Transfer or Not to Transfer? Forum

[lil10isman]

After my first semester at Loyola Chicago I received a 3.0 and I'm 136/203 in the class.

Wisconsin offered me a deferred acceptance into next fall if I received a 3.0 and above.

I want to end up working in Chicago.

Should I transfer to Wisconsin even though I could still potentially write on to a law journal or make a moot court team at Loyola versus not being able to do either at Wisconsin?

Thanks.

[09042014]

After my first semester at Loyola Chicago I received a 3.0 and I'm 136/203 in the class.

Wisconsin offered me a deferred acceptance into next fall if I received a 3.0 and above.

I want to end up working in Chicago.

Should I transfer to Wisconsin even though I could still potentially write on to a law journal or make a moot court team at Loyola versus not being able to do either at Wisconsin?

Thanks.

Scholarship at loyola?

[lil10isman]

Yeah I have a $12,000 scholarship at Loyola, but the cost of living in Madison isn't exactly what it is in Chicago.

[patrickd139]

Yeah I have a $12,000 scholarship at Loyola, but the cost of living in Madison isn't exactly what it is in Chicago.

In-state at Wisconsin? If no, it's a toss-up; if yes, I'd say go to Wisconsin.

Statistically, your chances of getting a biglaw or mythical midlaw job in Chicago are probably even. If you're not dead-set on Chicago, I believe Wisconsin graduates don't have to sit for the bar to practice in Wisconsin. (You might want to double-check that though.)

HTH and good luck!

[lil10isman]

I'd be out of state at Wisconsin, though I did go there for my undergrad. Going back would seem quite a bit ironic. Regardless, I'm not even worried about a BigLaw job at this point. I just want a job in Chicago and I feel like where my rank might be, it will be hard for me to get an interview anywhere in the Chicago market.

I'd be able to start over at Wisconsin without having to list my ranking from Loyola on my resume. That'd really be the whole point.

Thanks a lot for answering!

[XxSpyKEx]

I'd be out of state at Wisconsin, though I did go there for my undergrad. Going back would seem quite a bit ironic. Regardless, I'm not even worried about a BigLaw job at this point. I just want a job in Chicago and I feel like where my rank might be, it will be hard for me to get an interview anywhere in the Chicago market.

I'd be able to start over at Wisconsin without having to list my ranking from Loyola on my resume. That'd really be the whole point.

Thanks a lot for answering!

1) You will have to list your ranking from Loyola on your resume. Most of the hiring for 2L summer (and thus post-graduate offers) is done at the beginning of your 2nd year. You won't have grades from Wisconsin at that point. Additionally, you have to list Loyola on your resume until after you graduate because firms that you apply to will ask for your grades (at least ones that care about grades).

2) Yes you will get to start over in Wisconsin, but is there a reason why you feel that you would do better at Wisconsin? It is ranked higher and will have better quality students (meaning more competition). Absent a big reason why you did poorly at Loyola, your grades may actually go down quite a bit.

3) I knew I replied to this same post before, so I did a search about it. I think my following comment about networking is something you should seriously think about if you want to remain in Chicago after graduation (because it is going to be really tough to break into Chicago with bad grades and being in another state):

... the Chicago market is going to be a lot harder to break while going to school in Wisconsin. Transfer or no transfer OP is going to strike out at OCI with median grades from a t2. But at least by being in the city that OP wants to work in he can network and try to get his foot in the door into a smaller firm/public interest organization, etc.

[ToTransferOrNot]

If you want to be in Chicago, I'd go ahead and stay at Loyola, at this point. Wisconsin only carries well to Chicago for people who have done well.

Also, I'm not positive, but I'm not sure whether a transfer student in to Wisconsin is elligible for the Diploma Privilege. A big part of the "Wisconsin-focused law" is done 1L year at Wisconsin (see: Crim Law, which is 100% Wisconsin law; Contracts, which emphasizes Wisconsin Law; some of the torts classes (though certainly not all of them); the majority of the Property classes. You would do well to check on that.

(Also, God only knows whether the diploma privilege is even going to survive the dormant commerce clause/equal protection clause challenge that it is facing atm. The 7th circuit is misinformed about the Wisconsin-centric nature of Wisconsin and Marquette, and may very well strike it down, based on grumblings I have heard in these parts.)