Darn you all. I'm going. Forum
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Darn you all. I'm going.
Here it is: NU ---> H.
INFO:
GPA- ~3.91 (percentile? better than 10%, probably not 5%, maybe 7?)
No Law Review at NU ("best" secondary journal). Didn't do the write on at HLS.
Have TA position lined up.
Intentions- Start in BigLaw, see what happens. Could do govt. Could do Academia. Could become a ski bum.
Money- Have 30k at NU. Old enough to likely get cash from HLS- we'll see what they say.
Reasons to stay:
1. No gain in BigLaw chances. If anything worse.
2. Have TA position with great professor.
3. Don't have to move.
4. Come on. How likely is Academia anyway. Especially once the NYT finally forces half the schools to close down and there are no more academia jobs.
Reasons to go:
1. I got into Harvard.
2. While Biglaw may work, I think I'll have more choices if it makes me suicidal. At least I'll be able to know I have choices.
3. I don't know where the legal profession is going, but I think I certainly won't lose out by switching. And probably gain. Maybe it makes no difference after 5 years of practice. But maybe there is some difference.
4. What's there to lose? I'll probably get the Biglaw job, and if I don't it'll be because I majorly mess up interviews, so would have happened either way.
5. I don't buy this relationships with professor thing. If I have good relationships now after a year, I'll be fine after next year. And if not, I can do a clerkship after a year of working, and have the same 2 years of relationship when applying.
This is about minimizing chances of regret. If I'm 7 years in and hating it, I might regret not taking Harvard. But if the same happens and I'm still just as stuck, I still don't imagine I'll think I would have been better off staying at NU.
In other words, "why not."
So I reckon I'll go no matter what you all say. This is just for fun. (And if people agree with me I'll feel better and if they don't I'll get all doubty. But don't think I'll withdraw and make space for you- I'd certainly not decide until it was too late for that.)
And we'll make this a poll just for fun.
INFO:
GPA- ~3.91 (percentile? better than 10%, probably not 5%, maybe 7?)
No Law Review at NU ("best" secondary journal). Didn't do the write on at HLS.
Have TA position lined up.
Intentions- Start in BigLaw, see what happens. Could do govt. Could do Academia. Could become a ski bum.
Money- Have 30k at NU. Old enough to likely get cash from HLS- we'll see what they say.
Reasons to stay:
1. No gain in BigLaw chances. If anything worse.
2. Have TA position with great professor.
3. Don't have to move.
4. Come on. How likely is Academia anyway. Especially once the NYT finally forces half the schools to close down and there are no more academia jobs.
Reasons to go:
1. I got into Harvard.
2. While Biglaw may work, I think I'll have more choices if it makes me suicidal. At least I'll be able to know I have choices.
3. I don't know where the legal profession is going, but I think I certainly won't lose out by switching. And probably gain. Maybe it makes no difference after 5 years of practice. But maybe there is some difference.
4. What's there to lose? I'll probably get the Biglaw job, and if I don't it'll be because I majorly mess up interviews, so would have happened either way.
5. I don't buy this relationships with professor thing. If I have good relationships now after a year, I'll be fine after next year. And if not, I can do a clerkship after a year of working, and have the same 2 years of relationship when applying.
This is about minimizing chances of regret. If I'm 7 years in and hating it, I might regret not taking Harvard. But if the same happens and I'm still just as stuck, I still don't imagine I'll think I would have been better off staying at NU.
In other words, "why not."
So I reckon I'll go no matter what you all say. This is just for fun. (And if people agree with me I'll feel better and if they don't I'll get all doubty. But don't think I'll withdraw and make space for you- I'd certainly not decide until it was too late for that.)
And we'll make this a poll just for fun.
- ndirish2010
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Good title, but I would stay.
- rayiner
- Posts: 6145
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
3.91 is probably within top 5%. 3.97 is top 3% at graduation, and even people with high GPAs go up substantially after 1L. Since you didn't get LR, your shot at court of appeals clerkship is greatly diminished, so one of the key reasons to stay (clerkship chances) seems to be greatly reduced.
