Top Law Schools

Top 13% grades. I am considering transferring from a T3 state school to a Top 30 Southern state school where I went to undergrad/grew up and have more connections. Based on conversations with the admissions office, I am nearly certain I would be accepted. Tuition would be about the same at either school. I really like the school I am at, but there are not many jobs and the in state employers very much prefer in state students over those who came from out of state.

Monticello wrote:Top 13% grades. I am considering transferring from a T3 state school to a Top 30 Southern state school where I went to undergrad/grew up and have more connections. Based on conversations with the admissions office, I am nearly certain I would be accepted. Tuition would be about the same at either school. I really like the school I am at, but there are not many jobs and the in state employers very much prefer in state students over those who came from out of state.

I don't see a good reason not to transfer

I suppose the only reason I am hesitant to transfer is all of the great friends I have made at my current school and the concern about losing my first year grades/transfer stigma at new school and with employers.

I would totally transfer. While friends are nice and I'm sure you'll keep in touch with them, this is professional school and I think that is something that distinguishes this from college. You really need to put your career first.

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Not to mention, at least at the t3 state school that I am attending, top 12 (or was it 13?)% doesn't really get you anywhere other than maybe a small law job making 35-45k or MAYBE a government job, although those seem much rarer these days.

Consider yourself extremely lucky that you'll be able to transfer from a T3 to a T30 with top 13%, and do it without hesitation. As other people have said, friends (particularly when you consider that you've known these people for less than a year... it isn't like these are life-long buddies) are a godawful reason not to transfer.

Monticello wrote:I suppose the only reason I am hesitant to transfer is all of the great friends I have made at my current school and the concern about losing my first year grades/transfer stigma at new school and with employers.

Is there a stigma with transfer students when it comes to employers? I could see it possibly with students, but f*** them. This is your life, your career, and you have to look out for you. If I'm an employer looking at a kid who fought his way out of a T3/T4 school and made it into one of the highest law schools in the world, I'm interested.

onthecusp wrote:

Monticello wrote:I suppose the only reason I am hesitant to transfer is all of the great friends I have made at my current school and the concern about losing my first year grades/transfer stigma at new school and with employers.

Is there a stigma with transfer students when it comes to employers? I could see it possibly with students, but f*** them. This is your life, your career, and you have to look out for you. If I'm an employer looking at a kid who fought his way out of a T3/T4 school and made it into one of the highest law schools in the world, I'm interested.

The problem for OCI is that your rank at your original school is meaningless. It gives the employer no idea where you stand against your new competition.

Traditionally, trasfer students have done well in OCI, though this past year seemed to be a significant exception to the rule. It also seems that transfer students TEND to do very well 2L--for us, it is essentially 1L v. 2.0 as far as GPA goes, so we have to work hard. I think some firms, some interviewers probably are leery of transfer students, at least until you have proved yourself somehow against your new peers.

Writing on to a journal, even a secondary, at the new school helps a lot.