Law Schools Take on Gun Violence

This month, the University of Minnesota Law School will launch its Gun Violence Prevention Clinic in an effort to promote their Second Amendment scholarship and increase student engagement in firearms law. “Firearms law is currently one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing areas in the law. Yet there are not enough litigators with expertise in the field, and law schools and legal scholars are under engaged in Second Amendment issues,” Megan Walsh, Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and Gun Violence Prevention Clinic Director, said. 

The University of Minnesota isn’t alone in seeking to build out this knowledge base and skillset. Below, we’ve rounded up a number of ongoing initiatives and projects at law schools designed to provide students with opportunities in firearms scholarship, litigation, and legislation.

The University of Minnesota Law School Gun Violence Prevention Clinic

The clinic, a three-year pilot project, is designed to promote gun violence prevention through strategic litigation. In partnership with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, students will provide pro bono legal work in support of cases that help reduce injuries, deaths, and trauma resulting from gun violence. The clinic will also establish a home for gun violence prevention litigation in the Great Lakes area and increase litigation expertise and resources for Second Amendment and gun violence prevention.  

The Duke Center for Firearms Law

The Center, launched in 2019, seeks to grow scholarship in firearms law and serve as a “balanced and reliable” resource for stakeholders including scholars, judges, lawyers, policymakers, journalists, and the public through research and programming. 

Washington University in Saint Louis School of Law’s Initiative on Gun Violence and Human Rights

Law students participate in in-depth research projects to better understand the underpinnings of the U.S. gun violence crisis and to examine the issue through international human rights instruments. The initiative supports information sharing through conferences and webinars, as well as publishing articles and research. Last year, Leila Sadat, Initiative Director and Professor, contributed to an amicus briefing filed at the Supreme Court for New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. 

Yale Law School’s Law, Policy, and Guns Project at the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy 

The Solomon Center places a spotlight on issues related to gun violence in the U.S. The Center has sponsored a course offering (2020), a special issue of The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (2020), and continues to facilitate public events as well as serve as a home for research and scholarship efforts.  

New York Law School’s Gun Safety Legislative Advocacy Clinic

In partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety, New York Law School offers a hands-on clinic to engage students with gun safety advocacy and legislation. Students will gain experience in legislative research as well as in drafting legislative proposals, creating campaigns, and building coalitions in support of their bills. They will also learn to critically analyze proposed gun bills based on existing laws and legislative efforts, and to serve as counterpoints to the gun lobby.

Downturn in MBA Program Applicant Volume Continues

Despite top-ranked MBA programs continuing to report record-setting levels of compensation for graduates, application volume is way down. It may just be an ideal time to apply.

A Poets & Quants’ analysis of application trends found that in the 2021-2022 admissions cycle, application numbers fell at 16 of the top 25-ranked schools, when compared to the prior year. At some schools, applications dropped by more than 10 percent year-over-year, including MIT (-24.8 percent), Stanford GSB (-16.5 percent), Yale SOM (-16.5 percent), Harvard (-15.4 percent), UPenn Wharton (-13.9 percent), and Chicago Booth (-13.6 percent). 

According to a recent QS survey of business school admissions officers, many expect this downturn to continue through the current admissions cycle. Among the respondents, just over half replied that they expect domestic applications to be slightly lower (30 percent) or much lower (22 percent) this year. Responses were more optimistic in regards to international applicants, however, with most (91 percent) noting that they expect the number to stay the same or increase. 

“There has been a lot of discussion about the ‘great resignation’ in the US. It’s likely that what we’re seeing here is that the buoyancy in job vacancies is presenting sufficient opportunities for career mobility for aspiring managers, so there is less of an incentive to invest in an MBA to develop their skills and accelerate their career progression,” Nunzio Quacquarelli, CEO of QS Quacquarelli Symonds said. “In my experience, MBA demand is counter cyclical. With interest rates rising and market volatility, this situation could change quickly and MBA demand for 2023 could see a significant uplift.” 

As a result of the continued drop in application volume, domestic applicants are seeing some benefits:

--Schools have continued to maintain or incorporate flexible standardized testing policies. Columbia University, Duke Fuqua, UVA Darden, Michigan Ross, and Georgetown McDonough are all accepting the Executive Assessment (EA) as an alternative to the GRE/GMAT. The EA is a shorter exam (90 minutes) requiring less preparation. Additionally, UVA Darden, Michigan Ross, and Georgetown McDonough are continuing to offer test waivers to applicants who can demonstrate academic readiness through work experience, undergraduate academic record, and in some cases even expired GMAT/GRE scores (older than five years). 

--A number of schools have made public overtures to those who have been affected by layoffs in the tech industry. Schools, hoping to attract highly qualified applicants, have made various offers to accommodate tech veterans wishing to switch course and pursue an MBA. They include flexibility in terms of application requirements (e.g., test waivers) and extended round two deadlines.  


Related: Preliminary Reports Show Significant Increases for MBA Class of 2022 Starting Salaries

Thinking of Retaking the MCAT? Here’s What You Need to Know.

