Possibility of T3 transferring to NYU/Columbia/Fordham? Forum

[absilv123]

Hey all...I'm new to TLS (as a member), and I have some important decisions to make after getting my 1st semester grades back........

So I just finished my 1st semester at NYLS and to my complete (but very pleasant) surprise I managed to pull off straight A's across the board. I really didn't do too well on the LSAT (only 153), but had a 3.5 GPA in undergrad (Univ of Rhode Island). I am just not a good standardized test taker and knew I wasn't going to kill the LSAT, but I knew I can kill it in actual class, despite people telling me if I can't do well on the LSAT, I won't do well in law school (f*** them lol).

That being said.....what do you guys out there think about the idea of transferring next year (obviously my 2nd semester grades will matter too, but assuming I do very well)? What do you think my chances are at NYU or Columbia? I would consider Fordham or Brooklyn, but I feel like I'd still need to be up there in my class ranking at either of those schools (especially Brooklyn) to be competitive. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that just graduating from NYU or Columbia (no matter what your class rank is) puts you in terrific shape in terms of employment prospects, as opposed to graduating top of your class from NYLS (I want to stay in NYC for school/work).

Also............
With a 4.0 GPA at a T3 school in the toughest legal market in the country (arguably)......does anyone have any suggestions for the summer? What are my chances of makin some moolah at a firm (big or medium - most likely medium)? I'm fairly confident that I'll find something unpaid but do my first semester grades help me find something better when I'm competing with the NYU/Columbia/Fordham's....etc???

Any direction would be a huge help!
Thanks!

[AlanShore]

Hey all...I'm new to TLS (as a member), and I have some important decisions to make after getting my 1st semester grades back........

So I just finished my 1st semester at NYLS and to my complete (but very pleasant) surprise I managed to pull off straight A's across the board. I really didn't do too well on the LSAT (only 153), but had a 3.5 GPA in undergrad (Univ of Rhode Island). I am just not a good standardized test taker and knew I wasn't going to kill the LSAT, but I knew I can kill it in actual class, despite people telling me if I can't do well on the LSAT, I won't do well in law school (f*** them lol).

That being said.....what do you guys out there think about the idea of transferring next year (obviously my 2nd semester grades will matter too, but assuming I do very well)? What do you think my chances are at NYU or Columbia? I would consider Fordham or Brooklyn, but I feel like I'd still need to be up there in my class ranking at either of those schools (especially Brooklyn) to be competitive. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that just graduating from NYU or Columbia (no matter what your class rank is) puts you in terrific shape in terms of employment prospects, as opposed to graduating top of your class from NYLS (I want to stay in NYC for school/work).

Also............
With a 4.0 GPA at a T3 school in the toughest legal market in the country (arguably)......does anyone have any suggestions for the summer? What are my chances of makin some moolah at a firm (big or medium - most likely medium)? I'm fairly confident that I'll find something unpaid but do my first semester grades help me find something better when I'm competing with the NYU/Columbia/Fordham's....etc???

Any direction would be a huge help!
Thanks!

what class rank is 4.0? is it like top 1%? top 5%?

[Helmholtz]

what class rank is 4.0? is it like top 1%? top 5%?

According to somebody from transferapps, a 3.75 was ranked 9/389 last year during 1L.

I'd say as long as OP does close to as well during second semester, NYU and CLS are definite possibilities.

[Joga Bonito]

Congrats dude, you tore it up, if you keep it up you'll get into one of the two if not both, I wouldn't worry about fordham and brooklyn you can get something better if your grades stay the same. If not NYU or CLS then gtown would probably take you.

[AlanShore]

what class rank is 4.0? is it like top 1%? top 5%?

According to somebody from transferapps, a 3.75 was ranked 9/389 last year during 1L.

I'd say as long as OP does close to as well during second semester, NYU and CLS are definite possibilities.

nice job, OP! good luck!

[absilv123]

Congrats dude, you tore it up, if you keep it up you'll get into one of the two if not both, I wouldn't worry about fordham and brooklyn you can get something better if your grades stay the same. If not NYU or CLS then gtown would probably take you.

Muchos gracias! Gtown would obviously be amazing but my whole life is in NY. It would be very tough for me to pick up move to DC. Since I'm at NYLS for at least the next 3 months tho, where do my summer job prospects lie if I started hitting the pavement now? I'd obviously like to find something paid, and preferably at a big or medium sized firm, if possible........??

[SamSeaborn2016]

The yahoo transfer apps group is probably the best source of information but a 4.0 gets big kudos regardless of what school it is at. If you can keep it up for another term and can put together a good transfer application I'm pretty sure you can make the jump.

With the economy as it is I'm not sure I would say "just" graduating from CLS or NYU is a license to print money. That said, you just had a perfect term and that would suggest you have the skills and insight to do well at any law school regardless of the ranking. Maybe not first in your class but certainly not the bottom.

[SciLaw]

Wow, congrats on the grades, OP. I, like you, am not a great standardized test taker.

To all the rest of you, any idea what OP's chances of money might be? Obviously the grades are amazing. Do transfer students have opportunities for scholarships at most law schools?

[zreinhar]

Wow, congrats on the grades, OP. I, like you, am not a great standardized test taker.

