Should I Transfer? Forum

[DevilDaze]

I'm somewhere around top 15-20% at BU/BC and just got accepted to UVA. Right now I have around a $15k/year scholarship and I have not found out yet if I am on law review or other journal.

I would love to get a job in Denver, San Diego, Seattle or San Fran but I have no ties to any of them. At my current school I know this will be damn near impossible but the chances probably aren't that much greater at UVA. I would be happy with D.C., NY, Chicago or Boston.

I am also waiting to hear back from Chicago, NYU, Columbia, and Penn.

On one hand I think if I can negotiate a higher scholarship from my current school and get on Law Review or a secondary journal, it might be worth staying. On the other, top 15-20% is not a sure thing for a big firm job and I am wondering if my job prospects will be a lot better if I transfer. I'm really torn. What should I do?

[pinkcamellia]

I think if you want a job in those cities, you should try to transfer somewhere out west, not UVA.

[CanadianWolf]

If you do not make law review at your current law school, then Virginia looks like a solid move for better job placement outside of the Boston area. However, if you do make law review at BC/BU, then a top 15% to top 20% rank should result in better mobility within the Northeast, in my opinion. Law review, top 15%-20% plus a decent scholarship merits staying put at BU/BC.

If targeting Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego or other major Western cities, then you should have paid more attention during middle school geography class.

[PolySuyGuy]

I'm somewhere around top 15-20% at BU/BC and just got accepted to UVA. Right now I have around a $15k/year scholarship and I have not found out yet if I am on law review or other journal.

I would love to get a job in Denver, San Diego, Seattle or San Fran but I have no ties to any of them. At my current school I know this will be damn near impossible but the chances probably aren't that much greater at UVA. I would be happy with D.C., NY, Chicago or Boston.

I am also waiting to hear back from Chicago, NYU, Columbia, and Penn.

On one hand I think if I can negotiate a higher scholarship from my current school and get on Law Review or a secondary journal, it might be worth staying. On the other, top 15-20% is not a sure thing for a big firm job and I am wondering if my job prospects will be a lot better if I transfer. I'm really torn. What should I do?

[concurrent fork]

If targeting Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego or other major Western cities, then you should have paid more attention during middle school geography class.

This. Not to mention Denver and Seattle have like 5 market-paying jobs between them. Your grades are borderline and you should be focusing exclusively on Boston and NYC if you want a chance at biglaw.

[al_state]

If you do not make law review at your current law school, then Virginia looks like a solid move for better job placement outside of the Boston area. However, if you do make law review at BC/BU, then a top 15% to top 20% rank should result in better mobility within the Northeast, in my opinion. Law review, top 15%-20% plus a decent scholarship merits staying put at BU/BC.

If targeting Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego or other major Western cities, then you should have paid more attention during middle school geography class.

TITCR

[FlanSolo]

I'm somewhere around top 15-20% at BU/BC and just got accepted to UVA.

Off topic, but how did hear from UVA? Email?

[run26.2]

I'm somewhere around top 15-20% at BU/BC and just got accepted to UVA. Right now I have around a $15k/year scholarship and I have not found out yet if I am on law review or other journal.

I would love to get a job in Denver, San Diego, Seattle or San Fran but I have no ties to any of them. At my current school I know this will be damn near impossible but the chances probably aren't that much greater at UVA. I would be happy with D.C., NY, Chicago or Boston.

I am also waiting to hear back from Chicago, NYU, Columbia, and Penn.

On one hand I think if I can negotiate a higher scholarship from my current school and get on Law Review or a secondary journal, it might be worth staying. On the other, top 15-20% is not a sure thing for a big firm job and I am wondering if my job prospects will be a lot better if I transfer. I'm really torn. What should I do?

I think you are going to be fighting an uphill battle if you transfer to UVA, especially if you want a job out west.

First, the top employers are going to evaluate you on the basis of your grades at your former school, i.e. whether they would have taken someone from the top 15-20% at BU/BC in the first place. Lower ranked firms will probably bite on that ranking, but probably will see firms like that at your OCI anyway. I would say this analysis will hold true for any of these schools, although employers may be more willing to make an exception for the higher ranked schools, on the basis of wanting to have greater representation from the more prestigious schools. I'm guessing here, but I'd say they'd be more willing for Chicago or Columbia.

Second, employers are going to want ties, not just a good degree, when people are applying outside of NYC. Even people applying from UVA directly will have a hard time if they don't have ties to those markets. You are going to have to come up with some tie if you want to get into one of those markets.

That said, I could see transferring helping you if you network with alums or professors during your 2L year and then try to find a job during 3L OCI (or on your own during the hiring season). At that point, you can show a potential employer good grades from your new school.

I made a similar decision 2 years ago. Feel free to PM if you want more info.