It is not unusual to retake the MCAT. Data from the AAMC shows that between 2019 and 2021, 38 percent of test-takers were “repeaters,” who had taken the test at least once before. And “repeaters” tended to achieve score improvements. 

--Those with an initial score between 472 and 517 saw a median score increase between two to four points. 

--Those with an initial score between 518 and 528 saw a median score increase of one point.

The analysis also found that the longer the period between your first and second exam, the bigger the point gain. Many factors likely play into this, one of them being as simple as completing helpful college or postgraduate coursework. 

How many times can I take the MCAT?

You can take the MCAT up to three times in one calendar year and four times across two calendar years. There is a lifetime cap of seven times. We recommend taking the MCAT a maximum of three times—really, you should aim for two. Medical schools prefer it. 

How do schools use updated MCAT scores? Will they use my best score?

Different schools use different strategies for multiple score submissions. In an AAMC admissions officer survey (2017), representatives mentioned the following methods: 

  • Review all submitted scores in conjunction with respondent’s explanation of the score change

  • Use only the highest score

  • Average all of the submitted scores

  • Use only the most recent score 

If you are considering retaking the test in order to target a particular school, we recommend that you contact the admissions office first to ask how they will use the updated MCAT score. This is because achieving a particular score can be more challenging if a school averages the submitted scores, rather than using either the best or most recent exam result.

What do I need to consider as I think about retaking the MCAT?

--First and foremost: is it necessary to retake the test? 

Review the average MCAT scores for the schools that you are interested in. Are you within the average range of scores at your desired schools? Would you consider adding schools to your list that do match your performance? 

If you fall below the average for your target schools and you do not want to reconsider your school list, you will likely need to retake the test. MCAT scores are often used as a preliminary filter for secondary applications. 

--How are the other components of your application?

A low or borderline GPA creates a stronger case for retaking the MCAT. You want to be sure that your application demonstrates your ability to thrive in a rigorous academic environment, so if both scores are on the low end, you should consider how to bolster at least one of them by retaking the exam or taking additional classes. 

--Is it clear why you didn’t achieve the score you had expected and/or do you understand how to improve your test prep process?

Is your score much lower than your practice exams? Did you have a stressful situation or an illness that impacted your performance? Is there good reason to believe that with some changes in your preparation, such as hiring a tutor, you will do better on the test? If you only achieved a point or two below your typical practice exams, do you have a plan to reinvigorate your efforts? If you do retake the exam, you’ll want to improve your score. So, consider carefully if you have a clear path to do so.

--Do you have the time to retake the test?

If you retake the test, you’ll want to commit to a study plan that will ensure you improve your initial score. Doing so will take time away from other endeavors including extracurricular activities, research, and clinical experiences. Consider your overall application and where you are most likely to benefit by spending time. 

We encourage you to make the decision that will best help you to meet your goals. You will need to achieve an MCAT score high enough to keep you in the running for the schools that you’re interested in. But you’ll want to balance that with gaining other meaningful experiences that will also prepare you for medical school. Admissions committees review applications holistically because they’re looking for great candidates, not perfect ones.

U.S. News Announces Updates to the Law School Rankings in an Open Letter to Law Deans

Earlier this week, U.S. News announced that it will make updates to the 2023-2024 Best Law Schools ranking in response to the public criticism and boycott of its rankings by a number of leading law schools. In an open letter to law deans, which was published on Monday just prior to the start of the American Association of Law Schools meeting, Robert Morse, Chief Data Strategist, and Stephanie Salmon, Senior Vice President of Data and Information Strategy, described the organization’s reaction to the recent public discourse. They wrote that the U.S. News interviewed more than 100 law school deans and representatives to gain a better understanding of the criticisms and strengths of the current ranking. Generally, they said, complaints were centered around a few key topics, including the weight placed on peer assessment surveys, a need for greater emphasis on outcome measures (e.g. bar passage, employment), re-consideration of the weight assigned to various employment outcomes, and a review of student expenditures and student debt metrics. The organization also conducted an internal review. 

As a result, U.S. News will make the following changes to the ranking:

  • All law schools will be ranked using publicly available data required by the ABA, regardless of whether school representatives respond to the annual U.S. News survey. However, U.S. News will publish in-depth profiles for those schools that do respond to the survey. 

  • There will be updates to the methodology that increase the weight on outcome measures and reduce the weight given to peer assessment survey results.  Additionally, the employment outcomes measure will be updated to give full-weight to those who receive fellowships (including school-funded fellowships) or enroll in further graduate studies. 

  • U.S. News will make more of the collected data available to students in order to allow them to make more informed comparisons between law schools. 

  • Over time, the organization will work alongside key stakeholders to better recognize and represent other key factors such as loan forgiveness/repayment and student aid/financial assistance, as well as socio-economic and diversity metrics.