That being said, the $30k at NU is that total or per year? If per year, you'd be an idiot to not stay. The extra $60k of debt will mean $800/mo or so more in loan payments. Even in big law, that makes a big difference.
That being said, the $30k at NU is that total or per year? If per year, you'd be an idiot to not stay. The extra $60k of debt will mean $800/mo or so more in loan payments. Even in big law, that makes a big difference.
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Unless you are gunning for Chicago big law, I doubt transfering will hurt your OCI.
- Heartford
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
I'll be honest and admit that if I were you, I'd go. NU is obviously an excellent school with a stellar reputation, and you might be hurting yourself in the short term for the reasons you listed, but if it were me, I would always regret turning down Harvard Law School.
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- Posts: 605
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
*comment about NU's absurd grade inflation/whatevever*
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
It doesn't really get going til 2/3L. Then median is like an A-.Transferthrowaway wrote:*comment about NU's absurd grade inflation/whatevever*
- scribelaw
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
I'm really surprised about how soft NU's curve must be at the top to have that many 3.9+. Georgetown's is much, much tighter.Transferthrowaway wrote:*comment about NU's absurd grade inflation/whatevever*
Does NU give a 4.33 for A+ and give them out fairly liberally, or just give out a lot of As?
Last edited by scribelaw on Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
3-5% must get an A+ in each class.scribelaw wrote:I'm really surprised about how soft NU's curve must be at the top to have that many 3.9+. Georgetown's is much, much tighter.Transferthrowaway wrote:*comment about NU's absurd grade inflation/whatevever*
- scribelaw
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Oh, interesting. Most of my classes at GULC didn't give out any A+ and the max was one. And even if you got one, it counted the same as an A for GPA purposes. That must account for the difference.Desert Fox wrote:3-5% must get an A+ in each class.scribelaw wrote:I'm really surprised about how soft NU's curve must be at the top to have that many 3.9+. Georgetown's is much, much tighter.Transferthrowaway wrote:*comment about NU's absurd grade inflation/whatevever*
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Are you kidding or is that the truth?Desert Fox wrote:3-5% must get an A+ in each class.scribelaw wrote:I'm really surprised about how soft NU's curve must be at the top to have that many 3.9+. Georgetown's is much, much tighter.Transferthrowaway wrote:*comment about NU's absurd grade inflation/whatevever*
- thesealocust
- Posts: 8525
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Go wherever you get more money. But seriously, there won't be benefits to transfering that are worth starting over. Let go of the 1L prestige mentality; you've won. You have all the brass rings, skads of people at hys would beg to trade places with you. H was better than NU 9 months ago when you had no grades, but it's not true anymore.
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Actually I was wrong. It's 3-7%. http://www.law.northwestern.edu/academi ... olicy.htmlTransferthrowaway wrote:Are you kidding or is that the truth?Desert Fox wrote:3-5% must get an A+ in each class.scribelaw wrote:
I'm really surprised about how soft NU's curve must be at the top to have that many 3.9+. Georgetown's is much, much tighter.
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- scribelaw
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
I have a hard time believing this is a good grading policy. It just devalues the high GPA, and firms/clerkships are going to look primarily at where you are in the class anyway.Desert Fox wrote:Actually I was wrong. It's 3-7%. http://www.law.northwestern.edu/academi ... olicy.htmlTransferthrowaway wrote:Are you kidding or is that the truth?Desert Fox wrote:3-5% must get an A+ in each class.scribelaw wrote:
I'm really surprised about how soft NU's curve must be at the top to have that many 3.9+. Georgetown's is much, much tighter.
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
I think at worst they figure out how bullshit it is, and figure out how you actually did. So I doubt the big chicago firms, and the top NYC firms are tricked.scribelaw wrote:
I have a hard time believing this is a good grading policy. It just devalues the high GPA, and firms/clerkships are going to look primarily at where you are in the class anyway.
