U.S. News & World Report CEO Eric J. Gertler slammed elite law schools for ditching its rankings system in a recent op-ed for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), arguing the rankings help applicants make informed decisions and that the schools are trying to evade accountability.
Gertler justified the existence of the rankings system, casting doubt over the true motives of upper-echelon schools that criticized it in a WSJ op-ed Feb. 28. He argued the system helps guide students who are in the process of making a potentially very expensive financial decision.
The CEO also said the institutions are likely searching for ways to evade the looming Supreme Court decision on the fate of affirmative action. He argued schools are trying to soften exam and grade standards while not suffering harm to their reputations in light of the pending decision, the op-ed continued.
“Choosing the right school is one of the most important decisions students will ever make. Besides being a significant investment of time and money, it is a critical first step to ensuring a student’s future career opportunities, earning potential, and quality of life,” Gerter wrote.
“But absent U.S. News’s academic rankings, it’s difficult to find accurate, comprehensive information that empowers students to compare institutions and identify the factors that matter most to them. We are one of the few places that do,” he added.
Student-reported law school admissions statistics this cycle from UCLA, Vanderbilt, Fordham, & Northwestern, four law schools purportedly “boycotting” USNWR rankings. Do these schools look like they’re admitting classes to target high medians & therefore rise in the rankings? pic.twitter.com/qxn0z0rgac
— Derek T. Muller (@derektmuller) March 2, 2023
“There is added urgency as the Supreme Court considers a pair of cases on affirmative action that could change admission norms. Some law deans are already exploring ways to sidestep any restrictive ruling by reducing their emphasis on test scores and grades—criteria used in our rankings,” Gerter added in the op-ed.
Harvard University sharply criticized the rankings during a conference Wednesday, according to The New York Times (NYT). The Ivy League institution argued the focus on hard academic metrics such as grades and LSAT scores incentivize the school to grant more merit aid instead of need-based aid. Participants in the conference likewise said the rankings metrics make it harder for the school to admit students who would pursue careers in public interest, according to the NYT.
“It’s time to stop worshiping at the false altar of U.S. News & World Report,” U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said, the NYT reported. “It’s time to focus on what truly matters — delivering value and upward mobility.” Cordona served as a keynote speaker at the conference.
Law schools at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown and Columbia are among the institutions that have opted out of submitting data to U.S. News, the NYT reported.