2022 Incoming Law School Class Most Diverse in History

In 2021, the entering law school class made headlines for being the largest and most diverse to date, with almost 35 percent of students identifying as people of color. But now, although the class size has returned to “normal levels,” two-thirds of the 2022 incoming law school class identify as students of color. LSAC describes the incoming class as “by far the most racially and ethnically diverse law school class in history.” 

The LSAC 2022 entering class profile incorporates LSAC data along with the ABA’s published Standard 509 data. Below are some highlights from the profile on the makeup of the incoming class. 

  • The class size totaled over 38,000, a decrease from the unusually large 2021 entering class, but on par with the class sizes seen since 2018. 

  • Using demographic categories that directly compare to previous years, 36.6 percent of the incoming class identify as students of color, up about 2 percentage points from last year (34.7 percent) and up over 3 percent from 2018 (33.3 percent). 

  • Using updated demographic breakouts that include a category for Middle Eastern and North African/Arab students (who historically have been incorporated into the Caucasian category), the percentage of students who identify as a person of color increases to 39 percent, an increase of 2.1 percentage points over last year. 

  • Women continue to make up the majority of the incoming class (55.3 percent), while men comprising 42.5 percent of the class.

  • Almost all of the incoming class, over 98 percent, took the LSAT as part of the application process. The 2022 incoming class had a higher average LSAT score, up by 0.32 points, when compared to the 2021 entering class. 

  • The 2022 entering class also earned a higher median undergraduate GPA, up by 0.04 points, than the 2021 class. 

You can find LSAC’s full profile here, or access the ABA dataset here.

Worried About Medical School Debt? Financial Advisors Weigh In.

Medscape’s 2022 Medical Student Lifestyle Report found that med students’ top concerns deal with managing finances, debt, and contracts. As a follow-up to these findings, Medscape ran a poll of medical students to learn more about their financial issues. Over two-thirds (68 percent) of the 151 respondents said that they always/often worry about finances. Among first- and second-year med students, this percentage jumps to 75. Over half said that they are confused about money and only 42 percent—just 26 percent of female respondents—said that they feel prepared to manage their finances.

Most students named debt as their primary concern (86 percent). This was followed by investments (52 percent), contracts (27 percent) and business operations (16 percent). Some addressed their difficulty in balancing spending for necessities and “fun” items, and cited issues with budgeting for the residency application process in the fourth year. 

Financial planner and advisor to young doctors, Paul Morton, spoke with Medscape, noting that medical students are often asked to make binding decisions, many of which they don’t feel confident making, about loans and investments. He also acknowledged that student loan rules have become more complex.

James Nutter, Director of Client Experience for IM Wealth, also spoke with Medscape and reassured medical students that loans for medical school are a remarkably safe investment for their future.

In addition, he encourages medical students to consider the following:

  • Examine your relationship with money. Are you being overly influenced by your childhood experiences, your parents struggle with money, or other external factors such as social media? What personal experiences may be driving or coloring your spending behaviors?

  • Take note of exactly how you spend your money on a monthly basis. What types of items are buying? Detailed knowledge of your spending habits can inform how much you need to borrow.

  • Identify three core values, and spend your money in ways that align with those values. This will help to reduce the noise of external pressures on your spending and ensure that your spending is reflective of who you are.  

MBA Students Covered by a Grade Non-Disclosure Policy Take Harder Classes and Participate More in Extracurriculars

Grade nondisclosure (GND) policies, which date back to the 1990s, exist predominantly within an elite group of MBA programs including Wharton, Stanford, and Columbia. They codify a (typically student-driven) collective agreement not to disclose grades to potential employers during the recruiting process, even if they are requested. Proponents of the practice argue that a GND policy promotes collaboration between students and allows them to pursue additional extracurricular experiences, and take harder classes without fear of the impact to their GPA. Critics of the policy say it deprives employers of a key metric for making hiring decisions and discourages students from spending time on academics. 

The Wall Street Journal has previously published study findings examining the impact of a GND policy on student behavior, which shows that both proponents and critics are correct. The study’s authors—Eric Floyd, Assistant Professor of Accounting at the University of California San Diego, Daniel Lee, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware, and Sorabh Tomar, Assistant Professor of Accounting at Southern Methodist University—reviewed data from one MBA program to compare the choices of full-time students covered by a GND, with those of part-time students, who were not bound by the GND. 

They found:

  • Students with a GND spent about 4.9 percent less time per course, compared to students without a GND. However, GND students did generally enroll in harder classes, which meant that their total time spent on academics was not statistically different from their counterparts. 

  • GND students were 7.6 percent more likely to engage in extracurricular activities than their counterparts.

  • GND students reported lower tenure at their first job post-graduation. They were 7.7 percent less likely to remain for more than a year and 12.8 percent less likely to stay longer than two years when compared to non-GND students.

While the study’s findings provide helpful insight into student behaviors, there is variation in the way the data could be interpreted. “Between the extracurriculars and the difficult classes, what we say isn’t all time spent away from academics is lost time,” said Dr. Lee. “But we can’t really comment on the good or bad effects.” Similarly, Dr. Tomar told the WSJ that the explanation for the reduced employment tenure could be attributed to either the negative effects that grade nondisclosure had on job matching between students and employers or the positive effects that additional time spent on extracurricular activities had on GND students’ networks, thereby increasing their likelihood of obtaining additional job opportunities and offers. 

You’ve Submitted Your Law School Application… Now What?

Congratulations! You’ve submitted your law school application, but your work is not quite complete. You still have the opportunity to make a positive impression on the admissions committee by demonstrating your enthusiasm for the program. 

Consider the following ways to showcase your interest.