But I bet some firms get fooled. If you see a 3.6, it looks good even if it's possibly worse than top third.
- scribelaw
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
This is a good point. I bet you're right, especially for firms in secondary markets that don't have OCI interviewing programs with the top schools.Desert Fox wrote:I think at worst they figure out how bullshit it is, and figure out how you actually did. So I doubt the big chicago firms, and the top NYC firms are tricked.scribelaw wrote:
I have a hard time believing this is a good grading policy. It just devalues the high GPA, and firms/clerkships are going to look primarily at where you are in the class anyway.
But I bet some firms get fooled. If you see a 3.6, it looks good even if it's possibly worse than top third.
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
NU: Everybody gets A+s; UChicago: Nobody gets A+s (186s)
RIGOROUS
RIGOROUS
- Heartford
- Posts: 427
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
It sucks that my 3.5 (top 10% at my school, with a 3.0 curve) probably gets stuffed at the bottom of the pile below the 3.6 who's ranked 200th in his class... but I guess that's what I get for not studying harder for the LSAT!Desert Fox wrote: But I bet some firms get fooled. If you see a 3.6, it looks good even if it's possibly worse than top third.
- Holly Golightly
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Yes, that is EXACTLY what NU's curve does and what you deserve.Heartford wrote:It sucks that my 3.5 (top 10% at my school, with a 3.0 curve) probably gets stuffed at the bottom of the pile below the 3.6 who's ranked 200th in his class... but I guess that's what I get for not studying harder for the LSAT!Desert Fox wrote: But I bet some firms get fooled. If you see a 3.6, it looks good even if it's possibly worse than top third.
- Heartford
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
?Holly Golightly wrote:Yes, that is EXACTLY what NU's curve does and what you deserve.Heartford wrote:It sucks that my 3.5 (top 10% at my school, with a 3.0 curve) probably gets stuffed at the bottom of the pile below the 3.6 who's ranked 200th in his class... but I guess that's what I get for not studying harder for the LSAT!Desert Fox wrote: But I bet some firms get fooled. If you see a 3.6, it looks good even if it's possibly worse than top third.
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- rayiner
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
OP's estimate is a bit high. 3.97 is top 3% at graduation. 3.9 is probably top 5% or better after 1L.scribelaw wrote:I'm really surprised about how soft NU's curve must be at the top to have that many 3.9+. Georgetown's is much, much tighter.Transferthrowaway wrote:*comment about NU's absurd grade inflation/whatevever*
Does NU give a 4.33 for A+ and give them out fairly liberally, or just give out a lot of As?
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Do people not grade-on at NU? Seems crazy that a 3.9+ isn't enough to grade on. Anyway, if all you want is biglaw then you should probably stay at NU. If you want other things like clerkships, I'd transfer to Harvard, cause I mean no LR seems like pretty much a killer for really good clerkships. Idk if I was an interviewer and saw a dude with a 3.9+ from NU interviewing at Harvard's EIP I'd be like wtf dude, why did you transfer. So make sure you have a good answer.
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
No grade ons.elmagic wrote:Do people not grade-on at NU? Seems crazy that a 3.9+ isn't enough to grade on. Anyway, if all you want is biglaw then you should probably stay at NU. If you want other things like clerkships, I'd transfer to Harvard, cause I mean no LR seems like pretty much a killer for really good clerkships. Idk if I was an interviewer and saw a dude with a 3.9+ from NU interviewing at Harvard's EIP I'd be like wtf dude, why did you transfer. So make sure you have a good answer.
36 seats. 10 are pure writing. 26 are half writing and half grades. The 26 get filled first.
- Holly Golightly
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Re: Darn you all. I'm going.
Depends on what market you're goin for. I get the sense that especially at top NYC firms, Harvard does quite a bit better than NU.
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