February 28th, 2005
rankings make decisions harder, not easier
I’ve been thinking a lot about the decision Mr. Angst and I will be making in a few weeks. Picking schools is going to be hard if we end up with multiple choices (which I think we will).
So I guess it’s lucky, then, that right about the same time I’ve been dwelling on this very issue, Profs. Bernstein and Kerr over at The Volokh Conspiracy have been discussing the wisdom of choosing the highest-ranked school one gets into. Bernstein starts by saying lots of his students at GMU chose it over the higher-ranked Georges in the DC area. He doesn’t offer much reasoning for it, just states it as fact. Kerr then adds that the reason everyone says students should go to the highest ranked schools they get into is primarily because such a choice opens more doors. Bernstein finishes up by agreeing with Kerr, then outlines a few reasons why someone might choose GMU over the higher-ranked Georges in DC—these include geography, cost, specific programs, etc.
It was only in that last post that I saw any recognition that non-traditional students may have different needs than fresh-out-of-college kids—particularly in the mention of geography and commuting. Frankly, the conventional wisdom—that you should go to the highest-ranked school you get into—really only applies to people who are unattached. When you’re married, or have kids, or own a home, or have a partner also going to school, picking up and moving clear across the country for a school just because it’s higher ranked seems like pure folly.
Now, Mr. Angst and I are going to move, sell our house, and uproot from this place that we love, mostly because there aren’t any programs here for him. And we’re excited about moving—it’ll be nice to live somewhere else—but we’re not exactly doing it just for kicks, you know?
If I had the freedom to choose a law school based solely on rank, I would have already sent in my seat deposit. But there are other things for me to consider—how happy will we be? How much time will we have together? How expensive will each city be and how much debt will we be in? One city has a nearby network of family and friends, the other doesn’t. Unfortunately, the social network doesn’t correspond with my schools’ ranks—but it does with Mr. Angst’s.
Of course the rankings weigh on my mind—I’d love to teach someday, and I can’t help but acknowledge that if we make certain choices, I might not be in a position to enter legal academia easily. But I also know that my dream career won’t be worth much if I have to sacrifice my family for it. And my dream career will probably taste slightly bitter if I know Mr. Angst gave up his own opportunities for me.
So I wish there was some recognition out there that not everyone can make the choice they want to, for whatever reason. And there should be more advice for people in that position. Here’s mine: don’t regret. When you decide on your school, if it’s not the decision you really wanted to make, figure out what you need to do to be content with it. Three years is a long time to walk around feeling like you made a bad choice.
Update: Chris Geidner at LawDork comments another bit of “conventional wisdom” referenced in Bernstein’s last post—that aspiring academics must go to the very top schools. Even I know this can’t be true, but it still gnaws at me. Chris puts some numbers and names out there to prove it’s not true. Thanks, Chris, for giving a hopeful future academic some…um…hope.
comments
Excellent advice… and I’ll offer my story, hopefully as words of encouragement… but maybe as words of caution.
Way back in high school, I wanted to go to a certain school. It was my “dream” so to speak. I felt as though all the options that I wanted later–career path and all that, depended on that school. Well, I got into that school. And I wasn’t able to go. A combination of family obligations and finances kept me away. I ended up at a good school, but not my top school–or even top three. And I survived. I was, actually, able to pursue my desired goals just as well–I just had to sometimes be a little more creative about it. But it didn’t stop me from doing anything.
I was over 10 years out of college when I decided to go back to law school. And now, I was married, my wife had a career. My commitments to her and our life, family, etc. kept me, once again, from going to my top choice school.
When this happened to me as an undergrad, I was really upset–I felt like I was being cheated. But now I have some perspective. I wasn’t cheated out of anything–I was presented with a new challenge and a different opportunity.
And now, I’m not being cheated out of anything either. My family means so much more to me than my career–which is not to say I’m not career driven, I am. But I have perspective. And I don’t want to sacrifice their dreams either. Or to compromise my values in order to achieve career victory. It would be a hollow victory at best.
But the benefit of having been through this before is the knowledge that no one controls my destiny but me. Will my school choice cost me opportunities? On the “easy path” yes, but I’ve always had the personal strength to make my own opportunities, and I plan to continue post law school.
Okay, I’m not sure if that is advice or just rambling…
But it felt good to get out! 
Wow, that’s a tough act to follow, Dave!. I was just going to add that “don’t regret” is always good advice, but it looks like you took it a step further and are practicing real Gratitude. Don’t get caught up in the numbers game, kids. Your life can be more than a number if you want it to be.
Let me add that GMU is also known as one of the MOST conservative schools in the DC area. Folks who want a more conservative environment may prefer GMU over the other Georges. GULC, AU and GW are seen as fairly liberal, despite some of the profs/deans. I’ll add that GULC was founded as a school for people working full time, so it has the mechanics of the evening program down pat. That’s why it’s located where it is, to draw adjuncts from the courts down the street. The point about GMU’s location and the cost are very true, however. The private schools’ tuitions take on “ouch” proportions.
Something is rank here, all right.
There’s a lot of talk about law school rank these days (I guess there always is)… however, one thing that caught my eye was David Bernstein’s post over at The Volokh Conspiracy. Law Dork and Divine Angst both had some interesting comments as well. So…
Ignoring the Rankings
Law Student Paradise has a good discussion on depression and anxiety among law students and lawyers. You can find my post in there, but I’m going to basically echo the most important thing I said here. First, the little blurb about the problem:
A st…
Yes. Absolutely. It’s assumed that you have no attachments and will just pick up and move whenever you need to. Law school in one city, summer associateships in a different city, clerkships wherever you get them. But if you have other people in your life to consider, this is not an option.