Top Law Schools

If I wanted to transfer from a T2(50-100) such as DePaul, Loyola (Chicago), or Chicago-Kent to T14 like Northwestern or U Chicago, what percentage of the class would I need to be in?

Also, I know its a long shot and it is stupid to go to a school with the mindset that you will be able to transfer to a better school, but what can I do to improve chances from now?(ie. getting to know profs during 1L so they will write me LORs if necessary) <--Things along those lines

Thank You

nitr0x99 wrote:If I wanted to transfer from a T2(50-100) such as DePaul, Loyola (Chicago), or Chicago-Kent to T14 like Northwestern or U Chicago, what percentage of the class would I need to be in?

Also, I know its a long shot and it is stupid to go to a school with the mindset that you will be able to transfer to a better school, but what can I do to improve chances from now?(ie. getting to know profs during 1L so they will write me LORs if necessary) <--Things along those lines

Thank You

Coming from someone at one of those schools who will hopefully be transferring to one of the other ones -

top 5% (maybe 10% for NU) - if you do well in the classes, teachers will write you LOR's regardless if you really knew them. Also, none of that stuff really matters, only grades do. So basically, just work your ass off and hope it pays off. As I am sure you have heard, 95% of the people at all of those schools, are not in the top 5%. Odds are against you my friend. (That being said I am top 1%, so it does happen)

One more question. This might be a silly question but in the case of transferring from a T2 to T14 there is really no reason to stay at the T2, correct? Losing LR would suck but I doubt there is much OCI at these T2's anyway correct?

Also can you do OCI at the new school? If not, do transfer students have to do it old school and go out looking for a job themselves?

nitr0x99 wrote:One more question. This might be a silly question but in the case of transferring from a T2 to T14 there is really no reason to stay at the T2, correct? Losing LR would suck but I doubt there is much OCI at these T2's anyway correct?

Also can you do OCI at the new school? If not, do transfer students have to do it old school and go out looking for a job themselves?

You can do OCI at your new school. If you are set on biglaw, OCI is the reason to transfer.

Cool thanks

How about DePaul/Loyola/Kent ---> UIUC ? What percentage would be required for that?


Also, I recall seeing a website that listed previous transfers and what their stats were. It seemed like a great resource. I cant find it though. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

nitr0x99 wrote:Cool thanks

How about DePaul/Loyola/Kent ---> UIUC ? What percentage would be required for that?


Also, I recall seeing a website that listed previous transfers and what their stats were. It seemed like a great resource. I cant find it though. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

You want to go transferapps. Its a yahoo group. Just google it. You can see massive amounts of transfer information over the last 5 years or so in the databases.

If you finish top 5% or even 10% at Loyola or Kent would someone need to transfer? We've applied to similar schools so I'm curious about this.

Kobe_Teeth wrote:If you finish top 5% or even 10% at Loyola or Kent would someone need to transfer? We've applied to similar schools so I'm curious about this.

You never need to do anything. It all depends on what your goals are. For biglaw, there is a chance. For academia, there isn't really at all. For clerking, a small chance.

In regards to academia/clerkships....good call.

I still think those two school at top 5 or 10 percent is a good way to get a good job. Working in legal academia someday though would be friggin' sweet.

I don't know what tops working your ass off for 20 years and then downshifting to research and teaching at a law school. I'm not sure if thats how it happens but if it is....I would consider that the good life.

Transferring from Kent/Loyola to NU/UChicago/(DONT FORGET TO APPLY TO MICHIGAN) is a no-brainer. Probably 5% to have a chance at UChicago, 5-10% for NU/Mich

Courtesy of tls:

On transferring into UIUC from other schools, Dean Pless says:

We had 30 transfer in from DePaul, Kent, Loyola, SIU, SLU, Case, off the top of my head.

I look at the rank in the class and the quality of the school. Transfer admits are typically in the top quarter of their class. Obviously we care about character and fitness issues, recommendations, and writing ability. We also interview any candidate before they are admitted. I care very little about your UGPA or your LSAT score.

At Illinois, we do everything possible to assimilate transfers into their class, and I think we do a pretty good job. Our transfers perform at a very high level and have at graduation placement numbers that match (or sometimes exceed) that of our students who started as 1Ls.

Most of the time, the other 2Ls just assume the transfer student was in another section the year before, but since we have about 25 transfers come in each year, they almost form their own section. They usually even have their own softball team as 2Ls. By 3L year, they are completely integrated into our student body.

