Top Law Schools

Since I am pretty much at the top of my t3, I think it would take at least Vandy, UCLA, or USC at the bare minimum for me to transfer. While my school is extremely limited geographically, I think LR and a good clerking job with a Federal Magistrate, District, etc. Judge or w/ the state supreme court would make it worthwhile to stay here. Also, while the school is very regional, it is at least near the area I hope to live in in the future.

I would maybe consider Notre Dame or Emory, but I think I'd have to be around the top 10% to consider those schools (i.e., I'd have to slip grade-wise to go there because I think being at the very top here > transfering to those schools).

Also, if I do slip out of the top 10% or anything lower than top 5%, I think I would consider transfering to a University of Minnesota or some other regionally strong school b/c I'd likely be out of the running for good local firm jobs in this state and there is no way I'm going to try to write on to the LR here.

Interesting topic I have actually thought a lot about. For me its the debt issue, with 1L plus UG im at approx 50g total debt, so it is a question of what schools is it worth it to graduate with 160K+ debt?

With that in mind, for me UCLA would be the floor with 1 exception: tOSU since I still quality for in-state and could swing graduating with around 110-120k debt. Otherwise staying here and taking more money and trying to minimize debt as much as possible is my plan.

What's my floor? It's parquet, I think.

I wouldn't go below USC/UCLA with the exception of mayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyybe UIUC at in-state tuition. Maybe.

PDaddy wrote:What's my floor? It's parquet, I think.

Interesting. My floor is floor fifteen.

I think if my grades stay the same, Berkeley.

If they drop then probably GULC or maybe UCLA

kings84_wr wrote:I think if my grades stay the same, Berkeley.

If they drop then probably GULC or maybe UCLA

I think that is smart but would probably call Mich or Penn as my floor if I was in your situation.

USC/UCLA - I think 90% of us are in the same boat with the same exact mindset

stinger35 wrote:USC/UCLA - I think 90% of us are in the same boat with the same exact mindset

Yeah, it appears so. Is anyone skipping USC b/c it is so hard to get in as a transfer?

How many schools are you guys planning on applying to? I was going to try and cap it at five. I'm going to be mostly sending out apps to reach schools (CCN and Berkley), with GULC as my safety (If I can even call it that...). If those don't work out, I will be happy at the top of my class here.

Journeybound wrote:How many schools are you guys planning on applying to? I was going to try and cap it at five. I'm going to be mostly sending out apps to reach schools (CCN and Berkley), with GULC as my safety (If I can even call it that...). If those don't work out, I will be happy at the top of my class here.

I will probs apply to:

Mich.
UVA
Duke
Cornell
GULC
Vandy
Northwestern

MAYBE:
UCLA/USC

Assuming my grades stay the same I plan on applying to:

Harvard (just to prevent the what if later, expecting an instant rejection)
Columbia
NYU
Chi (ED)
Boalt
Mich
U Penn
GULC (EA)
UCLA
tOSU

Wow. You guys are applying to most of the T14. Is the idea that transfer cycles are so unpredictable that its best to cast a wide net?

My floor is wood

The more I think about it, the more I realize this depends so much on Spring grades. I think if I stay the same I will apply to GULC (already did), Chicago, HYS, and Berkeley and I think thats it. If I didn't get into one of those then I think id be fine staying here.

T14 or bust.

Seriously. Doesn't make sense for me to go anywhere else.

T14, one that I like (HYSCCN, Northwestern, GULC or Penn). Otherwise, I'm fine staying -- LR or not.

Ya we all seem to be on the same page. I fear that I will be seen as a "prestige whore" for only applying to the very top schools but it doesn't make economic sense to go anywhere else and give up (relatively) low debt and LR. Also, I really like my current school so staying would be perfectly fine.

For me the best part is being able to think I have a shot at t14 schools, after having entering numbers that wouldn't have gotten me into a single t1 (3.2 / 156). I won't be terribly upset if I get shut out of all of them but I will be a little shocked. I would think after looking at the Yahoo group I would get accepted somewhere being #1, even at a tier 4.

Columbia
NYU
Chicago ED
Virginia
Duke
Michigan
Cornell
Northwestern
GULC EA

Depending on GULC, then USC, UCLA (maybe even Vandy)

Gonna be expensive.

GULC EA
UT
SMU
UH

Factors: ~5% of mid T2. Texas resident (so in-state tuition). Texas (specifically Dallas) market sought. AF GLP program, so must have an AFROTC branch on/near campus.

xferAlt wrote:GULC EA
UT
SMU
UH

Factors: ~5% of mid T2. Texas resident (so in-state tuition). Texas (specifically Dallas) market sought. AF GLP program, so must have an AFROTC branch on/near campus.

I don't get the whole SMU/UH thing compared to being top 5% at another t2. Also, couldn't you have gotten in on the first try at those schools?

Here's a question:

Would it make any sense to transfer to like Emory, UMinn., Notre Dame, Davis, UW-Seattle, Hastings, etc. for any kind of future gain? Is there ANY way to be a transfer and get something out of OCI at these schools? I highly doubt it but just wondering what the lowest school I could transfer to and still have a shot at an OCI job would be.

I think highly doubtful you'd get something at OCI from one of those schools. Even at T14, only 50-50 odds.

Bankhead wrote:I think highly doubtful you'd get something at OCI from one of those schools. Even at T14, only 50-50 odds.

Yeah, totally agree. Then I wonder what the long term significance of a degree from one of these schools vs. my t3 would be, even in like government jobs. Hmmm......hopefully I get into GULC EA!

betasteve wrote:Doubt I will end up xferring, but my list would be something like:

HYS
Chi/Mich


I'd shoot for Columbia or NYU, but there is absolutely no way I'd live in NYC.

No Berkeley or Penn?