To all the rest of you, any idea what OP's chances of money might be? Obviously the grades are amazing. Do transfer students have opportunities for scholarships at most law schools?

As a member of the transferapps group on yahoo I can attest to the fact that transfers do not get money. There is the rare exception in that they can use a transfer acceptance to get money from their original school to keep them from transfeering, but that is about it

[OperaSoprano]

Congratulations, OP. My sources say you have an excellent NYU/CLS shot if you do something like this again next semester. The benefit of GULC is their early transfer program; you can get a decision based upon a single semester of grades. I don't blame you for not wanting to leave NYC, though. I would have to be dragged out of this city with red hot torture implements, especially if my grades here are good enough to give me options like yours. Fordham is a good safety for you, but unless your grades plummet next semester you will likely have T14age aplenty to pick from. I wouldn't bother with BLS at all.

[absilv123]

Congratulations, OP. My sources say you have an excellent NYU/CLS shot if you do something like this again next semester. The benefit of GULC is their early transfer program; you can get a decision based upon a single semester of grades. I don't blame you for not wanting to leave NYC, though. I would have to be dragged out of this city with red hot torture implements, especially if my grades here are good enough to give me options like yours. Fordham is a good safety for you, but unless your grades plummet next semester you will likely have T14age aplenty to pick from. I wouldn't bother with BLS at all.

Thank you for the terrific advice.......aside from my chances of getting in, would it be the best STRATEGY to transfer or would it be better to stay at NYLS and demand scholarship money? Money isn't an issue "per se"...I'll have about $165k in loans by the time i graduate if I dont get money from NYLS...but I was planning on staying here anyway regardless of the enormous debt. So, even if I moved to NYU/CLS and got no money I'd have the same amount of debt but have much better chances at a high paying job. That's my logic at least.......

[kurguzy]

Why not just stay on at NYLS? Are you looking for prestige? To be at the top of a class at NYLS is going to help you land the big law job more than being just another run of the mill law students at NYU or CLS.

[azbio]

Why not just stay on at NYLS? Are you looking for prestige? To be at the top of a class at NYLS is going to help you land the big law job more than being just another run of the mill law students at NYU or CLS.

Really? I would have thought NYU and CLS would place a LOT better.

Plus, I think OP can reasonably hope to do quite well at any law school. I don't know a thing about NYLS, but I would think that a 4.0 is incredibly tough to get there or anywhere, and that getting such high marks would indicate a high likelihood of success... even at CLS or NYU.

[absilv123]

Why not just stay on at NYLS? Are you looking for prestige? To be at the top of a class at NYLS is going to help you land the big law job more than being just another run of the mill law students at NYU or CLS.

I'm not looking for prestige at all...I'm looking for whatever will give me the best opportunities after & during law school. I'm more than willing/happy to stay at NYLS, but when the time comes to search for 2L summer associate jobs & after graduation I cant get an interview because people in all these other top schools are taking up spots I'll always wonder "what if....?"

[leron]

congrats on the grades.

i think the prestige factor and opportunities after & during law school thing go hand in hand. 30 years down the road you'll be able to tell people/clients you went to columbia or you'll be able to tell them you went to NYLS and then explain that you were at the top of your class and hope that they understand that top of your class at NYLS is equivalent to graduating from columbia.

[Helmholtz]

Transferring is the smart thing to do.

[Joga Bonito]

Congrats dude, you tore it up, if you keep it up you'll get into one of the two if not both, I wouldn't worry about fordham and brooklyn you can get something better if your grades stay the same. If not NYU or CLS then gtown would probably take you.

Muchos gracias! Gtown would obviously be amazing but my whole life is in NY. It would be very tough for me to pick up move to DC. Since I'm at NYLS for at least the next 3 months tho, where do my summer job prospects lie if I started hitting the pavement now? I'd obviously like to find something paid, and preferably at a big or medium sized firm, if possible........??

no hay de que, if you can transfer I would say do it, even if it’s to GULC. I think in the long run (although probably in the short term too) you'll be thankful. Lawyers and big firms are big time prestige whores and it just matters even if it shouldn't matter so much. If you can get into a T14 you gotta take it. Don't worry about the debt, the difference between CLS and NYLS, or even GULC and NYLS, for that matter, is too great.

As far as summer job prospects go, I don’t know for sure. One, I don’t start law school till the fall and I don’t know much about summer job prospects coming out of NYLS any other school for that matter, especially given the crappy economy. Put you should have among the best of anybody at NYLS. Start hitting the pavement and whatever happens, happens. If you do good next semester you’ll be alright next summer at least.

[NYU2011]

I think if your grades keep up you have a great chance of getting into NYU/Columbia, and I think it's worth it to transfer for the OCI opportunities alone.

I don't think you (or any 1Ls) have a good chance at a paid job this summer though, especially in NYC (unless you are URM and can find a diversity program). Still, there's no harm in trying, just send out your apps for non-paid jobs too so you're not left with nothing.

[ToTransferOrNot]

If you can get in to NYU or Columbia on a transfer, you have to do it. Honestly, coming out of NYLS, I would say that you should probably jump at pretty much any T14 acceptance, unless you can talk NYLS in to a full ride or something.