I was talking to someone recently about college. She is looking to start college next year to become a teacher. She said to me, "I really don't know which school to pick, many have programs that are so different. It's not like law school. They are all the same."
Now, I have talked to this person a lot about law school. In fact, so much that we may or may not be married (I am posting a lot less here about who I am as I am a little scared about having this blog revealed to C&F). But remember, this blog is here to help people. I am not the bad guy. I am a really good person whose only motive is to help people go to law school (and maybe to destroy Third Tier Reality, which is a vile little site). So, should I have to worry about C&F finding this blog and/or who I am?
Well, I wanted to talk about law schools being the same. Now, remember, I went to two law schools. A 4th tier school and a 1st/2nd tier school. I have also toured other law schools (this person went with me while I toured them) and I must say, she is right. In the end, they were all the same.
Law schools, largely, are the same. Many like to stroke their ego and make themselves believe that their law school is something special, or it's a "smarter" school than others. But in reality, the schools are largely all the same. Some have better facilities, some have a bigger library, but they all have teachers with excellent credentials (even fourth tier schools), they all teach from the SAME books, they all teach the same thing and have the same first year courses. There are some differences in what is required to graduate, but overall, they are all the same. The only difference is how people perceive them to be.
The Schools Are Ranked
The schools are ranked arbitrarily by U.S. News, a magazine that exists largely due to its popular ranking of colleges and universities. The rankings are, in the end, quite worthless, yet people buy into them with fervor. Law schools, like medical schools and business schools, are all ranked in terms of some formula. Many of these rankings can be gamed, some schools, however, will always be at the top because they are seen as elite (Harvard, for example, which is just a Western New England University with older buildings). The real power behind the rankings is how they are perceived by the population. One's ego is a powerful thing, and people will always compare their school and the school of their children with the rest of the world, saying "well, I got into Stahnferd" or "I drank ale while at Yale for 4 years, hic! Yes-sir-ree!"
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Looking back, I think I enjoyed my time at the 4th tier school more than the 1st/2nd tier school. It was a down to earth school with some great teachers who I felt were a LOT more approachable. Class sizes were smaller, I found that I really enjoyed the subject matter more, and I did well as a result. The second school was larger, teachers were harder to talk to, and I felt like just a soulless individual at many times. It's not that it was a bad school, but the ranking said NOTHING at all about how good it was. In fact, if I was to rank them based on my experience alone, I would have given Western New England the higher marks.
Of course, that's not how it works, and everyone wants to be at the top school, just as everyone wants a house and a child, as they believe they are "supposed to" do those things. But does that bring happiness? Should one go to a top school because a magazine says it is a top school? Is Columbia really that much different than Hastings? I doubt it. Other than the amount of students that get jobs, I don't think the school is that much better. And more people get jobs out of Columbia because it's ranked higher and it has a name that rich parents swoon over. It's all a big elaborate joke!
In the end, if you are choosing a law school, do not worry at all about the rankings, but go with the school YOU like the best. If you are happy in Vermont, don't settle for anything else. If you want to be in Western Massachusetts, Western New England is a great school. Don't think that you are missing out on something by not going to Boston College if that is not where you want to be. If you are content at Brooklyn, don't bother with Fordham. In the end, I transferred schools because I wanted to be in New York. However, after living two and a half years in New York, I know that I no longer want to be there. If you are thinking of transferring law schools, don't do it because of a better rank. Don't give up a scholarship just for a better number. Stay if you are happy. Go if you truly like the school better.
Thanks for reading.
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