RWU Tops in Connecticut!
The state of Connecticut just released the results of the February 2007 Bar Exam, and RWU continues on a roll! Of all the schools that sent a significant number (20 or more) graduates, RWU was #1, easily outperforming U Conn, Pace, Western New England, and Quinnipiac. Here are the overall bar pass rates for us and these regional competitors:
RWU: 87%
University of Connecticut: 78%
Western New England: 65%
Pace: 57%
Quinnipiac: 51%
A couple other interesting bits of data from the Connecticut report…
The RWU overall rate exceeded the pass rate for all schools by almost 20% (87%-69%).
(First-time takers from RWU passed at even a higher rate—89%.)
Plus, RWU grads did very well on the toughest part of the exam: the dreaded “Multistate”. RWU takers had a mean score of 146.7, which put them in the lofty company of Yale (its 4 takers averaged 152), NYU (155), and Fordham (151), and well ahead of Georgetown (133), Syracuse (134), and Hofstra (134).
This latest news is consistent with our recent bar pass experiences. The class of 2006 hit our highest rates ever on the July exam in our other key states: 91% in Massachusetts and 84% in Rhode Island.
These strong results did not occur by accident. The recently-released “Law School Survey of Student Engagement” surveyed student bodies from across the country and concluded that students at RWU do more analytical thinking and less rote memorization than students at other schools and that RWU faculty and staff are more concerned with student success than is the case at other schools.
So what is the RWU recipe for high bar pass rates?
• admit classes with strong academic credentials
• provide top quality instruction from a terrific faculty of teacher/scholars
• offer a rich mix of courses, but with uniformly high expectations for student performance
• foster a humane environment, and
• provide a broad range of services that are student-centered from the first day of school to the last.
If you want to look at the Connecticut numbers yourself, click here.
