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Originally Posted by als463
If most places say they usually take up to 3 recs., would it be in bad taste to have one from 5 different sources?
The reason I ask this is because I considered having one from my Undergraduate Professor (History), One from my Graduate Professor (School Law), One from my 1SG (military), One from my present employer (Juvenile Delinquent Boot Camp) and possibly one from my Alumnae Chapter President (sorority-personal). I wanted to give the school my top recommendations and let them know that I really want to go there-so, I figured by giving them 5 from 5 people who know me-that would be good. Any thoughts?
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Part of applying to law school is following directions. If they say "up to 3 recs" then do just that. If you have any doubts, call the admissions offices to double check that it is "up to" and not "at least." Of the ones you described, I'd eliminate the sorority one (unless the school specifically stated that they wanted a personal reference letter) and would pick either your undergraduate or graduate professor. One professor rec, military, then present employer, is sufficiently diverse for law school admissions.
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Originally Posted by als463
Also, What if you are moving to a different state and your fiancee is going to a big Ivy League University so, you consider the law schools around there and you find one you fall in love with because it offers the kind of law you want and the joint degree in Social Work (MSW) but, it's a 3rd tier...would you not bother applying because it's not a top tier?
People always ask me why I don't consider going to law school at my Undergraduate institution and I tell them it's because they don't offer all the programs I want-which is true. Penn State does not offer an MSW in Social Work. So, is it bad to choose a 3rd tier because of where you will be living and because you LOVE their programs or should you say to hell with it and just apply to mainly top tier schools?
Oh-I want to either work with the FBI as an Attorney working against sex crimes (possibly even with Homeland Security) or as a Guardian Ad Litem for Agencies such as Children & Youth. Any suggestions?
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Okay, if there is any chance that you will not be practicing for your first 5 years in the same region as the TTT school, then I would in almost all cases choose the higher tiered school. If you are 100% sure on your career goals, great. Most people change their mind at least slightly when they are at law school and if you don't have strong ties to your region, you may find yourself regretting a choice to attend a TTT school. The major draws are that unless you are graduating in the top 20% of a tier three school, it is extremely hard to find a good job, and you pretty much have to count on your own connections and resources formed through externships or other experiences. Before considering a TTT school, I'd call up their career services and ask for percentages of how many of their graduates end up in positions similar to those that you want to be in.
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very limited circumstances, TTT schools can be an advantage over other higher-ranked schools. IF the TTT school has a really stellar alum base in the area you definitely know you want to practice in and IF you are able to get your education significantly cheaper and IF that school has a good track record in getting their students into jobs like the one you want... then I'd say go for it.
Under any other circumstances, though... you're going to get better opportunities going to a first tier school over a second tier, second tier over third, etc. I wouldn't give too much more credit if School A is ranked #43 and School B is ranked #58... but if you are talking #30 versus #142, I think you need a better reason than a "joint degree program" to make that choice. Joint degree programs are one way to get the diverse education you want and you should definitely ask the schools without those programs what other opportunities they might have that would be comparable to such a degree (clinical programs, pro bono program opportunities, externship programs, etc.)