The crock that is the law school scholarship

[whoknows123]

I think the more accurate label would be to call it a testmanship.  In short, law schools dole out ridiculous full paid scholarships to someone who performs well on a four hour LSAT.  However, someone works hard throughout their first year, does really well, only gets an offered peanuts.  Of course, this is just my experience, but it just doesn't seem fair.  They hand out several small scholarships to help statistics.  Kind of reminds me of the NFL draft pick salaries being more than proven veterans. 

[RobWreck]

I think the more accurate label would be to call it a testmanship.  In short, law schools dole out ridiculous full paid scholarships to someone who performs well on a four hour LSAT.  However, someone works hard throughout their first year, does really well, only gets an offered peanuts.  Of course, this is just my experience, but it just doesn't seem fair.  They hand out several small scholarships to help statistics.  Kind of reminds me of the NFL draft pick salaries being more than proven veterans. 

Just remember why scholarships are being given in the first place... all those admit scholly's are given to buy grades/scores for ranking purposes and to draw students that may have the best potential to one day be wealthy & generous alumni. The scholly's given after 1st year grades are in are only given to those that didn't merit a scholly in the first place but have demonstrated the potential to one day be wealthy & generous alumni. It's all about what the school gets for their money... and they get alot more bang for their buck when those bucks are spent on drawing in new students rather than giving money to those they already have.

[whoknows123]

There is no doubt the school knows that it can dole out small scholarships to people who are already in their school.  There just seems to be something wrong about rewarding someone for one four hour exam while basically dismissing someone who performs well over the span of the entire first year. 

[just Trev]

There is no doubt the school knows that it can dole out small scholarships to people who are already in their school.  There just seems to be something wrong about rewarding someone for one four hour exam while basically dismissing someone who performs well over the span of the entire first year. 

please re-read above post for perfectly good explanation.

[moosemeatpie]

No, there's nothing wrong with it. A scholarship is not a "reward" but an enticement. Quit with your sense of entitlement. If you did well enough, and your scholly receiving peers did poorly enough, that you believe it would be justified to take their scholarship and give it to you, you'll probably end up with a better job in the end, making the $120k difference more or less a moot point (and if you went to a good enough school where biglaw goes deep into the class, then it's on you since you prob should have been able to get a scholarship at a lower, but more or less respectable, school). The scholarship folks also made a choice, usually forgoing a better ranked school--they should also be compensated to a certain extent for that.

And why should they be compensated? Because it's their superior stats (completely irrelevant to legal skills) that, in the end, will boost the ranking of your law school, giving you bragging rights (FWIW) and probably a brighter prospects of employment.

[upgrade]

Most people have the option to take a scholarship or attend a higher ranked school as well.  "No scholarship," is usually a chioce.

[Advocate]

I'll share a secret: LIFE ISN'T FAIR!

Try to think like good old Judge Posner. Schools give out Schoolerships in their own self interest.  1L scholarships are distributed to entice high LSAT scoring students to matriculate in order to benefit the school's ranking.  2/3L scholarships are given to entice good students to stay at the school so that the school will have impressive graduates.  It is not necessary to give such a large scholarship to 2/3Ls because they basically already own you.

I know it's total bull, but that's how America rolls. Your law school education would be almost free if you lived in Europe. Socialized education! But Americans prefer this Ayn Rand, Wild West, Personal Autonomy nonsense

[Top Cat]

I'll share a secret: I'm bitter because I didn't get a scholarship that I felt I earned, so I am crying to everyone that LIFE ISN'T FAIR!

Try to think like good old Judge Posner. Schools give out Schoolerships in their own self interest.  1L scholarships are distributed to entice high LSAT scoring students to matriculate in order to benefit the school's ranking.  2/3L scholarships are given to entice good students to stay at the school so that the school will have impressive graduates.  It is not necessary to give such a large scholarship to 2/3Ls because they basically already own you.

