Thomas Edison State University to Harvard Law

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by sanantone, Oct 28, 2017.

Loading...
  1. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Has anyone seen any studies on how top tier graduate schools view undergraduate degrees from lowly or unranked schools? I haven't seen any evidence that they care, especially in programs that rely heavily on GPA and test scores to evaluate applicants.

    In the latest edition of Invention, which is TESU's magazine, there's an alumnus who just graduated from Harvard Law School. He also has begun a clerkship for a U.S. Appeals Court judge. I found him on LinkedIn, and saw that he completed his first year of law school at Ohio State University and just passed the Ohio State Bar.

    https://www.tesu.edu/current-students/invention.cfm
     
  2. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

  3. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I did mention that he completed his first year of law school at Ohio State University, which probably helped him get into Harvard, but it's not a T14 law school. Still, going directly into a Top 30 law school is not bad for someone who graduated from an unranked school that is 99% online.
     
  4. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    I don't know where the thread is (sorry) but there was someone who posted his success story here several years ago. He said he completed his BA at one of the Big 3 (I'm almost certain that it was TESC), went on to do an online MAIS at WNMU and was accepted to multiple law schools based upon his grades at WNMU.

    So, that anecdote would not show a direct shot from TESU to law school, and also not to an ivy like Harvard, but it's an example of how TESU could be a part of the path.
     
  5. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    There was someone on the other forum who went straight from TESC to a top 25 MBA program. There was another person who went from Excelsior to a statistics program at Texas A&M. Texas A&M is ranked #15 among statistics graduate programs.

    I was trying to find studies, but I just found an opinion from someone who has worked in college admissions. According to that person, graduate schools don't care where you earned your bachelor's.

    https://mygraduateschool.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/do-graduate-schools-care-where-you-earned-your-bachelors-degree/
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 29, 2017
  6. Randy Kearns

    Randy Kearns Member

    During my doctoral program, both a classmate and I had undergraduate degrees from Thomas Edison. The program was ranked top 5 at the time and I can't find a current ranking for the program, the school today is tied for 17th nationally. At least my experience, the key to admission was a strong masters GPA, a couple of recommendation letters and a great personal statement or interview. After the initial introductions with our first class in Charleston, I felt certain that I probably wasn't their top 10, but I did make the cut, and finished the program. Thomas Edison for your undergrad is not a deal breaker but it will most likely take more work than a Duke undergrad.
     
  7. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Not Harvard, but I remember seeing a prospectus for Boston College Law School (nothing to sneeze at) many years ago, and they had the undergrad schools of the last incoming class. I saw TESC and University of the State of New York (now Excelsior) among the list. There were the usual really good schools (Harvard, Yale, Berkeley. etc.), but also many generic liberal arts colleges that are probably even less well known than any of the Big Three.
     
  8. The big thing is the LSAT. If a person crushes the LSAT then were they graduated from barely beeps on the radar.
     
  9. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

  10. Steve Levicoff

    Steve Levicoff Well-Known Member

    USNY was the umbrella for many colleges, but Regents grads tended to list their alma mater as USNY.

    See, for example, our own Rich Douglas's various vitae on various boards - he has always listed his undergrad alma mater as USNY. Perhaps he might even stoop to comment, since, as usual, he continues to lurk here and visited this forum as recently as today.
    :drive:
     
  11. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    Every college in NYS. I've seen diplomas displayed with USNY and surely because people think that the same as SUNY.
     
  12. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    My BS from Charter Oak was fine to get me into an MA program at George Washington University, which was a top 25 school in my field (at least at the time).
     
  13. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    If I recall correctly, Regents (now Excelsior) was the only degree-granting component of USNY, so I think listing USNY on one's resume (if the degree was earned back then) is accurate/appropriate.
     
  14. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    We have someone here, "guitarmark2000", who was accepted to and completed the M.B.A. program at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business (Top 25 program) with a B.S. from Excelsior.
     
  15. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    That looks right though it may come down to semantics.

    This, to me, is murky. Every school in NYS is part of, if not component part of, USNY.
     
  16. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    I was accepted to, though I did not attend, Syracuse Law on my CTU B.S.

    LSAT was fairly average.

    I write a mean essay.

    Granted, Syracuse is far off from Harvard. I suppose my point is that, below the first or maybe second tier of schools, I would imagine that the star power of your school wears off pretty greatly when applying to the elite professional or graduate programs.

    There are certainly people who get into top tier law schools with degrees from tiny, unheard of little non-profit schools. So why not larger non-profit schools? Or even the occasional for-profit school?

    Law school admission isn't an undergraduate beauty contest. LSAT tends to matter. Essay matters. What manner of law you wish to practice matters. It's a whole package.
     
  17. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I say that because the early Regents/USNY graduates received diplomas from "The University of the State of New York", which was emblazoned across the top.
     
  18. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    (One of) The moderators on my Ohio Homeschooling for College Credit page's son just passed the Ohio bar along with the young man in this story. (both earned degrees at TESU) She shared her story on my blog- it's not impossible. https://homeschoolingforcollegecredit.com/encouragement-success-stories/

    EDIT: I wanted to add her comments - This photo is from last month when my son (firstborn of seven) graduated from law school at age 21. Law school was the first time he ever set foot in a classroom! Using the methods that we learn about here in Homeschooling for College Credit, my son completed his bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State University at age 18. He was a history major at Thomas Edison, and in addition to his classes there, he obtained credit through very cheap community college classes, CLEP tests, DSST tests, and FEMA classes. After Thomas Edison and scoring well on the LSAT, my son was offered full scholarships from three law schools. He chose the offer from our home state (at Case Western) and thoroughly enjoyed his time there. He wanted to marry young, and that was a big motivator for his hard work during high school. He and his wife were able to marry at age 19, just three weeks before law school started, and I’m so glad that he didn’t have to go off to school alone! Completing college during high school isn’t for everyone, but it was just the ticket for my son, and I’m grateful for Jennifer’s advice along the way.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 31, 2017
  19. foobar

    foobar Member

    That is exactly what is on my diploma and transcripts. Neither has any reference to "Regents College."
     
  20. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    Huh! Seems odd.

    Do you know if anyone has mistaken USNY for SUNY?
     

Share This Page