Is it Important to Get Into a Top Ranked School?

In this video, Senior Consultant Derek Meeker discusses the importance of being admitted into a top ranked school. Derek is a senior consultant with AdmissionsConsultants, Inc., a consulting firm for aspiring Business, Graduate, Medical, College, and Law School applicants. He is also the former dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• application
• law
• school
• admissionsconsultants
• derek
• meeker
• JD
• college
• of
• essays
• personal
• statement
• lsat

[katelynnhammer]

i want to talk to this guy! kd.hammer

[260191894]

I agree. A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge. At Harvard, 1+1 = 2. At other schools, 1+1 also equals to 2.

[redsoxfan2495]

@soxman11691 Sorry, but your comment is flawed on several fronts. First off, that 91.1 statistic comes from the law school itself. It is likely based on incomplete data and it includes grads who are waiting tables. Employment doesn't necessarily mean employment in a job that requires a JD. Also, saying that being top of your class at a regional school is better than a low rank at Harvard is just wrong. The fact is that most grads at shitty law schools end up with 100K in loans they can't repay.

[xXzTRAVISzXx]

More nervous then i was giving my first speech in highschool.

[xTRAPJAWx]

@UtikaCollar TTT is Third Tier Toilet. And the country's legal system would crash if only graduates from the top 25 schools entered the profession. Where are you at that makes you so high and mighty.....if I may ask?

[devildelight669]

My fiancee works for a law firm that only rarely hires anyone who didn't attend a top school. I understand your comments, but I think it comes down to what you want from the degree. If you want to work for a top law firm, clerk for a Supreme Court justice or teach at a top law school, then it matters. If you want to be a public defender or join your family's business, then it doesn't.

[WarrenAch]

Yeah...it's actually alot harder to enter Canadian law schools,but it's alot cheaper,you'll end up with no debts,or like a simple 5-10k...

Just in montreal,almost 100% of the graduates found a job within the first 3 months.

If you decide to do an M.B.A. as well,your chances will increase even more...

Toronto-MTL-Vancouver-Calgary-­Edmonton-Ottawa are good cities to practice law.

[wowhornby]

@WarrenAch Canada's law school system is far more organized than those here in the USA. There's a saturation of lawyers because of the lower tier schools, and actually, I have told friends to look into attending Canadian law schools. The job prospects are much better there.

[WarrenAch]

If you made a joint J.D./M.B.A. ,even if you were in the bottom of harvard,you'll still get into a top firm,since they favorite them in new york and boston and give them starting salaries at 120k/year + signing bonus...but i understand your point,too much lawyers in the U.S. already...only the bests will succeed.Fortunately,canada's hot cities are not that crowded with lawyers,so it's easier to find a decent job...

[soxman11691]

Northeastern University is ranked #88 and it's rate of people hired 9 months after graduation is 91.1%. The whole "GO TO THE TOP 25 OR QUIT" attitude is a complete fallacy. Class rank matters big time in law school, and it's better to graduate top of your class from the #75 school than it is to graduate in the bottom of Harvard. Yes, you got into Harvard, but clearly you couldn't keep up with them.