Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Paralegals And Legal Assistants
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Pellissippi State, Volunteer State Community College, Chattanooga State, and Southwest Tennessee Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Southwest Tennessee Community College, Pellissippi State, Roane State Community College, and Volunteer State Community College.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Draughons Junior College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Roane State Community College and Southwest Tennessee Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Southwest Tennessee Community College, Chattanooga State, Roane State Community College, and Volunteer State Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Chattanooga State and UT Chattanooga.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of UT Chattanooga.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at UT Chattanooga and Chattanooga State.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Tennessee At Knoxville • Knoxville, TN
Studying Criminal Law (completion in 2009)
• 6/25/2011
"I would say that overall, it was a very good school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend UTK for any aspiring lawyer looking for a good education. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | My school is known to be a party school, however it didn't live up to that in my eyes. I had no problems with the degree of partying. |
| Program Quality | 7 | My school had a very dedicated program. It was quite challenging, but I was able to complete my masters and then go on to law school. |
| Instruction | 9 | UTK prepared me to go on to law school. The quality of instructors was above average. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The program was mostly challenging, however some parts were quite easy. It prepared me for law school. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The hands-on activity was top-notch and interesting. And the book work was challenging and occupying. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | UTK allowed me a vast option of classes to choose from so I was able to pursue the proper career path. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Our facilities were very modern and high tech. I was able to do almost everything on computers. |
| Social Life | 8 | Socially, the school was fantastic. The parties were good and events were well organized and fun. |
| Placement Services | 8 | My school placed me in a great job. It allows me to have many choices. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni was good, my peers were competent, and I accomplished my degree. |
Pellissippi State Tech • Knoxville, TN
Studying Pre Professional (completion in 2001)
• 7/12/2011
"Starting on my degree at age 21, with several horrible semesters, and gradually working through school and personal issues, the school was flexible in allowing me to pursue and finish my pre professional degree (premed/prelaw). They even took me off suspension giving me multiple chances to complete my career objectives, even when I just walked away from my course load a couple of times."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | While more stringent guidelines are in place today, the college still is flexible with minor policy bending to keep your goals on track. Sometimes, just speaking with the department head will change the whole attitude of a teacher or course curriculum trend. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | Not the first choice for aspiring doctors and lawyers. The university of TN was 20 miles away and it had a much more prestigious and sought after degree system. |
| Program Quality | 9 | They allowed me to complete my degree over a 13 year period. Sometimes struggling with a class, I was allowed to repeat until successfully completing some tougher courses. |
| Instruction | 10 | I took a variety of classes, some of whose focus changed over the years, the curriculum was kept fresh and current. Often a teacher would have a fresh approach and opinion based on current, and trending laws coming out. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Once I grew older and was able to focus, I realized they were setting you up to succeed at numerous smaller tasks. I was able to see the big picture on where it was leading in the advanced classes. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Teachers took pride in making sure you were keeping up with coursework. Most offered 2-3 hours of block time twice a week to be able to offer help to students struggling or behind in coursework. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Even when class was full, the school would force me into a class to meet my schedule and curriculum goals. They realized high drop out rates in advanced classes would bring the class size down to manageable levels. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | Our library was barely 2,000 square feet. Often we were referred to our neighboring college, UT, for reference material. Tutors were available and labs were readily available; however, not in the afternoons and evenings when I really needed them. |
| Social Life | 1 | We had no sports teams. The school (faculty) had spirit, but the students would attend and never look back. They did organize events on campus, but the only attendee's would be students in between classes. No one came to weekend or late day events. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They had excellent career testing and aptitude tests. I took several and found my field had the characteristics of what I was seeking. Also, my attitudes and thoughts on subject matter were on par with prior placed students. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | No long term or lasting friendships or partnerships. The two year college had no campus housing, so all the students just scattered after classes. Thus, no permanent bonds were forged except with a couple of teachers. |
Union University • Jackson, TN
Studying English (completion in 1988)
• 7/6/2011
"This was an awesome experience. I would not trade it for anywhere else."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Everyone should experience learning in a Christian university. It's the best! |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Union University is one of the top schools in the nation. They are among the best of the best. |
| Program Quality | 10 | This school has the best to offer in terms of academics. Their instructors can be matched with anyone anywhere. |
| Instruction | 10 | Many of Union's instructors are published authors, accomplished musicians, or well-known speakers and businessmen. Union has a history of turning out qualified candidates. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Many hours of preparation and study go into obtaining a teaching degree. In order to teach, you must pass rigorous state board exams. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This school has very strict academic standards that focus mainly on book learning. More hands-on work could be implemented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Twenty years ago when I attended they had mostly day classes with summer offerings. Online courses were not available. There were very few night classes. I am sure all that has changed. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Rhea Library is second to none. There is access to tutors, support groups, study labs, all of the aforementioned in the question. Nothing is lacking. |
| Social Life | 8 | All wholesome social activities are encouraged. The academics are so rigorous it is hard to get involved, though. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They have an outstanding placement program. They work hard at placing graduates in their field of study. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Many mailings are provided to the alumni throughout the year. They keep in touch via email, magazines, and postcards. |
University Of Tennessee • Knoxville, TN
Studying Paralegal (completion in 2008)
• 1/20/2012
"The program did help me with some aspects of drafting and research. However, I feel like I learned more on my own in a job setting as opposed to the classroom."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If the person had absolutely no legal experience, I think the program would be beneficial. I would recommend to somebody to get a job in a law office as a runner/receptionist/secretary and grow from there. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I have not heard anything about the current reputation. It's still in existence, but I don't believe it's award winning. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It covered a wide variety of material. It should've been a bit more challenging, though. |
| Instruction | 7 | We had two tests and one or two projects. A program like that should force students to create work product to gain experience. |
| How Difficult | 4 | It was a 4 month evening program. There was work to do, but nothing was overwhelming or too difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the work consisted of reading from the two textbooks. There were a few hands on assignments, but not enough for this field of study. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There is a night program and an online program. There are also classes in Knoxville, TN and Nashville, TN. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | The building was older and in need of remodeling. We were given access to Westlaw and LexisNexis, but we had to go down the road a mile or so to use a law library. |
| Social Life | 3 | It was a short program. There were no extra-curriculars and most people were non-traditional students. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There was no assistance. I only had a job because I had secured a position prior to taking the course. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There were no alumni that were in contact with the class. The program gave no assistance with job placement. |
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