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I'm not asking for my chances or making any assumptions about what my grades will be. I'm curious to see if you guys think this transfer could make sense for me.

I'm born, raised, and did undergrad in California (in other words, I was there my entire life up to 1L). I want to work and live there for my foreseeable future. I want biglaw, and I'm ambivalent about whether it's northern or southern California (I'm guessing I'd have more luck in southern California since I'm from there, and I don't have any tech/ip/science background that seems important for Bay Area/SF).

Right now I'm a 1L at DCNG with a little over a half-tuition scholarship. (I only came here because this was the biggest scholarship I got).

Would DCNG (~half-ride) -> Berkeley (CA resident sticker) be insane if I know I want to work in California?

Here's how I see it:

PROs:
I'd be in California where I want to be
I'd be an alumni of the best state school in the state I want to work and live in
As a native Californian something about being a Cal grad would make me happy
I'd be moving up in ranking (don't really care about this too much... as long as I'm not moving down in rank)

CONs:
I'd be taking on dat BIGDEBT (BIGGERDEBT?) by giving up my decent scholarship that I have here
Berkeley may or may not give me a better chance at biglaw than DCNG


ETA:
I discounted UCLA and USC from this question because I feel that if I'm giving up my scholarship here, I should at least go to a somewhat substantially higher-ranking school. Also, UCLA and USC both offered me a 20k/year scholarship, and I'd feel retarded if I transferred back to either and paid sticker.

I discounted Stanford because I think there's too good of a chance I won't top be ~5-10% here.

i get that 1L is miserable and you're thinking about greener pastures somewhere else already (my guess is that you are at Cornell and the first frost is making you homesick for Cali - no shame there).

but this is so contextual and really needs your FULL 1L grades to pan out. for example, if you are number 1 at DCNG, then no, it would not make sense to transfer. get grades THEN think about this. you really just have to put this out of your mind and focus. one month to go until some of the biggest exams of your life. don't waste time spinning your wheels about transferring on here (and try to just put it out of your mind). you are where you are until May. finish 1L then let this occupy your time/thoughts/watch random trolls on TLS discuss your situation.

Get good grades and then come ask again. You'll need good grades either way, and you won't know if transferring is possible until you get grades.

This is a nice way of saying NO FIRST-SEMESTER 1LS IN THE TRANSFER FORUM.

Yeah first semester 1Ls shouldn't be here. By the end of 1L even if you have the credentials you probably won't want to leave. Plenty of California opps at OCI for T14 plus through mass mailings. Certainy not worth losing 1L grades and appx. 50k. imho. Stanford on the other hand...lol

Bildungsroman wrote:Get good grades and then come ask again. You'll need good grades either way, and you won't know if transferring is possible until you get grades.

This is a nice way of saying NO FIRST-SEMESTER 1LS IN THE TRANSFER FORUM.

Pretty much this.