For some deans, the updates are still not enough to reverse their position. Heather Gerkin, Dean of Yale Law School, spoke to Law.com. “Having a window into the operations and decision-making process at U.S. News in recent weeks has only cemented our decision to stop participating in the rankings,” Gerkin said. Similarly, University of New Hampshire Law School Dean, Megan Carpenter, noted to Law.com that because U.S. News did not specify the modifications they plan to make to the formula, it raises concerns that the response “simply devolves into an exercise about tweaking their monolithic formula.” 

Related:

Five Qualities that Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through your anecdotes. Here are some skills that you want to show in your Personal Statement: 

Intellectual curiosity. Law school is academically rigorous, and schools want students who can not only handle the workload but elevate the classroom discourse by engaging deeply with the material and concepts. Just demonstrating a record of academic success is not enough. Rather, you will want to show the admissions committee examples of situations where you went beyond what was required to better comprehend a topic. Show your commitment to asking questions, taking on additional research, and seeking out learning opportunities. Keep in mind that you can demonstrate intellectual curiosity in an academic environment but also beyond it – at work or in your participation with a charity or hobby. 

Critical thinking. Law schools look for students who are adept at problem-solving. In Psychology Today, Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D., Assistant Lecturer in Applied Psychology at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland, wrote that critical thinking is the process of using analysis, evaluation, and inference to derive a conclusion. Show that you employ this process when making decisions or handling a problem. Demonstrate your ability to combine and review disparate pieces of information to examine a situation and come to a conclusion. 

Collaborative abilities. Law school and the practice of law are often team endeavors. Throughout your application, you will want to showcase your ability to work with others to accomplish a common goal. Consider the role you play within a group and how you help bring out the best in other team members. What has working in teams taught you about yourself? Law schools are looking for a diverse range of students. You don’t need to be the captain of a sports team or a club president to be a highly-effective and persuasive leader. Rather, you need to be able to articulate how your influence and openness promote the best outcome(s) in a collaborative environment. 

Persistence. Law school and the practice of law require commitment, fortitude, and tenacity. Show the admissions committee that you are up to the challenge by providing examples of previous situations in which you worked steadfastly towards a goal, despite setbacks or failures. Show your ability to face adversity and get things done. 

Ethical behavior. Law schools are highly-attuned to the character of applicants. You'll need to answer character and fitness questions honestly and thoroughly, of course. But admissions committees will also carefully review your application materials to ensure that you employ integrity and ethical decision-making. They want to see that you are a responsible, principled person. Share a story that exemplifies that you understand the importance of character in academic, social, and professional settings.

Former Medical School Deans Call on Medical Schools to Withdraw from the U.S. News Ranking

A recent Stat News op-ed, co-written by former University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine leaders, is calling on medical schools to follow Yale, Harvard, and other leading law schools in withdrawing from participation in the U.S. News rankings. The authors, Holly Humphrey, a physician and current President of the Macy Foundation, and Dana Levinson, Chief Program Officer of the Macy Foundation contend that the current U.S. News ranking system, “is in direct opposition to medical schools’ goal of educating a well-trained, diverse, and culturally competent medical workforce.” 

Humphrey and Levinson argue that the rankings’ methodology is “ill conceived” and fails to include critical output metrics. The two claim that, across most included metrics, the data tends to favor large and wealthy institutions over smaller ones with no clear demonstration of how each metric directly benefits student education. For example, the inclusion of total federal research dollars favors larger institutions, although that money may or may not directly fund students’ education or participation in the research. The authors also note that the survey response rate, which drives the reputation score, falls far below the standard of a peer-reviewed publication. Additionally, the use of average MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs unduly advantages schools with students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds as well as incorporates bias that may exist in the educational system. Finally, Humphrey and Levinson note that including the acceptance rate in the rankings can lead a school to encourage applicants to submit applications, regardless of if those applicants have a reasonable likelihood of admissions success. 

The authors also point out what is missing from the rankings. Namely, data on the quality of the education including the clinical skills, scientific acumen, and abilities of a schools’ graduates. The authors’ position, which is in line with that of Yale and Harvard Law, is that the rankings are not just potentially misleading but that in some cases they actually do a “grave disservice” to applicants by reinforcing bias or poor admissions practices. Humphrey and Levinson believe that if medical schools take the step of removing themselves from the rankings, they can play a more “honest and forthright” role in assisting applicants as they “...navigate the process of finding the right school to help them become the doctors they aspire to be.”

Related: Medical Community Lauds Addition of Public Health Priorities to Methodology of U.S. News’ Medical Rankings

More MBA Programs Offer Admissions Accommodations to Laid Off Tech Workers

A number of business schools are joining Northwestern’s Kellogg in offering special admissions accommodations to the tens of thousands of recently laid off tech workers. 

MIT Sloan will extend its Round Two deadline from January 18th to February 23rd for recently laid off tech employees. Applicants will still need to submit the full application, including GMAT/GRE scores. 

Indiana Kelley is offering laid off employees an application fee waiver, and highlights that they offer GMAT/GRE waivers to all applicants (in any round) with a strong past academic record that includes the successful completion of quantitative coursework. Upcoming application deadlines are January 5th, March 1st, and April 15th.

