given me the fear.

Why is there such a strong Carlisle>>>>UP sentiment?

1. People in Carlisle tend to be older, more focused on school (and less on football), and more mature than UP.
2. It isn't located in the middle of nowhere, and we can get to the state capital in ~30 minutes as opposed to 2 hours. Relatedly, we can get to DC in 2:30.
3. Professors are far more approachable - everyone has an open door policy and exactly no one puts their research above teaching. Probably hurts us in the rankings, but it's really, really nice around exam time.
4. It's located closer to the major cities so employers are more likely to drive for OCI than up to State College.

I'm a "unified" student so I've been able to compare/contrast the cultures pretty well over the last three years. UP is basically great if you want three more years of undergrad, but the people who are more career focused come to Carlisle.

2L at DickLaw. Couple things to consider based on the above conversations:

-- Don't choose a law school because it is ranked 51 or 71 or 91. If you're not in the top few schools that have a national reach, the school you are attending should (absent some very few exceptions) be in the location you intend to practice. It is considerably easier to network when you are near your potential employers. And, unless you land in the top 10% of the class (which 90% of the class will not), you will need to hustle and meet people to get jobs. Dickinson has an advantage because it is near Harrisburg, but it's not like people laugh you out the door because you say you're from Penn State Dickinson as opposed to Dickinson in Carlisle. It's just harder to get in front of people when you are farther away.
-- Related to the above, do not go to Dickinson if you are set on working for a larger firm. Odds are you won't be able to get such a job. OCI employers only interview the top 15-20%. Dickinson does well in local government, small firms, DA/PD offices, but you have to hustle/meet people to get those jobs.
-- Also, I wouldn't recommend Dickinson or Penn St. if you don't get a good (i.e. 3/4+) scholarship.
-- The professors are good at both places. I like the Dickinson professors, and they will go out of their way to help you. But, UP professors have been very nice to me and have also gone out of their way for me.

Feel free to ask anything else, but those are some unsolicited observations.

[Nachoo2019]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

That's definitely my instinct! Carlisle has alumni and kept the (?better?) professors. Also, the smaller class sizes.
these rankings though arggghhh... at least we're still tier two .. TLS has given me the fear.

Why is there such a strong Carlisle>>>>UP sentiment?

1. People in Carlisle tend to be older, more focused on school (and less on football), and more mature than UP.
2. It isn't located in the middle of nowhere, and we can get to the state capital in ~30 minutes as opposed to 2 hours. Relatedly, we can get to DC in 2:30.
3. Professors are far more approachable - everyone has an open door policy and exactly no one puts their research above teaching. Probably hurts us in the rankings, but it's really, really nice around exam time.
4. It's located closer to the major cities so employers are more likely to drive for OCI than up to State College.

I'm a "unified" student so I've been able to compare/contrast the cultures pretty well over the last three years. UP is basically great if you want three more years of undergrad, but the people who are more career focused come to Carlisle.

2L at DickLaw. Couple things to consider based on the above conversations:

-- Don't choose a law school because it is ranked 51 or 71 or 91. If you're not in the top few schools that have a national reach, the school you are attending should (absent some very few exceptions) be in the location you intend to practice. It is considerably easier to network when you are near your potential employers. And, unless you land in the top 10% of the class (which 90% of the class will not), you will need to hustle and meet people to get jobs. Dickinson has an advantage because it is near Harrisburg, but it's not like people laugh you out the door because you say you're from Penn State Dickinson as opposed to Dickinson in Carlisle. It's just harder to get in front of people when you are farther away.
-- Related to the above, do not go to Dickinson if you are set on working for a larger firm. Odds are you won't be able to get such a job. OCI employers only interview the top 15-20%. Dickinson does well in local government, small firms, DA/PD offices, but you have to hustle/meet people to get those jobs.
-- Also, I wouldn't recommend Dickinson or Penn St. if you don't get a good (i.e. 3/4+) scholarship.
-- The professors are good at both places. I like the Dickinson professors, and they will go out of their way to help you. But, UP professors have been very nice to me and have also gone out of their way for me.

Feel free to ask anything else, but those are some unsolicited observations.

If you had matching full scholarships to both, which one would you choose?

