Anonymous
02/25/2026 08:51
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Does it make sense to go to this low ranked school and be on top of class, get all research and internship placement opportunities, etc.
It’s amusing that you think your kid will get research and internship opportunities at a low ranking school and that you think anyone (least of all employers) will be impressed if your kid is top of the class at a crap school.
Truth.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 08:49
Subject: Re:Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If going to law school, it is better to get As in undergrad.
Harvard Law seeks variety, for example, and not just students from T20.
Look at your child’s goals and go from there.
While this is true, they still take the majority from T20 and top LACs.
Not true. The GPA and LSAT are just about all they look at. A few other factors but not which school. The LSAT will indicate how well the student will do. Anyway who wants to go to law school? No one.
False, they consider the school as well as LSAT and GPA. The schools are tiered, and GPA is put in context of that tier, just as they are for med school ad coms.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 11:24
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:NO.
The only POSSIBLE valid reason to turn down a T20 to go to a school with a weak academic cohort is if you get an enormous, non-predatory scholarship to the weaker school and you can't afford the T20.
What does this mean?
Yes I wondered too. My child is in a position like this.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 11:17
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
People usually go to the lesser school for financial reasons. If costs are similar, or cost isn’t an issue, then of course go to the better school.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 10:21
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:NO.
The only POSSIBLE valid reason to turn down a T20 to go to a school with a weak academic cohort is if you get an enormous, non-predatory scholarship to the weaker school and you can't afford the T20.
What does this mean?
Anonymous
02/23/2026 10:18
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Does it make sense to go to this low ranked school and be on top of class, get all research and internship placement opportunities, etc.
It’s amusing that you think your kid will get research and internship opportunities at a low ranking school and that you think anyone (least of all employers) will be impressed if your kid is top of the class at a crap school.
Malcolm Gladwell’s research says otherwise. It is funny you think your sole opinion based on zero data is correct.
Watch out for using Malcolm Gladwell to make your case! He's a great storyteller, but I'd look elsewhere for research results.
+1
The woman he used as an example in his book did not resonate with my DC at all. Interesting anecdote, sure. But sample size of one.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 10:10
Subject: Re:Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If going to law school, it is better to get As in undergrad.
Harvard Law seeks variety, for example, and not just students from T20.
Look at your child’s goals and go from there.
While this is true, they still take the majority from T20 and top LACs.
Not true. The GPA and LSAT are just about all they look at. A few other factors but not which school. The LSAT will indicate how well the student will do. Anyway who wants to go to law school? No one.
You are an idiot. Take a look at the admits to HYS law.
You don't think kids that went to top undergrad would corelate heavily with kids that do well on the LSAT?
Anonymous
02/23/2026 10:09
Subject: Re:Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If going to law school, it is better to get As in undergrad.
Harvard Law seeks variety, for example, and not just students from T20.
Look at your child’s goals and go from there.
While this is true, they still take the majority from T20 and top LACs.
Not true. The GPA and LSAT are just about all they look at. A few other factors but not which school. The LSAT will indicate how well the student will do. Anyway who wants to go to law school? No one.
You are an idiot. Take a look at the admits to HYS law.
Based on quora response:
Less than 10% of harvard law students went to yale princeton or harvard.
I an not a LAC fanboy but the Lacs seem to do well with law school admissions.
https://www.quora.com/What-percentage-of-students-at-Harvard-Law-School-went-to-Harvard-Yale-or-Princeton-for-undergraduate-studies
Anonymous
02/23/2026 09:38
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Does it make sense to go to this low ranked school and be on top of class, get all research and internship placement opportunities, etc.
It’s amusing that you think your kid will get research and internship opportunities at a low ranking school and that you think anyone (least of all employers) will be impressed if your kid is top of the class at a crap school.
You don't know what you are talking about. And there are no "crap colleges" until you get to the for profit ones.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 09:36
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We are visiting a school with a very high acceptance rate and an academically weak cohort of students.
DC is a very strong student and will possibly get in into a T20.
In this school, however, DC will stand out and be on top academically.
Does it make sense to go to this low ranked school and be on top of class, get all research and internship placement opportunities, etc.
In top 20 DC will just blend in with other academic overachievers.
Define "blend in".
It's totally fine if "blend in" means in the top 25%. No one is expecting to be in the top 1% in college.
It's most likely a miserable experience if "blend in" refers to in the bottom 25%.
Nobody normal thinks about class rank in college.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 09:35
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Top companies and top grad rarely select from weaker schools. Go to the best school even if they will be average
It is silly to think of companies as "top." Top where? In your home town? In a city you've never lived in before? What does "top" even mean in any given persons real life?
Alos, OP, you seem certain your kid will be "on top" at the lower ranked shcool -- this is not guaranteed. Things at colleges are a lot more equal across the board than your high school performance data suggests.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 09:35
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Does it make sense to go to this low ranked school and be on top of class, get all research and internship placement opportunities, etc.
It’s amusing that you think your kid will get research and internship opportunities at a low ranking school and that you think anyone (least of all employers) will be impressed if your kid is top of the class at a crap school.
Malcolm Gladwell’s research says otherwise. It is funny you think your sole opinion based on zero data is correct.
Watch out for using Malcolm Gladwell to make your case! He's a great storyteller, but I'd look elsewhere for research results.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 09:30
Subject: Re:Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If going to law school, it is better to get As in undergrad.
Harvard Law seeks variety, for example, and not just students from T20.
Look at your child’s goals and go from there.
While this is true, they still take the majority from T20 and top LACs.
Not true. The GPA and LSAT are just about all they look at. A few other factors but not which school. The LSAT will indicate how well the student will do. Anyway who wants to go to law school? No one.
You are an idiot. Take a look at the admits to HYS law.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 03:27
Subject: Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
This is the right strategy for high school but not college.
Anonymous
02/23/2026 02:37
Subject: Re:Stand out in weak peer group or blend in?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If going to law school, it is better to get As in undergrad.
Harvard Law seeks variety, for example, and not just students from T20.
Look at your child’s goals and go from there.
While this is true, they still take the majority from T20 and top LACs.
Not true. The GPA and LSAT are just about all they look at. A few other factors but not which school. The LSAT will indicate how well the student will do. Anyway who wants to go to law school? No one.