UC-Berkeley Haas is offering any applicant who has been laid off in the past six months (regardless of industry/location) an application fee waiver for the full-time MBA program, as well as an extension for the Round Two application deadline from January 5th to February 2nd. 

NYU Stern announced that it will waive entrance exams for the one-year Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA program (May 2023 start). Upcoming application deadlines are January 15th and February 15th.

Related: Kellogg Waives Standardized Test Requirement for Laid-off Tech Employees

ABA Moves Forward with Motion to Drop Law School Admissions Test Mandate

On Friday November 18, as expected, the American Bar Association’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted to eliminate the standardized test mandate for law school admissions. The proposal will now move to the ABA’s House of Delegates for a final vote in February. If it is approved then, due to a last-minute revision, the removal of the test mandate will still not take effect until the fall of 2025. This revision was enacted to provide law schools with time to consider new ways to gauge student readiness.

This is not the first time that the test mandate’s fate has been brought before the ABA’s House of Delegates for a vote. In 2018, the measure was brought to the House, although it was withdrawn prior to the vote, as it appeared unlikely to pass after diversity advocates lobbied House members to reject the proposed change.

Now stakeholders who are, both for and against, overturning the test mandate have aligned their position with the same goal of improving diversity within the legal profession. “It’s very rare that I encounter a situation where the proponents on exact opposite sides of an issue are citing the same issue to support their arguments,” said Joseph West, Chair of the ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. 

Those who wish to see the testing mandate remain, including 60 Law School Deans, believe that the test provides a meaningful way for applicants to showcase their acumen and law school readiness. This allows law schools to take educated chances on students who may have lower GPAs. Without this score, the Deans argue, law schools will not have as much information to gauge a student’s likelihood of success in a challenging academic environment. 

Those who wish to see the mandate overturned argue that standardized tests “perpetuate racial gaps,” and cite research showing that white test-takers tend to perform better on the tests than those from underrepresented backgrounds. 

Related blogs:

New Survey Shows Most Law Schools will Continue Using Standardized Test Scores

Law School Deans Write Letter of Opposition to ABA’s Proposed Recommendation to Drop Standardized Test Requirement

ABA to Vote on Recommendation that Would Allow Law Schools to Drop Admissions Test Requirement


Two Law Schools Announce Continued Participation in U.S. News Ranking

Amidst a stream of law schools withdrawing from the U.S. News ranking, University of Chicago and Cornell University have just confirmed that they plan to continue their participation. 

In an email sent to students, University of Chicago Law School Dean Thomas Miles wrote, “Most of the data we supply to U.S. News is already public, and the rest is information we have no reason to withhold. The rankings of academic institutions clearly have a readership, and we wish to prevent the use of inaccurate information.” Making a similar argument, Cornell Law Dean Jens David Ohlin, writes in a published statement, “My own view is that the rankings distort academic decision-making, fail to adequately capture institutional quality, and create perverse incentives that are not in the best interests of students or the legal profession. However, withdrawal from the rankings process will not have the desired impact that many assume it will have.”

The only law schools within the top 15 that have not yet commented on how they will proceed with the ranking are University of Pennsylvania (Carey), NYU, and UVA. Ten law schools have joined the boycott of the U.S. News ranking: Berkeley, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Michigan, Northwestern, Stanford, UCLA, and Yale. 

Update 12/6/2022: University of Pennsylvania (Carey) and NYU have announced that they will withdraw from the rankings. UVA has announced that it will continue to participate in the rankings.

Medical Schools Incorporate More LGBTQ-Focused Programs into their Curriculums

Studies show that individuals who identify as LGBTQ report worse health care experiences and poorer health outcomes. But in following the lead of the AAMC, medical schools are working to remedy these health inequities by incorporating more LGBTQ-focused initiatives into their curriculums. 

Below, we highlight a few medical schools with notable LGBTQ-focused programs. 

For prospective medical students interested in pursuing an education that includes rigorous preparation in LGBTQ care, U.S. News recently published useful tips from medical school administrators and professors that will assist you in gauging the strength of a program’s curriculum. 

  • Inquire about how LGBTQ+ topics are integrated into the required coursework. "Offering it as a requirement really does put the teeth behind it in the curriculum, saying this is something for all students," Dr. Steven Rougas, Director of the Doctoring Program at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School, said.

  • Look for LGBTQ+ clinics and/or institutes for study and research. "Looking for centers is how I would go about doing it," Dane Whicker, Clinical Psychologist and Director of Gender and Sexual Diversity initiatives in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Duke University School of Medicine, said. He also noted that a particularly good sign is a center that conducts research and provides comprehensive treatment programs. 

  • Ask about how LGBTQ+ courses are developed and updated. "One key question is how the institution plans for change," Dr. John A. Davis, the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine's Associate Dean for Curriculum, wrote to the U.S. News in an email. "Areas particularly involving gender identity and expression and sexuality are rapidly changing, and curriculum must keep up with that. How an institution plans for that type of rapid change says a lot,” he wrote.

