Rankings

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March 9, 2015
2015 USNWR Rankings 21-50 with +/-

Note, USNWR calls this “2016″ Rankings. 22. George Washington University (-2) 23. University of Alabama (+1) 24. University of Iowa (+5) 25. University of Notre Dame (+4) 26. Arizona State University (+5) 27. Boston University (+1) 28. University of Washington (-4) 29. William & Mary (-5) 30. University of California-Irvine (NR) 31. University of California-Davis (+5)

February 16, 2015
Which Law Schools Give The Biggest Employment Value Relative to Their Rankings?

We compiled a list of every ABA Accredited law school, along with their latest US News & World Report ranking and their Law School Transparency employment score. To determine which law schools are the most underrated relative to the above, we plotted this data (see below) and came up with a linear trend line, then measured each data point’s vertical distance from the trend line. This distance is also called the “Residual,” which you can see below for each law school. Positive residuals indicate

February 16, 2015
The 25 Most “Underrated” Law Schools

We looked at every ABA Accredited law school to assess their latest US News & World Report ranking (2015) against their Law School Transparency employment score here [http://spiveyconsulting.com/blog/which-law-schools-give-the-biggest-employment-value-relative-to-their-rankings/] . For the below, we have now sorted through a variety of categories to derive a ranking, which for kicks and giggles we will call an "underrated law schools” ranking. This list does not include unranked schools because

March 10, 2014
USNWR 51-100 with +/- from last year

Excited for the new USNWR Law School Rankings coming March 10th, 2015? We will get them March 9th! Follow us on Twitter to see who is at the top and who is falling a day early.https://twitter.com/SpiveyConsult And finally, 51 -100. 51. Baylor University (+3) 51. Penn State University (+13)51. University of Richmond (+2)54. Pepperdine University (+7)54. UC Hastings (-6)54. University of Connecticut (+4)54. University of Nebraska—Lincoln (+7)58. University of Houston (-10)58. University of K

May 1, 2013
USNWR v. ATL Top 50

A quick look at individual school differences between USNWR and ATL rankings, with USNWR as the baseline. The first numerical column indicates school that gained in the ATL rankings, while the second column indicates schools that went down. No number equates to neither a rise or gain. Note this does not show which schools dropped out. In respect to students rating Career Services Offices, the highest schools (all with an A+) were Stanford, Harvard, Penn, UVA, Berkeley, NYU, North Carolina, Ne

February 16, 2013
U.S. News Rankings (with +/-) from 2012/2013

Here is a look at last year’s rankings, with who moved up and down, in anticipation of the upcoming rankings release.

Podcasts

September 23, 2021
Interview with Penn Law Admissions Dean Renee Post

In this episode, Spivey Consulting's Derek Meeker — a former Penn Law Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid — interviews Renee Post, Penn Law's current and long-standing Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid. Derek and Dean Post walk through the components of the law school application, including the personal statement, resume, addenda, and Penn's "Core Strengths, Goals, and Values" essay, and they also discuss topics including joint degrees, the merits of going to law school straight from undergrad vs. getting full-time work experience, handling the stress of the admissions process, their craziest admissions stories, their favorite things about Philadelphia, and what gives some law school applicants that "it" factor.

You can listen and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

September 30, 2021
The Challenge of Self-Doubt in Higher Education, with Terry Real

In this episode, world-renowned author, speaker, teacher, and therapist Terry Real — who has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and many more — discusses the emotional health hazards of grad school and law school and how to stay human during these stressful and highly evaluative periods of life. Law school can feel a lot like high school at times, and this is so often expressed by both students and faculty in terms of grandiosity — "I am superior to others because." Real speaks on how the field of psychology has focused so much on bringing people up that it has ignored the equal need to help bring people down from that superior position based on covert insecurity. In Real's words, "We are all born equal, no better or worse to the person to our left or right." For anyone who has had self-doubt in the law school admissions process, in law school, or in practicing law, this podcast offers an amazingly insightful message with advice toward reclaiming self-esteem from one of the world's very best.

Terry's first book, I Don't Want to Talk About It — in which he writes about treating and destigmatizing depression in a patriarchal society — has been a best-seller for over 20 years since it was first published in 1997. He has written two other books and has a new book coming out in March of next year, Us: How Moving Relationships Beyond You and Me Creates More Love, Passion, and Understanding.

For more from Terry, you can receive free access to his very popular interview with Carol Gillian, an internationally recognized ethicist and psychologist,  by texting OPT IN to (415) 813-1025.

You can listen and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

October 11, 2021
Diversity & Adversity in Law School Admissions, with Sydney Montgomery

In this episode, Mike has a conversation with our consultant Derek Meeker (former Dean of Admissions at Penn Law) and Sydney Montgomery (founder of S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting) about the role of diversity and adversity in law school admissions.

Derek's YouTube video on how to choose a personal statement topic was mentioned in this podcast; you can watch that video here.

You can listen to Sydney's podcast, "Break Into Law School," here.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

October 26, 2021
Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine Nation & Featured on The Social Dilemma

Dr. Anna Lembke is a Stanford University psychiatrist, author of the New York Times best-seller Dopamine Nation, and a featured expert on the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. In this episode, Dr. Lembke discusses the effects of dopamine on our motivation and overall happiness, talks about the degree to which society today sets us up for depression and anxiety and lack of motivation, and offers a concrete (though difficult) remedy.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

October 19, 2021
Justin Ishbia: Last WL Admit to Successful Major Donor

In 2001, Justin Ishbia was the last person Vanderbilt Law admitted off of their waitlist. He had been practice testing in the 170s and aiming for a top three law school, but when he ended up with a mid-150s LSAT score instead, he had to adjust his expectations. After visiting, Vanderbilt became his top choice, and he ended up being admitted off the waitlist in August (with his furniture already on a truck on the way to the law school he'd been planning to attend!). He worked extremely hard in law school, graduated near the top of his class, and went on to a hugely successful career in law and investing. Twenty years later, Justin Isbhia just gifted $10 million to the law school that took a chance on him. In this episode, we break down how Justin earned himself that last-minute waitlist admit, how he excelled in law school, why a disappointing LSAT score doesn't mean you have to give up your dreams, and much more.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

October 5, 2021
Should You Do a Law School Admissions Interview?

In this podcast, Mike discusses the factors to consider when you receive an invitation to interview for a law school you've applied to.

You can listen and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.