I know it's total bull, but that's how America rolls. Your law school education would be almost free if you lived in Europe. Socialized education! But Americans prefer this Ayn Rand, Wild West, Personal Autonomy nonsense

I disagree with pretty much everything you said.  You say that life isn't fair, then you advocate socialism?  Since you are on a law school thread, I am assuming you want to be a lawyer.  Since you are in a position that you can be a lawyer, I am assuming that your education and intellect is at least above average (maybe a stretch, but let's work with it).  Pure socialism would say that, even though you are more educated and intelligent, you should not receive more payment and reward than someone less educated and intelligent.  I guarantee you that if you were forced to receive the median national salary, as opposed to whatever you are expecting by becoming an attorney, you would still be complaining that it was unfair.

Capitalism works because it tends to reward those who should be rewarded.  Unless you are going to law school solely to become a public interest attorney (by doing so, forgoing the above-average salaries typically associated with law), you are being entirely hypocritical by saying that socialism is in America's best interest.  Kind of like saying that all people are equal... but some are more equal than others. 

You don't want to "be owned" by a law school- get a guaranteed full ride for the entirety of law school.  If your numbers aren't good enough to do that, then maybe you should drop your sense of entitlement and feelings that just because you don't have a full ride, life isn't fair.

[Advocate]

I'll share a secret: LIFE ISN'T FAIR!

Try to think like good old Judge Posner. Schools give out Schoolerships in their own self interest.  1L scholarships are distributed to entice high LSAT scoring students to matriculate in order to benefit the school's ranking.  2/3L scholarships are given to entice good students to stay at the school so that the school will have impressive graduates.  It is not necessary to give such a large scholarship to 2/3Ls because they basically already own you.

I know it's total bull, but that's how America rolls. Your law school education would be almost free if you lived in Europe. Socialized education! But Americans prefer this Ayn Rand, Wild West, Personal Autonomy nonsense

I disagree with pretty much everything you said.  You say that life isn't fair, then you advocate socialism?  Since you are on a law school thread, I am assuming you want to be a lawyer.  Since you are in a position that you can be a lawyer, I am assuming that your education and intellect is at least above average (maybe a rash assumption, but let's work with it).  Pure socialism would say that, even though you are more educated and intelligent, you should not receive more payment and reward than someone less educated and intelligent.  I guarantee you that if you were forced to receive the median national salary, as opposed to whatever you are expected by becoming an attorney, you would be complaining that it was unfair.

Capitalism works because it tends to reward those who should be rewarded.  Unless you are going to law school solely to become a public interest attorney (by doing so, forgoing the above-average salaries typically associates with law), you are being entirely hypocritical by saying that socialism is in America's best interest.  Kind of like saying that all people are equal... but some are more equal than others. 

You don't want to "be owned" by a law school- get a guaranteed full ride for the entirety of law school.  If your numbers aren't good enough to do that, then maybe you should drop your sense of entitlement and feelings that just because you don't have a full ride, life isn't fair.

You are obviously a buffoon.  You overstate your case.  That is a fatal flaw in any argument. I never advocated socialism, let alone "pure socialism."  It is common knowlege that "life isn't fair."  How would you like to be born as a woman in Taliban-land?  You obviously have it out for leftists, and have over-reacted. Actually, I'm not a leftist at all. I'm just cynical. However, if I were a leftist, I would point out that President Obama, who is a brilliant man, is working to bring more socialism to America.  Get over yourself.  You conservatives lost both houses of Congress and now the presidency.  President Obama will make a liberal, socialism-friendly, Supreme Court too. You have lost the "culture wars" for a generation. Have a nice day  

[Top Cat]

Quote by Advocate: I never advocated socialism.

Your law school education would be almost free if you lived in Europe. Socialized education! But Americans prefer this Ayn Rand, Wild West, Personal Autonomy nonsense

It seems that someone has an agenda. 

My logic skills are simply not up to your obviously high standard.  I am not creative enough to come up with middle school-level names such as baffoon to throw back at you and prove my superior intellect.  In short, you have proved your case completely by using the clever and under-utilized skill of name calling.

Life isn't fair.  You said it yourself.  Embrace the system, use it to your advantage, overcome your disadvantages, and quit assuming that everyone who opposes socialism is automatically a left-wing fundamentalist (or even a Republican, for that matter).  Oh... and learn better insults.  kthxbai.