The Number of Women in Full-time MBA Programs Continues to Grow

According to a Forté Foundation analysis, the number of women matriculating to full-time MBA programs continues to grow. In 2022, among the 56 members of the Forte Foundation coalition, women’s enrollment averaged 41.4 percent, up slightly from 41.2 percent in 2021. This is an increase of almost ten percentage points from 2011. Two full-time MBA programs achieved gender parity: Johns Hopkins’ Carey and University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton. And, an increasing number of programs came close; in 2022, 17 programs enrolled at least 45 percent women (see list below), up from 10 the year before. There were zero in 2012. 

“It’s exciting and gratifying to see the impact of our efforts over the last two decades to close the gender parity gap in MBA programs,” Elissa Sangster, Forté’s CEO, told Bizwomen, an online business journal. “More women today understand the opportunities an MBA offers and our work has helped build the pipeline of young women interested in business careers and advancing to leadership,” she said.

Full-time MBA programs where women’s enrollment reached at least 45 percent in 2022: 

Johns Hopkins University (Carey): 52 percent

University of Pennsylvania (Wharton): 50 percent

Southern Methodist University (Cox): 48 percent

Duke University (Fuqua): 48 percent

Northwestern University (Kellogg): 48 percent

Oxford University (Saïd): 48 percent

Washington University in St. Louis (Olin): 47 percent

University of Cambridge (Judge): 47 percent

George Washington University: 47 percent

University of California-Berkeley (Haas): 46 percent

Harvard Business School: 46 percent

University of Southern California (Marshall): 46 percent

MIT (Sloan): 46 percent

New York University (Stern): 45 percent

Alliance Manchester School of Business: 45 percent

Dartmouth College (Tuck): 45 percent

Columbia University: 45 percent

Kellogg Waives Standardized Test Requirement for Laid-off Tech Employees

Greg Hanifee, Associate Dean of Degree Programs and Operations at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, announced earlier this week that Kellogg will waive the standardized test score requirement for any Round Two applicants impacted by the recent, wide-scale tech industry lay-offs. Noting the vast impact of the lay-offs as well as Kellogg’s “long heritage of acting with empathy and valuing collaboration,” Hanifee laid out the specifics of the program:

  • This test waiver is geared for individuals recently laid off from the tech industry and only applies to Round Two applicants. 

  • Those eligible can apply by providing their transcripts, resume, and a completed application (including a brief essay on their most recent role, as well as how Kellogg’s MBA program will advance their transformation). 

  • The waiver extends to all Kellogg Full-Time Programs including their One-Year, Two-Year, MMM (a dual degree with the McCormick School of Engineering), and MBAi (a joint degree with the McCormick School of Engineering), as well as their Evening and Weekend Programs.  

Hanifee stipulates that Kellogg will not be able to accept everyone who applies using the waiver, as applicants will still have to meet the rigorous acceptance criteria.

Related: Trends in Business: MBA Programs Prepare Students for Leadership Roles in Technology 

Yale and Harvard Law Schools Will No Longer Participate in the U.S. News Law School Rankings

Yale Law School announced yesterday that it would no longer participate in the U.S. News ranking of law schools. Harvard followed, withdrawing from participation a few hours later. The two schools routinely topped the rankings with Yale holding the number one spot since 1990 and Harvard, most recently, taking the fourth rank. 

In making the announcement, Yale Law Dean, Heather Gerken, called the rankings “profoundly flawed” and criticized the methodology. “Its approach not only fails to advance the legal profession, but stands squarely in the way of progress,” she said. She specifically criticized the methodology’s treatment of students who receive school-funded fellowships to pursue public-interest work, or go on to pursue further graduate-level education. US News classifies them as unemployed. She also noted that the rankings reward schools that provide financial aid to students with high LSAT scores rather than demonstrated financial need, and that the ranking methodology does not incorporate schools’ loan-forgiveness programs, which can help ease the burden of debt.

Harvard Law’s announcement, made by Dean John Manning, noted many of the same methodological concerns as Dean Gerken. He also communicated that the ranking’s inclusion of the student-debt metric may reward not only schools that offer significant financial aid, but also schools that opt to admit wealthier students who do not need to take out loans.  

“Dean Gerken has made some very salient points, and like many, we have long been concerned about the U.S. News law school rankings methodology and will be giving this careful thought,” Stephanie Ashe, Stanford Law’s Director of Media Strategy, told the Wall Street Journal. 

The University of Chicago (ranked third) and Columbia University (tied for fourth rank with Harvard) declined to provide a comment to the WSJ.

Update 11/18/2022: The UC Berkeley School of Law has also announced plans to withdraw from the U.S. News ranking. As have the law schools at Georgetown and Columbia.

Update 11/28/2022: Ten law schools, total, have joined the boycott of the U.S. News Ranking. These include Berkeley, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Michigan, Northwestern, Stanford, UCLA, and Yale.

