gregh  2008-07-02 15:29  grades  Law_School  rank   

For those who have been looking for them, I've posted them. I expect this to be the last time that I'll post this information. It's a funny time of year, because my page view counts go through the ceiling, and search keywords give away the worries and curiosities of people.

As for the Spring 2008 numbers, you may note that they've gone from 3 decimal places to 2. You probably already noticed this on your transcript or grade report, anyway. I asked the registrar's office if that's permanent, and I was told that it's not clear.

Next, for those on the cusp of graduation honors: there's not necessarily a direct correlation between these numbers and graduation honors. Not everyone in the grade band graduates; most everyone must, however. The breakdown lists 217 people in the class, and I thought that 218 graduated. The honors, perhaps, are an issue because of people who transfer in. I don't really know. I know that I'm right on one of the boundaries, within an upward rounding range; I only know my exact GPA because I track it to 3 places on my own.

Anyhow, that's it. After this semester, I expect things to migrate to Citizen Kendrick, unless they've changed their minds (or come to their senses.)

gregh  2008-07-02 15:15  grades  Law_School  rank  usf   

This table shows the breakdown of percentile ranks by GPA for the University of San Francisco School of Law as of the Spring 2008 semester, i.e., as of the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

	5%	10%	15%	20%	25%	33 1/3%	40%	50%	60%	80%
1FT & 1PT = 236	3.63 & above	3.46 - 3.62	3.38 - 3.45	3.31 - 3.37	3.20 - 3.30	3.09 - 3.19	3.02 - 3.08	2.87 - 3.01	2.71 - 2.86	2.38 - 2.70
2FT, 2PT & 3PT = 228	3.55 & above	3.42 - 3.54	3.33 - 3.41	3.21 - 3.32	3.16 - 3.20	3.06 - 3.15	2.99 - 3.05	2.84 - 2.98	2.75 - 2.83	2.55 - 2.74
3FT, 4FT & 4PT = 217	3.54 & above	3.43 - 3.53	3.38 - 3.42	3.29 - 3.37	3.23 - 3.28	3.15 - 3.22	3.07 - 3.14	3.01 - 3.06	2.93 - 3.00	2.72 - 2.92

gregh  2007-06-22 17:46  grades  Law_School  rank  usf   

This table shows the breakdown of percentile ranks by GPA for the University of San Francisco School of Law as of the Spring 2007 semester, i.e., as of the end of the 2006-2007 school year.

	5%	10%	15%	20%	25%	33 1/3%	40%	50%	60%	80%
1FT & 1PT = 221	3.552 & above	3.386 - 3.547	3.195 - 3.374	3.110 - 3.190	3.017 - 3.100	2.914 - 3.010	2.869 - 2.911	2.728 - 2.866	2.579 - 2.721	2.274 - 2.555
2FT, 2PT & 3PT = 250	3.496 & above	3.374 - 3.492	3.304 - 3.369	3.233 - 3.302	3.159 - 3.224	3.043 - 3.156	2.972 - 3.013	2.865 - 2.968	2.738 - 2.854	2.544 - 2.724
3FT, 4FT & 4PT = 189	3.505 & above	3.394 - 3.493	3.343 - 3.393	3.259 - 3.340	3.174 - 3.252	3.060 - 3.167	3.013 - 3.056	2.951 - 3.012	2.876 - 2.944	2.680 - 2.873

gregh  2007-06-11 23:45  grades  Law_School  rank  usf   

As I continue my recent foray into law school grades, one thing I've been interested in over the years are the variations in the percentile ranks between years. With a curve in place, one would expect these to be relatively constant. However, the curve has a lot of room for professors to play with, and based on limited empirical data but lots of anecdotes, some classes have harsh professors while others do not. That may be one reason for variances.

What I've done, then, is take the data and chart it. The first thing that becomes clear when it's charted is that the differences aren't that great. Of course, with a range that effectively begins at 2.0 and ends at 4.0, there won't be too much going on, anyway. Depending on where you fall and how much you care, these little changes can indeed be meaningful. What's more, even some of these little differences can be interesting.

I've pulled the cut-offs for each of the percentiles and charted them. I've done two different types of charts. The first type is a combined chart by year of the numbers as distributed by the registrar. The second type is a multi-year chart by class, so see where the variations are there. I've included the Fall 2006 combined chart, even though it's the only Fall data I've kept. Because it's the only one, and also because most of the interesting stuff happens at year-end, I didn't do anything with Fall data in the class-by-class breakdowns.

• Spring 2007 Combined
• Fall 2006 Combined
• Spring 2006 Combined
• Spring 2005 Combined
• 3FT-4PT By Year
• 2FT-2PT-3PT By Year
• 1FT-1PT By Year

Combined Charts

Based on:

Based on:

Based on:

Based on:

Class Charts

Based on:

Based on:

Based on:

gregh  2007-05-24 16:14  grades  Law_School  rank   

Over at Traditional Notions, Dave expresses some disgust towards one of his grades, and along with that, towards law school:

You win, law school. I know there will be other times when I will have perspective and will appreciate how you made me stronger, how you did fulfill those hopes I had when I entered. But for now, I am like the rest of the people who made it through the first third of your toll: I, too, have felt the pain you can incur. Law school sucks.

On the other hand, Dave's ambitions have clearly been greater:

The only thing that kept me going was the 3.84, the possibility of transfer, the possibility of scholarships, the possibility of firms licking my toes in order to persuade me to sign my life away to them, the possibility of someday becoming the Chief Justice of the Supreme Fucking Court (not really, but one can dream when one has a 3.84). Civ Pro had just kicked me in the nuts and taken it all away.

