Academic

U.S. News Preschool Rankings Out March 28

By Dan Filler

Psych!

Whatever you think of the actual rankings - and people have certainly opined on this issue - U.S. News has created a property that has a signficant impact on law school admissions - on both the school and candidate sides. To a large degree, the effects are related to the ordinal ranking of schools which both obscures important distinctions between law schools and overinvests particular features with significance.  It's also true, though, that the format of the rankings makes it simple to compare law school raw data - like bar pass rates, LSAT's, and job placement - that rational applicants might consider in making matriculation decisions.  Rather than being directed to schools by region, readers are directed to schools by ranking cluster.  And web users of the U.S. News rankings can reorganize the data however they please. 

Whatever.

According to an email I received today, the new U.S. News survey will be released on the web on March 28.  We've already seen lists that purport to be early snapshots of the 2009 rankings, and it's possible that the hard copy of the report will hit the stores early.  One thing is for sure: Drexel will enjoy another year of flying below the radar (albeit this time with provisional accreditation.)  Now that's freedom! 

Image from SatireWire.

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on March 05, 2008 (boomark / email).