  • Follow the school on social media and set up Google alerts with key words so you can easily stay informed of current events, research, or news related to the program. Confirm that your social media presence is up to date and represents you well.

  • Prepare for and participate in interviews, even if they are optional. Interviews are a great way for the admissions committee to get to know you as a person (beyond your application) and for you to learn more about the program’s student experience, experiential learning opportunities, and/or alumni network. 

  • Set up an in-person visit to the school, if possible. Make appointments with professors or current students who share your interests. Prep by creating a brief elevator speech explaining, with specifics, how the school's programming aligns with your interests and why you would be a great addition to the student body.

  • Attend any admissions events, webinars, or other programming facilitated by the school or the admissions committee. If appropriate, introduce yourself and ask a thoughtful question(s) on the content.

  • Follow-up any interactions with faculty or students with a brief thank you note reiterating your excitement about the program. 

  • Send an update letter to the school if you have a significant accomplishment or update, not previously covered in your application, to share. Examples include: a significant positive change to your GPA or LSAT/GRE score, publications, professional development (e.g., you presented at a national/regional conference or received a promotion with additional responsibility at work), awards/honors, and/or extracurricular achievements (you took on a leadership position in a club/organization, significantly expanded the scale or reach of a club/organization, or a club/organization you lead received an honor or award).

  • In your update letter, don’t forget to express your continued interest in the program, noting specifics that are particularly compelling to you. If the school is your first choice, make the yield protection statement: If admitted, I will attend. 

  • Do not excessively contact the admissions committee, particularly to ask questions with answers readily available online or to ask for feedback on your application or admissions likelihood. If you do reach out – make it strategic. 

Harvard Medical School Withdraws from the U.S. News Medical School Ranking

Harvard Medical School’s Dean, Dr. George Daley, just announced this morning that the school will no longer participate in the U.S. News & World Report “Best Medical Schools” ranking. 

In an open letter to the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine community, Daley noted that his concerns rest not simply on criticisms of the ranking methodology, but more fundamentally on his, “... principled belief that rankings cannot meaningfully reflect the high aspirations for educational excellence, graduate preparedness, and compassionate and equitable patient care that we strive to foster in our medical education programs.” He also described the negative unintended consequences that he sees rankings promoting within academic institutions, which include schools reporting false or misleading data, creating policies intended to boost rankings rather than educational objectives, and emphasizing financial aid for recipients based on scores rather than financial need. Daley noted that while he has contemplated this move for years, the “courageous and bold moves” made by leaders within the law school community—including Harvard Law’s Dean, John Manning—have “compelled” him to act now. 

Daley did acknowledge the need for data and transparency for prospective medical students, and urged them to review the data shared on the HMS admissions website. He also recommended the AAMC MSAR database, which contains meaningful data for all U.S. medical schools.

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

MBA Class of 2022 Graduates Offered Record-Setting Salaries

Earlier this season we reported that preliminary MBA employment profiles showed record-breaking salaries for the class of 2022. Additional employment data has only validated this trend. Almost all of the U.S. News top 10 ranked programs have reported median salary increases of ten percent or more compared to last year. Below, we’ve aggregated data on the median salaries and compensation for these programs. 

University of Chicago (Booth): The median salary increased 12.9 percent from 2021 ($155,000) to 2022 ($175,000), while median total compensation increased by more than 10 percent to $196,600. Graduates split fairly evenly into consulting (36 percent) and financial services (35 percent), followed by technology (15 percent). 

University of Pennsylvania (Wharton): The median salary increased 12.9 percent from 2021 ($155,000) to 2022 ($175,000). Over one-third of graduates went into financial services (39 percent), followed by consulting (24 percent) and technology (17 percent). 

Northwestern University (Kellogg): The median salary increased 10 percent from 2021 ($150,000) to 2022 ($165,000), while median total compensation increased by 8.7 percent to $191,100. Over one-third of graduates entered into consulting (40 percent), followed by technology (21 percent), and financial services (16 percent). 

Harvard University: The median salary increased 16 percent from 2021 ($150,500) to 2022 ($175,000), while median total compensation increased 17.5 percent to $223,100. Over one-third of graduates went into financial services (34 percent), followed by consulting (26 percent) and venture capital/private equity (22 percent). 

MIT (Sloan): The median salary increased 10 percent from 2021 ($150,000) to 2022 ($165,000), while median total compensation increased by 4.7 percent to $204,700. Almost one-third graduates went into consulting (31 percent), followed by an even split between financial services (26 percent) and technology (26 percent). 

Yale University SOM: The median salary increased 14 percent from 2021 ($140,400) to 2022 ($160,110), while median total compensation increased by 12.5 percent to $185,940. Nearly half of graduates entered into careers in consulting (46 percent), followed by financial services (22 percent) and CPG/retail (11 percent). 

Columbia University: The median salary increased 16.7 percent from 2021 ($150,000) to 2022 ($175,000), while median total compensation increased by 14 percent to $203,252. Over one-third of graduates went into finance (37 percent) and consulting (34 percent), followed by media/tech (16 percent). 

UC Berkeley (Haas): The median salary increased 4 percent from 2021 ($149,000) to 2022 ($155,000), while median total compensation increased by 3.7 percent to $179,696. About one-third of graduates entered into careers in technology (33 percent), followed by consulting (28 percent) and financial services (14 percent). 

University of Michigan (Ross): The median salary increased 14.6 percent from 2021 ($144,000) to 2022 ($165,000), while median total compensation increased by about 12 percent to $192,270. Over one-third of graduates entered into consulting (42 percent), followed by technology (17 percent) and financial services (15 percent).

Note: At time of publishing, Stanford GSB’s class of 2022 employment profile was not available.

Related: 

Downtown in MBA Program Applicant Volume Continues

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

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

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