Girl sues her college because ... she can't find a job

[Malthus]

Not just networking.

In law, what school you went to (and how well you did there) is very important in getting your all-important first position ("articling" here in Canada). Thereafter, no-one cares in the least - it is all about experience.

I kinda see that as a function of networking.  Probably the senior partners went to elite schools, so they favor others who did as well.  They want their firm stocked with elite grads so they can position it as an elite firm.

There is that. But as well, there is the perception that the top law schools are very difficult to get into, thus selecting for better employment picks.

In Canada at least, the financial component isn't as significant as the difficulty of gaining entry - the top schools generally have ten times or more as many applicants as they accept. Thus a "B" average from a top school counts for more than an "A" average from a lower-ranking school, where both are graded to the curve. 

[Barrister]

In law, what school you went to (and how well you did there) is very important in getting your all-important first position ("articling" here in Canada).

Not at all, and you know it.  The difference in quality between all Canadian schools is pretty narrow.  U of T might give you a slight edge in getting a Bay Street job, but it's up for debate whether it makes the dramatically higher tuition worthwhile.

[Barrister]

In Canada at least, the financial component isn't as significant as the difficulty of gaining entry - the top schools generally have ten times or more as many applicants as they accept.

That is true for all schools.  U of M law has a similar stat.

[Malthus]

In law, what school you went to (and how well you did there) is very important in getting your all-important first position ("articling" here in Canada).

Not at all, and you know it.  The difference in quality between all Canadian schools is pretty narrow.  U of T might give you a slight edge in getting a Bay Street job, but it's up for debate whether it makes the dramatically higher tuition worthwhile.

Well, my only experience is with Bay Street jobs, where "what school you went to" is, I can say from actual knowledge, a very important consideration.

The "actual quality" of the different schools is quite irrelevant, the issue is what employers are looking for, not how good the schools are.

[alfred russel]

I've done some on campus interviews, and my attitude became that it is much better to recruit only at the better schools. I never want to go recruit at a school that isn't top 30 or a flagship state school again--not that there aren't good candidates at other schools, but the consistency isn't there and it makes the job of recruiting much more of a pain in the ass.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Yeah, stay away from the proles. 

[crazy canuck]

I kinda see that as a function of networking.  Probably the senior partners went to elite schools, so they favor others who did as well.  They want their firm stocked with elite grads so they can position it as an elite firm.

I think that has a lot to do with it.  As alumni I help fund raise and do some teaching from time to time.  It is natural for me to look more favourably on students with excellent grades from that school.  I know what I am getting or at least I have a better idea of what I am getting then someone who applies from a school I dont know anything about.

Since most people doing hiring in this area graduated from either UBC or U of T those schools will necessarily be preferred.

[crazy canuck]

The "actual quality" of the different schools is quite irrelevant, the issue is what employers are looking for, not how good the schools are.

Agreed.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

lame. The school should sue her for not keeping up with academic standards and failing to get a job.

[alfred russel]

Yeah, stay away from the proles.

It isn't about avoiding proles--just misspellings in resumes and really awkward interviews.

[Caliga]

I've done some on campus interviews, and my attitude became that it is much better to recruit only at the better schools. I never want to go recruit at a school that isn't top 30 or a flagship state school again--not that there aren't good candidates at other schools, but the consistency isn't there and it makes the job of recruiting much more of a pain in the ass.

I had the misfortune of doing on-campus interviews at Spencerian College, which is a for-profit school probably similar to this 'Monroe College' outfit.

[merithyn]

What's interesting is that top-notch schools will often take transfer students from community colleges or lesser-known schools because so many of their first- and second-year students dropped out. The transfer students can get the "ivy league" diploma at half the cost by going to a community college first.

[Caliga]

What's interesting is that top-notch schools will often take transfer students from community colleges or lesser-known schools because so many of their first- and second-year students dropped out. The transfer students can get the "ivy league" diploma at half the cost by going to a community college first.

I don't think the dropout rate at the Ivys is especially high.  I know it isn't at Harvard... but then again Harvard is easy.  The only thing hard about Harvard College is getting in.

I think alot of the elite non-Ivy League schools are alot more challenging, e.g. U. Chicago, Johns Hopkins, etc.

[crazy canuck]

What's interesting is that top-notch schools will often take transfer students from community colleges or lesser-known schools because so many of their first- and second-year students dropped out. The transfer students can get the "ivy league" diploma at half the cost by going to a community college first.

Taking a pretty big risk assuming you can transfer in....

[Savonarola]

What's interesting is that top-notch schools will often take transfer students from community colleges or lesser-known schools because so many of their first- and second-year students dropped out. The transfer students can get the "ivy league" diploma at half the cost by going to a community college first.

Taking a pretty big risk assuming you can transfer in....

And that all your credits will transfer.  The University of Michigan and Notre Dame didn't accept all classes from Community Colleges back when I was looking at colleges.