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InLawSchoolsGradesGoUpJustLikeThat 19 - 02 Jul 2010 - Main.DavidGoldin
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| | I'm sure many of you have read the recent NYT Article, In Law Schools, Grades Go Up, Just Like That. I have enjoyed reading the comments of the article, which span from adamant support of tossing out the old regime to total disdain for a generation often described as entitled. I must admit, the article gives me a sinking feeling in my stomach, especially as we approach the Fall recruiting season. I fantasize about the minimal, or complete lack of, anxiety students at schools with no grades must be experiencing as they head into the process. What is most striking to me is that quite a few schools with students who compete with Columbia students for employment have made the determination that eliminating traditional grades altogether, or altering the curve, is in the best interest of their students. Even our friendly neighbor to the south has made alterations to its curve. This begs the question, what are Columbia's justifications for not rolling with the tide?
This topic has obviously received great attention in this course, but I still think this article is an interesting read. I would love to hear any comments or reactions people might have. | | | I think your assessment is right, Jessica. I also think that the fact that law schools and law firms rely heavily on grades as indicators of future sucess speaks more broadly to how we conceptualize merit as a society.
-- JenniferGreen - 01 Jul 2010 | |
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Jennifer/Jessica - you bring up an interesting point which reminds me of this article that was in the New York Times this past week. The article discusses a French initiative to diversify the top universities. France is a particularly interesting example because of their focus on being a "meritocracy" where people aren't categorized based on race or background, but are evaluated based on their achievements alone.
What intrigued me so much about the article is the frank analysis of the way in which one's background plays a significant role in his/her achievements. It is easy to look at a set of grades and say "X is smarter than Y and will be a better student because X has a 3.7 and Y has a 3.3." Many employers and judges do this. But doing this ignores the many factors that affect one's grades. They are used as a measurement of merit and intelligence, but they don't accurately reflect this. Hopefully the French experiment will work and people will analyze candidates, whether for spots in top schools, for jobs, for clerkships or for anything else, in a more holistic fashion. It may be easier to use GPA cutoffs, but it leads to a lot of missed opportunities on both sides.
-- DavidGoldin - 02 Jul 2010 | | | |
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