New Survey Shows Most Law Schools will Continue Using Standardized Test Scores

On Friday, the ABA will vote on a proposal that would eliminate the requirement for law schools to use standardized test scores as a component of admissions. But, according to a recent Reuters article, new survey results from Kaplan suggest that the vote’s outcome may not significantly impact current practices at many schools.

Kaplan recently surveyed 82 law school admission officers about how their school would proceed if the ABA opts to eliminate the testing mandate. Among the respondents, which included admissions officers from 12 of the top 25 law schools, half responded that they are “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to continue requiring standardized test scores. Almost half, 37 admissions officers, replied that they were unsure. Just four respondents said that they were “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to stop requiring a standardized test.   

Jeff Thomas, Kaplan’s Executive Director of Legal Programs, likened the situation to that of medical schools. He noted that while the medical school accrediting organization does not mandate an entrance exam, almost all schools still make use of one for admissions decisions. “Irrespective of how this vote goes on Friday, it doesn’t necessarily mean that anything in admissions is actually going to change,” he said.

Related:

Law School Deans Write Letter of Opposition to ABA’s Proposed Recommendation to Drop Standardized Test Requirement

ABA to Vote on Recommendation that Would Allow Law Schools to Drop Admissions Test Requirement

AAMC’s President and CEO Addresses Top Challenges Facing Academic Medicine

Last weekend, the President and CEO of the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), David Skorton, MD, addressed over 4,200 leaders in academic medicine on the “four things that keep me up at night.” These include structural and cultural inequities in academic medicine, deteriorating student wellbeing, external threats to the doctor-patient relationship, and a lack of mutual respect. On these challenges, Skorton called for collective action. “The health and mental well-being of our communities and our colleagues are at stake. Through meaningful, open, and honest dialogue, partnership, and collective action, we can and will tackle these problems in service of the greater public good,” he said. Below, we summarize his concerns. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion and anti-racism. Within academic medicine, Skorton noted that this work includes diversifying medical schools’ student populations, faculty, and staff. It also goes further. Each academic institution should review their culture to ensure that the climate supports every student with the “opportunity to excel.” 

Student well-being and mental health. Skorton notes that medical students show higher rates of depression and risk of suicide than their age-matched peer populations, and that the comparisons have worsened in recent years. He encouraged academic leaders to prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of students by understanding their existing stressors (financial, academic, and social) and reducing them, as possible. Medical school faculty and staff should also ensure that they make mental health and wellbeing resources accessible to students. 

External threats to the doctor-patient relationship. While not speaking to abortion rights specifically, Skorton spoke to the more generalized threat that legislation and/or judicial opinions can impose on a physician’s ability to exercise clinical judgment in partnership with the patient. He encouraged leaders to “stand firm” against such external action in order to protect the doctor-patient relationship.

Humility and mutual respect. While Skorton emphatically noted that physicians are duty-bound to speak out against racism or hate speech, he called for greater mutual respect. He noted that leaders in academic medicine should show humility in their interactions and discourse, and called for physicians to model using an open-mind and empathy in encounters with those holding differing viewpoints or conflicting ideologies. 

How to Approach University of Chicago Booth’s Essays

The admissions team at University of Chicago Booth is, of course, interested in your abilities in leadership, critical thinking, and collaboration. But they also want to see you, a person with a unique path, who may even be able to embrace and celebrate your own “weirdness.”

The Booth application requires all candidates to submit responses to two short-answer questions, which will provide you the best opportunity to demonstrate your unique qualities through stories from your past, and give the admissions committee a view into the person and professional behind the experiences and accomplishments listed on your resume. They also provide an optional third question.

Short Answer Question 1: How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

Although the question asks about your future goals and how a Booth MBA will help you achieve them, you will want to anchor this essay in the past. Because what you’ve already done, learned, and achieved is far more important than what you haven’t—what you say you want to do in the future. In order to fully satisfy the objective of this prompt, go into your backstory and detail the key moments that influenced you and the formation of your goals. Your resume will provide an overview of your professional path to date, but this is your chance to provide a deep dive into your most pivotal experiences. Once the reader has taken this trip to your past, your proposed path forward and why Booth is the perfect fit, will make much more sense. 

The Writing Process

Begin with a brainstorm. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Document your experiences, positive and negative, that prompted an evolution in your perspective—you know, those “ah-ha!” moments without which you would be a different student, professional, and/or person today. Then, record those experiences that will show the reader your abilities in innovation (critical/creative thinking and problem solving), leadership, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your interest in an MBA program. Capture as many details as possible, paying particular attention to what you thought, felt, said, and did in each situation. Your focus should be on adult experiences (from the start of college and later), though stories from your youth could comprise up to 20 percent of this brainstorm.

During your brainstorm, don’t limit yourself by worrying about a cohesive narrative, the quality of your writing, or the number/length of your stories. Simply focus on collecting those situations that helped to guide your path to this point and impacted your decision to apply to the Chicago Booth MBA program.

