Does everyone go to law school thinking they will be #1?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never thought I would be #1 but I had no idea how badly I would get crushed by the curve. It was a humbling experience to go from being top 10% in undergrad to what I like to call the "top of the bottom third" in law school at UVA. Everyone in law school works hard so you just have to accept that some people are smarter than you.

x2, but at a different school. The first year, particularly the end, was about as difficult as it gets in a professional environment.

[Anonymous]

No, and it would be a little crazy to go into any top law school with that expectation. There are just so many talented and accomplished people at those top schools. I was at the top of my law school class and frankly did not go in with that expectation. (the law school did not reveal a valedictorian, only a top 10, I think? anyway, I was in whatever top few they announced.) I was super-motivated, mostly worried about humiliating myself in front of all those incredibly smart, together, accomplished classmates, many of whom had privileges that made mine seem meager. And I found I had a talent for the peculiar way of thinking that lends itself to law school exams.

That said, I wouldn't go out of your way to try to burst her bubble. She might be a genius, she might be going to a less competitive school, or she might be a really committed hard worker with a talent for this. If you want to help, I seem to recall there were a couple of useful, short books I read about how to study for law school. Also, some stress relief care packages towards examtime would not go amiss.