[corporatesellouttt]

Where are you from?
What do you want to do?
Where do you want to work?

[Nachoo2019]

Where are you from?
What do you want to do?
Where do you want to work?

-From the west coast, but I have family and a few friends in Bucks County and totally understand the regional implications of both of these schools.
-I would love to go into government, more specifically DA/PD work.
-I am not totally sure where I would like to work in PA, but I would prefer to be closer to my family and friends who are in Bucks County

[jeremydc]

What are the current stipulations with the full ride from Dickinson as in 'good academic standing'?

[jeremydc]

https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/current-st ... ding-rules

Is it really a 2.0?

[psu2016]

Where are you from?
What do you want to do?
Where do you want to work?

-From the west coast, but I have family and a few friends in Bucks County and totally understand the regional implications of both of these schools.
-I would love to go into government, more specifically DA/PD work.
-I am not totally sure where I would like to work in PA, but I would prefer to be closer to my family and friends who are in Bucks County

That's doable, but you gotta hustle because Bucks has a comparatively small PD/DA office.

[psu2016]

https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/current-st ... ding-rules

Is it really a 2.0?

In Carlisle, pretty sure it's just "2.0 and not an honor code violation." No idea what UP is doing now.

[psu2016]

So, do y'all have thoughts on the 20 point rank drop from USNWR this year? I've been reading it should be back up to around 51 by the time c/o 19 graduates. Has anyone else been reading about this?

I read it was because the 9-month employment was so low and I wonder why since the bar passage rate was really high. Low confidence because UP getting separate accreditation, maybe? The reason given for why the ranking may go back to normal was that a new scholarship is bringing in better quality in-state residents, and that started in 2014, so they should graduate this year and hopefully pull that ranking up. Thoughts?

Oh yes, will deff be in Carlisle myself.

Carlisle >>>>> UP by a landslide.

I think they're both going to be poorly ranked forever though, tbh.

That's definitely my instinct! Carlisle has alumni and kept the (?better?) professors. Also, the smaller class sizes.
these rankings though arggghhh... at least we're still tier two .. TLS has given me the fear.

Why is there such a strong Carlisle>>>>UP sentiment?

1. People in Carlisle tend to be older, more focused on school (and less on football), and more mature than UP.
2. It isn't located in the middle of nowhere, and we can get to the state capital in ~30 minutes as opposed to 2 hours. Relatedly, we can get to DC in 2:30.
3. Professors are far more approachable - everyone has an open door policy and exactly no one puts their research above teaching. Probably hurts us in the rankings, but it's really, really nice around exam time.
4. It's located closer to the major cities so employers are more likely to drive for OCI than up to State College.

I'm a "unified" student so I've been able to compare/contrast the cultures pretty well over the last three years. UP is basically great if you want three more years of undergrad, but the people who are more career focused come to Carlisle.

2L at DickLaw. Couple things to consider based on the above conversations:

-- Don't choose a law school because it is ranked 51 or 71 or 91. If you're not in the top few schools that have a national reach, the school you are attending should (absent some very few exceptions) be in the location you intend to practice. It is considerably easier to network when you are near your potential employers. And, unless you land in the top 10% of the class (which 90% of the class will not), you will need to hustle and meet people to get jobs. Dickinson has an advantage because it is near Harrisburg, but it's not like people laugh you out the door because you say you're from Penn State Dickinson as opposed to Dickinson in Carlisle. It's just harder to get in front of people when you are farther away.
-- Related to the above, do not go to Dickinson if you are set on working for a larger firm. Odds are you won't be able to get such a job. OCI employers only interview the top 15-20%. Dickinson does well in local government, small firms, DA/PD offices, but you have to hustle/meet people to get those jobs.
-- Also, I wouldn't recommend Dickinson or Penn St. if you don't get a good (i.e. 3/4+) scholarship.
-- The professors are good at both places. I like the Dickinson professors, and they will go out of their way to help you. But, UP professors have been very nice to me and have also gone out of their way for me.

Feel free to ask anything else, but those are some unsolicited observations.

If you had matching full scholarships to both, which one would you choose?

Carlisle, easily.

[Nachoo2019]

After visiting both schools in two days I have decided on Carlisle! See you guys in the fall!