Craft an outline. Select the key stories you will use to anchor your narratives. Remember that you’ll use your essays to go deep into experiences that demonstrate the traits you want to emphasize. Think about your application as a whole and use your responses to strategically cover any qualities that may not be adequately addressed in other aspects of your application. 

Write. Keep in mind that you must be showing, not telling the reader who you are. Invite the reader into your life by highlighting sensory details, such as smells and sounds, and don’t hesitate to engage your readers emotionally. Sprinkle in humor (if you feel comfortable doing so) or hit a poignant note. In contrast to your resume which provides a general overview of your experiences, your essay responses should go deep into a story that allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about some of your character traits and abilities. Highlight how you’ve struggled, triumphed, learned, and how these experiences have developed you into the person you are now.  

Review. Revise. Repeat. Confirm your word count and read your essay aloud noting where you stumble. Make revisions as necessary. Once it reads smoothly, set it down and walk away for at least 24 hours. Then re-read it. Is it you? Is it personal and authentic? You want the reader to see the real person behind the applicant number. While we caution against “oversharing,” being appropriately vulnerable will create connection.  

Short Answer Question 2: An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are… (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

It’s time to showcase some personality! Booth is looking for students who will be collaborative and form lasting personal and professional relationships, so exposing a bit of vulnerability to show a quirky or sentimental side is a good idea, especially because your other essay delved deeply into your professional and/or academic interests and abilities. You may also want to showcase how you will contribute to the diversity of the class and what you will offer your classmates. Are you a passionate environmentalist who spends weekends leading group hikes? Do you organize food drives with a local non-profit? Do you spend all of your vacation time traveling to a specific region of the world? Are you an avid guitar player? Show the admissions committee who you are and what you are most passionate about. 

The following question is optional: Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (Maximum 300 words.)

This essay is for additional context around a weak spot in your application. Did you get a C in calculus? Or withdraw from your courses your sophomore year to help a family member? Do you feel that your lackluster GMAT score isn’t indicative of your abilities?

If you are going to address a low grade in an analytical course or a low GMAT score, don’t make excuses. Spend the majority of your word count demonstrating your ability to excel in rigorous academic or professional environments using specific examples. Provide information on similar classes in which you achieved excellent grades or give details about a professional pursuit that resulted in success.

If you are speaking to a more sensitive situation, perhaps a big mistake or legal issue that impacted your GPA, spend approximately 20 percent of your essay addressing the situation. Then use the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took to improve and what happened as a result. Do not make excuses, simply address the situation, placing the emphasis on what you learned. Remember, everyone makes mistakes, taking accountability and moving forward demonstrates maturity.

Related: 

Harvard Law Students Demand Coursework and Clinics in Reproductive Rights and Justice

Last month, the Harvard Law School Alliance for Reproductive Justice, a student group, staged a sit-in on campus to shine a light on the school’s lack of movement on reproductive justice offerings. They noted that students have been demanding coursework in reproductive rights for a decade, but that the school has done little more than to provide a few elective courses with visiting professors. In a demand letter submitted by the group to the administration last week, the students requested a reproductive justice clinic, at least one dedicated faculty member, and a curriculum. In their letter, the students also called out existing offerings at other law programs, which include:

  • New York University Law School Reproductive Justice Clinic and Advanced Reproductive Justice Clinic: This clinic trains students in the legal knowledge and skill required to secure fundamental liberty, justice, and equality for people across their reproductive lives, with a particular focus on pregnancy and birth. For current clinic work, students participate in advocacy and litigation around legal or policy frameworks restricting the autonomy and undermining the equality of pregnant, parenting, and birthing women; or punishing persons by virtue of their reproductive status.

  • Yale University Reproductive Rights and Justice Project: Students gain firsthand experience in fast-paced litigation and timely and strategic advocacy in a highly contested area of the law, confronting knotty procedural problems as well as substantive constitutional law questions in an area where established doctrine is under siege. Students advocate for reproductive health care providers and their patients, learning the vital importance of client confidentiality, as well as the impact of political movement strategy and management of press and public messaging.

  • Columbia University Center for Gender and Sexuality Law: This center's mission is to formulate new approaches to complex issues facing gender and sexual justice movements. The Center is the base for many research projects and initiatives focused on issues of gender, sexuality, reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and gender identity and expression in law, policy, and professional practice.

  • Cornell University Gender Justice Clinic: This clinic engages in local, national, and global efforts to address gender-based violence and discrimination. Issues covered include intimate partner violence, sexual assault, gender-based violence in institutional settings, discrimination at work and in the criminal legal system, discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, and reproductive rights, among others. 

  • University of California – Berkeley Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice: This center is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to issues of reproduction and designed to support law and policy solutions by bridging the academic-advocate divide.

  • UCLA Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy: This center is committed to training the reproductive law and policy leaders of tomorrow, while empowering the advocates and scholars of today. By creating a trusted hub on the West Coast for local and national convenings, the Center engages academics, community members, and practitioners to reimagine the landscape of reproductive health, law, and policy.

