t3, top 5%, chances? Forum

[A'nold]

Do you honestly think it's worth it taking on the extra debt for a school that's merely a T1?

I really don't think I'd advise you to transfer unless you're getting Gtown up, but, of course, that's IMHO.

Man, my school is beyond ghetto though.....alltogether, it will increase my debt load about 20%....you don't think like ND would be worth 20% extra debt for a lifetime of putting ND on my resume instead of my t3? I'm honestly asking, it's not rhetorical.

Oops, it's more like 30% extra, sorry. Also, I will either be doing the Federal IBR 10 year forgiveness plan or I will be doing biglaw, the former much more likely than the latter.

I can't really evaluate that since I am not in the position to; you might want to talk to some hiring partners at firms you're interested at working at and ask them if the name recognition would make a difference not only for job prospects out of law school, but 5-10 years down the road where you actually have some substantive work experience. I think in order to transfer and lose a chance at LR and a degree with honors, not to mention losing your gpa, having to start from scratch, and taking on the extra debt that you'd have to at least have a pretty significant increase in earning potential to justify transferring. Not to say that you wouldn't, I really don't know much about name recognition of degrees outside of the realm of getting a job right out of law school (and I really can't profess to know all too much about that either, though I am dreading it ITE).

Anyhow, you're in a significantly different position than I am (i.e. my school is not ghetto, well, not that ghetto at least and I would be taking on significantly more debt transferring) but I wouldn't do it unless it significantly increased my job prospects, which I don't necessarily think transferring to a school like ND (or any school outside of the newly minted T12) would. But that's just my $.02.

Well, as it is looking right now, I'd say that only 75% of my current class has a chance at passing the bar, about 50% have a chance at becoming an attorney, and about 20% will be employed at graduation. The state is on a hiring freeze, the #1 way most of the students here get jobs. There were like 4 students that got paying mid-to-biglaw jobs at 2L OCI this year out of over 100..........I don't know man, I just don't know. I do see your point and if I could somehow land one of the few Federal Clerkships that 3L's here get, I could do o.k. for myself in life. I also want to feel good about the school I go to and graduate from and not try to hide my school's identity on my resume and instead proudly say where I went...I don't know, it just kinda means something to me. Thanks for this back and forth, you make great points!

[98234872348]

Well, as it is looking right now, I'd say that only 75% of my current class has a chance at passing the bar, about 50% have a chance at becoming an attorney, and about 20% will be employed at graduation. The state is on a hiring freeze, the #1 way most of the students here get jobs. There were like 4 students that got paying mid-to-biglaw jobs at 2L OCI this year out of over 100..........I don't know man, I just don't know. I do see your point and if I could somehow land one of the few Federal Clerkships that 3L's here get, I could do o.k. for myself in life. I also want to feel good about the school I go to and graduate from and not try to hide my school's identity on my resume and instead proudly say where I went...I don't know, it just kinda means something to me. Thanks for this back and forth, you make great points!

I definitely see where you're coming from, just realize the implications. I go to UF and we're not doing all that much better than you guys in terms of big law hiring. It seems we're actually an aberration, though, in the sense that at most decent schools top 10% are still looking good prospects coming out of OCI.

You should definitely get into contact with some 2Ls that transferred to ND and talk to them about their experiences, how they did at OCI, et cetera. Hopefully you'll be able to ascertain some unbiased advice. Good luck with your decision regardless! I am sure you'll get Gtown if continue to do well this semester.

[A'nold]

Well, as it is looking right now, I'd say that only 75% of my current class has a chance at passing the bar, about 50% have a chance at becoming an attorney, and about 20% will be employed at graduation. The state is on a hiring freeze, the #1 way most of the students here get jobs. There were like 4 students that got paying mid-to-biglaw jobs at 2L OCI this year out of over 100..........I don't know man, I just don't know. I do see your point and if I could somehow land one of the few Federal Clerkships that 3L's here get, I could do o.k. for myself in life. I also want to feel good about the school I go to and graduate from and not try to hide my school's identity on my resume and instead proudly say where I went...I don't know, it just kinda means something to me. Thanks for this back and forth, you make great points!

I definitely see where you're coming from, just realize the implications. I go to UF and we're not doing all that much better than you guys in terms of big law hiring. It seems we're actually an aberration, though, in the sense that at most decent schools top 10% are still looking good prospects coming out of OCI.

You should definitely get into contact with some 2Ls that transferred to ND and talk to them about their experiences, how they did at OCI, et cetera. Hopefully you'll be able to ascertain some unbiased advice. Good luck with your decision regardless! I am sure you'll get Gtown if continue to do well this semester.

Thanks man. Yeah, I have no idea what is going on with UF. I have a friend down there in the top 5% or so that couldn't get a firm to bite this summer and I've heard similar stories. I mean, I really could just (as long as my grades stay up or go even higher) try to be a big fish in a small pond but I really like the idea of going to a reputable school. I'm really getting sick of the crap that lower ranked schools pull and I feel like this institution just does not set anyone up to do anything but become a solo practitioner or get a small law job through connections, which I have none. Thanks for the kind words.