We may now ask how far back in the academic careers of these men it is possible to predict their probable achievement in the professional schools. Have those who are awarded the professional honors already distinguished themselves from their fellows at the time of their entrance into college? The following summary of the results presented by Lowell in much more detail will help answer this question: TABLE 22 SHOWING RELATIONS BETWEEN VARIOUS ACADEMIC RECORDS (LOWELL) Men Graduating from the Law School and Receiving "Cum Laude" in Law Per cent ------------------------------------------------------------ Entered college "clear" 26.4 Entered college "conditioned" 9.0 Graduated from college with distinction 31.2 Graduated from college without distinction 6.5 Entrance clear and college distinction 37.9 Entrance conditioned and college with distinction 18.1 Entrance clear and college without distinction 11.1 Entrance conditioned and college without distinction 2.9 ------------------------------------------------------------ Men Graduating from the Medical School and Receiving "Cum Laude" in Medicine Per cent ------------------------------------------------------------ Entered college "clear" 59.1 Entered college "conditioned" 43.0 Graduated from college with distinction 80.1 Graduated from college without distinction 36.0 Entrance clear and college distinction 78.1 Entrance conditioned and college distinction 84.6 Entrance clear and college without distinction 42.4 Entrance conditioned and college without distinction 31.4 ------------------------------------------------------------ Here the result is clearly suggested that early merit in academic work means success in the professional schools, whether one considers entrance examinations or college records. And the most probable group for professional honors is made up of those men who combined both entrance and college distinction. This is especially striking in the case of the law school. In the case of the medical school the differences are not quite so great, although the general tendency is quite the same. This is said to be due to the lower standard required for medical honors during these years. Lowell concludes: "The men who are destined to take the highest rank in the law and medical schools are markedly better scholars, both in the preparatory schools and in college, than their fellows. In intellectual power, as in other things, the boy is father to the man."