Biden Administration Works to Improve Nutrition and Health Education in Medical School Curriculums

Despite the prevalence of obesity and related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and stroke in the US, there is little training on nutrition in American medical schools. 

Dr. Stephen Devries, a cardiologist and co-lead of the Nutrition Education Working Group at the Harvard School of Public Health, spoke about this gap in the medical curriculum on a recent AMA podcast. “Nutrition just hasn't been recognized as a priority in medical education, despite the fact that dietary changes are well recognized to be the leading risk factor for premature death and disability in the United States. On average, medical students spend about 19 hours over the course of four years in medical school on nutrition. But much of that is related to biochemistry and topics that are important but not directly clinically relevant for patients. So in the absence of meaningful nutrition education, what are medical students to think when they graduate, other than the fact that nutrition must not be very important in their training because they only learned about drugs and procedures?” he said. 

Due to the public health concern and the costs related to poor nutrition, government representatives are starting to speak up. From the House of Representatives to the White House, there are calls for action to improve education and outreach on nutrition and diet-related disease from medical schools to elementary schools. Earlier this year, following a congressional briefing with the Nutrition Education Working Group at the Harvard School of Public Health, Congressman McGovern (D, MA) and Congressman Burgess (R, TX) passed a bipartisan resolution in the House calling for “medical schools, residency, and fellowship programs to provide nutrition education that demonstrates the connection between diet and disease.” The resolution will encourage federal agencies to prioritize funding for medical “programs that incorporate substantive training in nutrition and diet sufficient for physicians and health professionals to meaningfully incorporate nutrition interventions and dietary referrals into medical practice.” 

In late September, the White House hosted its first Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years where they unveiled a formal strategy to promote better nutrition and improve food security. The administration announced $8 billion in commitments, underneath five pillars, involving stakeholders from non-profits to universities to tech start-ups. The second pillar, “Integrate Nutrition and Health,” is most heavily geared towards medical students and physicians. Some of the named actions include:

  • A commitment by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) to make an in-kind donation of $24.1 million to improve nutrition training for medical professionals

  • A first-ever Medical Education Summit on Nutrition in Practice organized by the AAMC and ACGME to convene 150 medical education leaders

  • A signed pledge by many leading health organizations (including the National Medical Association and National Hispanic Medical Association) to take action on strengthening health professionals’ nutrition education

  • A commitment by The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville to make a $4.8 million in-kind donation to assist in the implementation of its Lifestyle Medicine curriculum for interested medical schools and to provide content guidance to the National Board of Medical Examiners

Online Law School Classes Boost Student Participation

According to data from the Law School Survey of Student Engagement, online law school classes promote a broader range of participation from students than in-person classes, particularly among women. 

The Success with Online Education report collected responses from 13,000 law students at 70 schools, and sought to understand the success of online learning in the law school environment. Online learning remains relevant due to the ABA’s recent expansion of online learning options for accredited law schools. Students may now take up to one-third of their credit hours for graduation online. Among the survey respondents, 50 percent had taken at least one online class. 

A quarter of students taking mostly in-person classes reported participating “very often” in class, and 31 percent of students taking mostly online classes said the same. But among women, 30 percent of those taking mostly online law school classes participated in class “very often” compared to 23 percent of those taking mostly in-person classes. 

In addition to increased participation, a comparison of responses between mostly in-person and mostly-online students showed similar proportions who agreed that they are learning to think critically and analytically, are developing legal research skills, and are honing their writing abilities. Similar numbers also reported developing positive relationships with faculty and staff. 

Related: Female Law School Students Speak Up More in Small Classes and when Professors Use Systematic Methods for Student Participation

Waitlisted? Here’s What to Expect.

News you have been waitlisted at one of the medical schools on your list is disappointing. But the game isn’t over. 

You can influence your chance of being selected from the waitlist of any school by continuing to showcase your interest in their program through update letters, visits, and meetings with professors, admissions directors, and current students. You can also craft a letter of intent to your first-choice program. This letter will be similar in content to an update letter, but it will include the key yield protection statement: “Medical School X is my first choice and, if admitted, I would attend.” If you can make such a statement, it will be impactful. Keep in mind, however, that you should only make this promise to one school. For other programs, you may send an update letter that expresses your continued interest without this level of commitment.

As the waiting game continues, keep in mind that the number of students who are admitted each year from the waitlist depends on the school. Competitive programs typically admit fewer because they have a higher yield (acceptances resulting from initial admissions offers). But other schools will admit up to half of the class from the waitlist. It is also important to note that many schools do not use “rolling waitlists.” Instead, they often delay until they have received final admissions decisions from prospective students on April 30th. After this date, you will only be able to hold a seat at one medical school. While you can withdraw from a school if you are accepted from the waitlist into a preferred school up to the point of matriculation, you cannot hold a seat at both schools. Familiarize yourself with school-specific waitlist policies via the AAMC website. 

Good luck!    

Related: The Medical School Application: Sending an Update Letter

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