Transferring to a better law school Forum

[dazzlingAnns]

Can someone please explain how transferring law schools work?

If I go to a lower tiered law school for one year and get really good grades.....Could I then transfer to a better law school?

Do you have to go to the new law schools for 1 or 2 years to graduate from there?

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!

[nellie06]

transferring made easy:

1. Have no life, get straight a's or as close as humanly possible.

2. Be a gunner, be the annoying kid who answers the teachers question's and isn't a wallflower.

3. Keeping getting a's while planning apps, getting lor's during your second semester.

4. Send out the apps and hope for the best.

I guess maybe more could be added, but from what I've seen this is basically all that is absolutely necessary.

[dazzlingAnns]

Ok thank you!

I am still trying to understand if you have to just finish 1 year at the new school or 2.

So could you apply to the new school the fall of your second year? Then just finish the final year at the new school and still graduate from there?

I don't know anything about transferring in law school so I would love advice! Thank you!

[lbeezy]

You generally shouldn't go to a school you wouldn't want to graduate from in the first place. I think it's a lot harder to transfer than just getting good grades.

[underdawg]

You apply in between your first and second semester.

At NYU, I met a 2L who transfered from GWU, so I think you can make some sizable jumps. I've heard of UFlorida to Georgetown too, so I think pretty good jumps are possible.

[dazzlingAnns]

Ok, does the new law school look at your law school grades or UG grades?

If it is between your first and second semester, how can you even have any completed grades?

I am a little confused.

[underdawg]

I think you have your first semester grades at that point...so do really really well your first semester.

They probably look at everything, but I think those first semester 1L grades are the most important by far.

[nellie06]

You generally shouldn't go to a school you wouldn't want to graduate from in the first place. I think it's a lot harder to transfer than just getting good grades.

TITCR!!!!! It's very difficult and highly improbable to 'transfer up'. I'm thinking about it but I do think where i'm going is still a good place to be. Your gpa i'm pretty sure is non existent at the new school as well. You would transfer for the last 2 yrs. You can't transfer at any other time besides after 1L.

Hey underdawg, NYU is definitely my dream school and I will most likely end up at gw (crossing fingers about cornell wl). Any idea of how well they did to pull off #20 to #5? I know that nyu and cls have reps of being very transfer friendly..any truth to the rumors?

[underdawg]

You generally shouldn't go to a school you wouldn't want to graduate from in the first place. I think it's a lot harder to transfer than just getting good grades.

TITCR!!!!! It's very difficult and highly improbable to 'transfer up'. I'm thinking about it but I do think where i'm going is still a good place to be. Your gpa i'm pretty sure is non existent at the new school as well. You would transfer for the last 2 yrs. You can't transfer at any other time besides after 1L.

Hey underdawg, NYU is definitely my dream school and I will most likely end up at gw (crossing fingers about cornell wl). Any idea of how well they did to pull off #20 to #5? I know that nyu and cls have reps of being very transfer friendly..any truth to the rumors?

If you're not good at standardized tests, or have a low GPA, transferring can be the only chance one has to get into their dream school.

I have no idea, I didn't really talk to the guy that much. I can ask my tour guide to see if she can get a hold of him so I can ask though...

[nellie06]

You generally shouldn't go to a school you wouldn't want to graduate from in the first place. I think it's a lot harder to transfer than just getting good grades.

TITCR!!!!! It's very difficult and highly improbable to 'transfer up'. I'm thinking about it but I do think where i'm going is still a good place to be. Your gpa i'm pretty sure is non existent at the new school as well. You would transfer for the last 2 yrs. You can't transfer at any other time besides after 1L.

Hey underdawg, NYU is definitely my dream school and I will most likely end up at gw (crossing fingers about cornell wl). Any idea of how well they did to pull off #20 to #5? I know that nyu and cls have reps of being very transfer friendly..any truth to the rumors?

If you're not good at standardized tests, or have a low GPA, transferring can be the only chance one has to get into their dream school.

I have no idea, I didn't really talk to the guy that much. I can ask my tour guide to see if she can get a hold of him so I can ask though...

Yep, that's pretty much my boat lol. A little too much slacking in ugrad. Anyone else know what kinda #s u need for a top 25 to top 5 transfer?

[kellte2]

One of my good friends went from UC SD to Northwestern. He was not a gunner, and actually despised them like many do on this board. In his first semester at Northwestern, he got a 3.9. Looking at his facebook page, I can't believe it. There are so many pictures of him at bars, I don't know how he found time to do it.

Working hard doesn't automatically make you a gunner - and transferring is VERY VERY possible if you have the grades to do so. In fact, fat from impossible, as my friend demonstrated. Bottom T2 to T14.

[lishi]

Ok, does the new law school look at your law school grades or UG grades?

If it is between your first and second semester, how can you even have any completed grades?

I am a little confused.

Also some of the top schools, require that you wait till May to apply to transfer so they can see all you fall and spring grades. Just go on the website for the school that you are interested in transferring to, and they will give you all this information about what they require for transfers and when to do it.

[dazzlingAnns]

I looked at the school I wish to transfer to and they require 1 year at the previous law school.

Do they place more of a weight on the law school grades than UG grades?

[thedogship]

Much more weight (in fact, nearly all) on 1L grades. Most schools understand that you didn't have the numbers to get in their first time around, but they want to see that you kicked ass your 1L year and took it seriously, and would be able to handle the rigors of a better school. Obviously, if your are looking to transfer from a T4, you need better grades than someone looking to transfer from a T1 up, or a T20 up, but having good grades is the bare minimum. How schools weigh those GPAs though is something I am not sure about (like is a 3.9 from a T4 better than a 3.5 from WUSTL? Somehow I doubt it, but then again, I am not on an admissions committee.)

[Total Litigator]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say there is an exception to the rule that you shouldn't go anywhere wanting to transfer. Here are the conditions:

- You were admitted into a T2 school.
- You consistently scored higher on practice tests, took the December LSAT test, and did substantially worse than the practice tests.
- You have a good GPA at a good undergrad, or you know what you did wrong in undergrad and honestly believe that you can correct your mistakes.
- You're writing abilities allow you to write exceptional personal statements.
- You have strong extracurriculars at the undergraduate level.
- You would be truly happy at a school ranked no more than 15 rankings above the law school you were admitted to.

If these conditions are filled, I think one has a good shot of ending up in the top 30%, and therefore having the ability to transfer up at least 14 spots.
That all being said, I think this also describes the perfect candidate for getting a job, retaking the LSAT, and reapplying the next cycle.

[bk1]

Nice work necroing a 2 year old thread to add useless information.

Any scenario where it would be reasonable to go in transferring you would be better off retaking/reapplying (as you noted at the end) thus there is no scenario where it would be reasonable to go in expecting to transfer.

Which is why this was a useless necro. And damn, TLS was way nicer to people 2 years ago.