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2L thinking of doing a semester as a visiting student next year. Visiting school is closer to SO and family but in a different market than my upcoming SA. Grades I receive while visiting will be P/F and will not affect my GPA or graduation date.

The only thing I’m concerned about is a potential negative effect it may have regarding my SA firm. I don’t want it to appear that I’m trying to leave my current market. Do firms tend to care at all about this? Or would they be understanding about me visiting another school?

Thanks

What kind of firm are you summering at? If it's generic biglaw that gives out ~100% offers, then I doubt they'd care. You'd likely get your offer before they even know about your visiting student semester anyway.

Summering at V100. 100% offer rate last year with the occasional no offer in prior years.

Anonymous User wrote:Summering at V100. 100% offer rate last year with the occasional no offer in prior years.

I can't imagine they would care and as mentioned they don't need to find out this summer anyways

trebekismyhero wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Summering at V100. 100% offer rate last year with the occasional no offer in prior years.

I can't imagine they would care and as mentioned they don't need to find out this summer anyways

I did this. I don't even think my firm found out.

Anonymous User wrote:2L thinking of doing a semester as a visiting student next year. Visiting school is closer to SO and family but in a different market than my upcoming SA. Grades I receive while visiting will be P/F and will not affect my GPA or graduation date.

The only thing I’m concerned about is a potential negative effect it may have regarding my SA firm. I don’t want it to appear that I’m trying to leave my current market. Do firms tend to care at all about this? Or would they be understanding about me visiting another school?

Thanks

I did my final semester as a visiting student for similar reasons. Your summer firm won't really care, but I wouldn't mention it until offer is in hand because there's no need to. I didn't decide to do this until after I'd accepted my offer and had always planned on coming back to my firm. I only told them because they invited me to an event and I told them, "Thanks, but I'm actually in XX for the semester as a visiting student."

My grades weren't P/F, unfortunately, but they didn't count for my GPA at my home law school. The biggest consideration was financially since it was basically full ticket at the visiting school (scholarship didn't apply at the visiting school), which is why I did a semester rather than the full year. I understand some schools require the full year.

I know SAs talked about visiting other schools openly and there were no issues. Just sell it like a vacation in disguise.

notinbiglaw wrote:I know SAs talked about visiting other schools openly and there were no issues. Just sell it like a vacation in disguise.

Or just don't talk about it all; why rock the boat unnecessarily.