ToTransferOrNot wrote:Transferring from Kent/Loyola to NU/UChicago/(DONT FORGET TO APPLY TO MICHIGAN) is a no-brainer. Probably 5% to have a chance at UChicago, 5-10% for NU/Mich

Just wondering, why "dont forget to apply to michigan" - i have been planning to all along and would love to go there if I cant stay in Chi...just wondering.

stinger35 wrote:

ToTransferOrNot wrote:Transferring from Kent/Loyola to NU/UChicago/(DONT FORGET TO APPLY TO MICHIGAN) is a no-brainer. Probably 5% to have a chance at UChicago, 5-10% for NU/Mich

Just wondering, why "dont forget to apply to michigan" - i have been planning to all along and would love to go there if I cant stay in Chi...just wondering.

You want to work in Chicago. Michigan is a natural feeder in to Chicago. PRetty straightforward.

nitr0x99 wrote:One more question. This might be a silly question but in the case of transferring from a T2 to T14 there is really no reason to stay at the T2, correct? Losing LR would suck but I doubt there is much OCI at these T2's anyway correct?

Also can you do OCI at the new school? If not, do transfer students have to do it old school and go out looking for a job themselves?

Um...it depends.

I would suggest doing a lot of research.

Being top 5% at a okay school in IL may put you in a better position than median at NU or UIUC (more so UIUC).

Make sure you know what you are doing. Also ask yourself this:

If I do not get anything out of OCI, will I feel as though transferring was worth it?

If your answer is yes, by all means.

If your answer is no, maybe you should consider staying.

Aberzombie1892 wrote:

nitr0x99 wrote:One more question. This might be a silly question but in the case of transferring from a T2 to T14 there is really no reason to stay at the T2, correct? Losing LR would suck but I doubt there is much OCI at these T2's anyway correct?

Also can you do OCI at the new school? If not, do transfer students have to do it old school and go out looking for a job themselves?

Being top 5% at a okay school in IL may put you in a better position than median at NU or UIUC (more so UIUC).

This implies that by transferring OPs grades would automatically be converted into "median," which isn't true. IMO, UIUC probably wouldn't be worth transferring to, but NU probably would (there's a pretty massive difference between graduating at a T2 versus NU).

Does anyone know what happens with financial aid if you transferred from say, DePaul/Kent to UIUC? Like say there was a 20k a year (if 3.25 gpa) scholarship at the original school... would that have any impact on financial aid from the new school? Also, do you have to pay back financial aid to the original school if you transfer?

unbrokenchain wrote:Does anyone know what happens with financial aid if you transferred from say, DePaul/Kent to UIUC? Like say there was a 20k a year (if 3.25 gpa) scholarship at the original school... would that have any impact on financial aid from the new school? Also, do you have to pay back financial aid to the original school if you transfer?

Kiss your aid good-bye at your new, "better" school.

The vast majority of schools do not give aid of any kind to transfer students. I can speak with certainty on that point re: UChicago. Loans, loans, and more loans. That applies regardless of your financial status, whether you oblitterate 2L, etc.

Harvard is an exception, because they never give merit aid--your need-based aid is calculated the same as any other Harvard student. I imagine the same is true at Yale and Stanford.

I'm under the impression there is some limited amount of aid available at GULC, but only to the extent that students transferring out free up funds. Whatever amount they would offer wouldn't be enough to go to GULC over any other T14, though, unless you really don't like Cornell. (I'm really negative on transferring in to GULC unless you're transferring in from a low T2/T3/T4 school.)

I've heard from a friend that UChicago does give out some aid, albeit not that much, to transfer students. It makes sense that they would too, because it helps them bring in better students and law school is expensive.

jive_bird44 wrote:I've heard from a friend that UChicago does give out some aid, albeit not that much, to transfer students. It makes sense that they would too, because it helps them bring in better students and law school is expensive.

ToTransferOrNot transferred to and attends UChicago. I think he would know.

stinger35 wrote:

jive_bird44 wrote:I've heard from a friend that UChicago does give out some aid, albeit not that much, to transfer students. It makes sense that they would too, because it helps them bring in better students and law school is expensive.

ToTransferOrNot transferred to and attends UChicago. I think he would know.

+1. I even had a pretty long discussion with the Dean about it. If they're giving aid to transfers, I'm getting hosed:P