Deans list top = top 15%... my friend was 15.4320987654%, help me argue this!

[StevePirates]

Also, I think that the OP knows his friend loses.  Still, it's a bit of fun to try to make the best losing argument you can.  Who knows, maybe if his friend makes a very well thought out rational appeal, he can get something else out of it.

"Sorry, we can't do Dean's List, 15% is absolute, but we appreciate your concern with job placement and prestige so we'll have career services bend over backward to find you a judicial externship for the fall."  Why not?  If they can do something to help the guy, and it doesn't hurt them to, then I'm sure they will.

As long as he doesn't come across whiny or angry; and he makes a good argument, then I would imagine he'll get something out of it, although probably not the Dean's List designation.

[gratif]

If you have to come to this website and ask for help in arguing a point, maybe the Dean's List just isn't for you (or your friend in this case). 

NO U R THE ONE THAT IS DUM. INTERNET FIGHT! SHIELDS UP! PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW!

[no634]

PEW PEW PEW never fails to make me larf.

 

[008]

 

I'm bringing out the big guns -

thpthpthpthpthpthpthp thpthpthpthpthpthp thpthpthpthpthpthpthpthpthp


pkshhhhhhshsshshshhsshSHSSHSH SSHSHSHSSHspkahshHSHHSHSHSH!!!!!!!!!



[6-9 round bursts of suppressive fire, ICBM]

I win.

[RickLax.com]

If you have to come to this website and ask for help in arguing a point, maybe the Dean's List just isn't for you (or your friend in this case). 

I'm kinda surprised by all the negative replies, like this one.  I mean, the poster is asking for help making an argument...the future lawyers are the ones supposed to be giving them, not taking the side of the school.  Thats what judges and juries are for.


-Rick @ http://ricklax.com

[nocomply]

I feel your friend's pain too.  I'm ranked as 10.25% - I'm not in the "top 10%."  Though if I was asked what I'm ranked, I'd respond by saying "10% or so."  Or, if I wanted to be specific, "10.25%."  Am I upset that I'm not in the "top 10%"?  No.  I don't care about that. 

Though your friend can't put down "Deans List" on his resume, he can still put down that he's ranked 15.4% - which is, by itself, an impressive number, depending on where he is applying for a job. 

Tell him to chill out, but to not go around telling everyone that he's in the "top 15%" - because that is technically misleading.  Sorry to break it, like everyone else has, but that's reality.

[themanwithoutaname]

If my school ranked students, I would totally sympathize with you.

Also, ricklax sucks.

[StevePirates]

Most of us think the number has to round up.  OP wants the number to round down.  Chuck Norris numbers roundhouse.

OP's friend should just put that 15.4320987654 is the only score that qualifies for the highly prestigious Chuck Norris' List.  BigLaw will be sure to follow.

[ouffha]

He was 25/162.  From the academic policy manual.

III-C-6. Graduation Honors, Dean’s List, and Class Rankings

...

B. Dean’s List

The Dean’s List will be the top 15 percent in each class for each semester. The Dean’s List will be compiled and students will be informed of their distinction. Students will also be invited to contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs if they do not wish to have their names included on the public version of the Dean’s List. After students are given a reasonable opportunity to request that their names be withheld from publication, the Dean’s List will be published.


I stole this argument from the "should I drop out" thread, but based on the lack of precision in the policy handbook, one could argue that top 15.4% rounds to the top 15% based on some common understanding of mathyness.

And the argument could be frosted by that canon of construction (from contracts) that says something about ambiguity erring on the side of the non-drafter.  Isn't there some clever sounding latin for this? 

I know the dean, and he will treat this handbook like a contract.



If anyone could hammer this out in a few sentances for the email to the dean, that'd be really helpful.  Having trouble articulating it.

Wrong. Top 15% is top 15%, or top 15.0%, or rather, top 15.00%. No other way around it. Your friend needs to get rank 24/162 a girlfriend/boyfriend so he can beat him/her next semester.

[vap]

Just to get off topic...

Does anyone put "dean's list" on their resume?  I would assume that your grades speak for themselves.  Your class rank and "dean's list" are both labels for the same thing = grades.

I guess I could foresee putting it on the resume if your overall rank is lower than the cutoff for dean's list, and you made dean's list in the second semester.  By doing this, you would be showing improvement of your grades.  But even then, I think it might just be better to list which classes you did really well in if they relate to your job hunt.