Of course, I've never been terribly near a 3.84. I never planned on transferring, because no place I'd want to transfer to was willing to accept some sorry sap who started in a part-time program. Money would be nice, of course, but that's where work comes in.

Throughout my time in law school, I've been somewhat fortunate to have been hearing a perspective from nearby saying, "Pass and move on." It hasn't often been my perspective, just that of a recently graduated friend of mine from school. I may not live it, but I sure want to. My goal, as his, is to become a lawyer, and for that, we don't need to be at the very top. Unless we transfer out, we're already limited by where we go to school. The upper echelons of class rank are nice, and I'm glad to have spent at least one semester (the past one) somewhere near the top.

At the same time, I'm "older," as is Dave (I've assumed Dave is older than I, but that's only because his darker hair betrays more than mine does.) When I started law school, I wanted to enjoy it. I sure didn't want all of this:

I got the flu for a few weeks. Arteries that I didn't know I had in my brain started throbbing regularly as I tried to read. I even went to the emergency room because I was having some sort of advanced anxiety attack that made me think I was having a stroke. I either couldn't sleep, or I couldn't not sleep.

I didn't want to hate law school, and after three years of slogging across the Bay Bridge 3 or 4 nights a week, I still don't. I still enjoy it, in fact. I want my grades to be be good, but less than (what I consider) good hasn't killed me (though I may have thought my first C- would.)

I'd just advise folks to bear in mind, it'll only grind you up if you let it. And if you can get into the "Pass and move on" mindset, you may be happier still.

Hang in there, Dave. You've got two more years; I hope you can find a way to enjoy them.

gregh  2007-01-30 21:57  bar_passage  Law_School  rank   

I've posted the GPA distributions by percentile as of the end of the Fall 2006 semester. The numbers were a lot lower than I expected. That's good news! I slid into the top 10%, while a buddy of mine jumped into the top 5%, helped along by his straight-A semester.

In addition, I've updated the USF bar passage by quintile to include class of 2006. Their performance was not quite up to the class of 2005. Hopefully, the classes of 2007 -- many of whom I started with -- and 2008 will crush them all!

gregh  2007-01-30 21:43  Law_School  rank  usf   

This table shows the breakdown of percentile ranks by GPA for the University of San Francisco School of Law as of the Fall 2006 semester, i.e., as of the end of the Fall 2006 semester.

	5%	10%	15%	20%	25%	33 1/3%	40%	50%	60%	80%	100%
1FT & 1PT = ??	3.600 & above	3.360 - 3.599	3.270 - 3.359	3.133 - 3.269	3.047 - 3.132	2.940 - 3.046	2.833 - 2.939	2.710 - 2.832	2.542 - 2.709	2.290 - 2.541	2.289 & below
2FT, 2PT & 3PT = ??	3.438 & above	3.336 - 3.437	3.242 - 3.335	3.184 - 3.241	3.123 - 3.183	2.985 - 3.122	2.813 - 2.984	2.790 - 2.984	2.665 - 2.789	2.452 - 2.664	2.451 & below
3FT, 4FT & 4PT = ??	3.505 & above	3.388 - 3.504	3.295 - 3.385	3.209 - 3.294	3.138 - 3.208	3.056 - 3.137	2.975 - 3.055	2.902 - 2.974	2.837 - 2.901	2.635 - 2.836	2.634 & below

gregh  2006-06-24 18:26  Collective  Law_School  rank  usf   

This table shows the breakdown of percentile ranks by GPA for the University of San Francisco School of Law as of the Spring 2006 semester, i.e., as of the end of the 2005-2006 school year.

	5%	10%	15%	20%	25%	33 1/3%	40%	50%	60%	80%	100%
1FT & 1PT = 247	3.472 & above	3.293 - 3.471	3.195 - 3.292	3.117 - 3.194	3.052 - 3.116	2.959 - 3.051	2.876 - 2.958	2.731 - 2.875	2.552 - 2.730	2.268 - 2.551	2.267 & below
2FT, 2PT & 3PT = 228	3.511 & above	3.384 - 3.510	3.296 - 3.383	3.202 - 3.295	3.136 - 3.201	2.995 - 3.135	2.911 - 2.994	2.850 - 2.910	2.781 - 2.849	2.545 - 2.780	2.544 & below
3FT, 4FT & 4PT = 229	3.552 & above	3.451 - 3.551	3.349 - 3.450	3.292 - 3.348	3.207 - 3.291	3.148 - 3.206	3.068 - 3.147	2.995 - 3.067	2.858 - 2.994	2.599 - 2.857	2.598 & below

gregh  2005-08-17 22:33  Collective  Law_School  rank   

This table shows the breakdown of percentile ranks by GPA for the University of San Francisco School of Law as of the Spring 2005 semester, i.e., as of the end of the 2004-2005 school year.
 

	5%	10%	15%	20%	25%	33 1/3%	40%	50%	60%	80%
1FT & 1PT = 244	3.534 & above	3.337 - 3.533	3.217 - 3.336	3.132 - 3.216	3.011 - 3.131	2.903 - 3.010	2.834 - 2.902	2.679 - 2.833	2.558 - 2.678	2.272 - 2.557
2FT, 2PT & 3PT = 254	3.517 & above	3.378 - 3.516	3.308 - 3.377	3.226 - 3.307	3.154 - 3.225	3.081 - 3.153	2.996 - 3.080	2.886 - 2.995	2.788 - 2.885	2.526 - 2.787
3FT, 4FT & 4PT = 195	3.627 & above	3.450 - 3.626	3.361 - 3.449	3.259 - 3.360	3.172 - 3.258	3.083 - 3.171	2.985 - 3.082	2.909 - 2.984	2.843 - 2.908	2.630 - 2.842