What are your chances? Forum

[Transpher]

Historically should be right at cutoff for top 10% at T20-25. Highly selective summer internship lined up and 2 years WE in NYC BigLaw.

Chances at CCN?

[lawloser22]

Hi folks-

3.71 (historically should be right at cutoff for top 10%) at T20-25. Highly selective summer internship lined up and 2 years WE in NYC BigLaw.

Chances at CCN? Was waitlisted up until late August at CLS if that matters.

Thanks.

That should put you right around 50% at each of CCN. I wouldn't be surprised if the CLS waitlist gives you a slight bump, since that + your softs show them that you really want to be there.

[busterbluth]

Lower T14, top 10%. Slightly over the line but not sure how far up. Maybe 8-9%.

Thinking H/S, Chicago. Y seems pointless, but may try just to know I did.

[vanwinkle]

Lower T14, top 10%. Slightly over the line but not sure how far up. Maybe 8-9%.

Thinking H/S, Chicago. Y seems pointless, but may try just to know I did.

H is really focusing on WE and softs now. (I don't mean they're focusing on those things over 1L grades; I mean they're getting so many transfer apps from people above their grade threshold that they can afford to be picky, and this is one of the things they're being picky about.)

The good news is that you're in the range that they'll read your app. The bad news is that your resume/PS are going to matter a lot, especially since your grades are good enough to get looked at, but not great for that level.

[busterbluth]

Lower T14, top 10%. Slightly over the line but not sure how far up. Maybe 8-9%.

Thinking H/S, Chicago. Y seems pointless, but may try just to know I did.

H is really focusing on WE and softs now. (I don't mean they're focusing on those things over 1L grades; I mean they're getting so many transfer apps from people above their grade threshold that they can afford to be picky, and this is one of the things they're being picky about.)

The good news is that you're in the range that they'll read your app. The bad news is that your resume/PS are going to matter a lot, especially since your grades are good enough to get looked at, but not great for that level.

Thanks, that's great advice. I have solid pre-LS WE. My undergraduate softs were probably slightly above average but nothing extraordinary. However, I have zero LS softs (no CALIs/moot court/student association stuff). Should I scramble to join things? Without them, am I dead unless I get a major grade boost spring semester?

Edit: I know trying to slap on superficial things doesn't matter, I'm more concerned with how to spin the total lack of them.

[Transpher]

That should put you right around 50% at each of CCN. I wouldn't be surprised if the CLS waitlist gives you a slight bump, since that + your softs show them that you really want to be there.

Thanks for the reply man

[vanwinkle]

Thanks, that's great advice. I have solid pre-LS WE. My undergraduate softs were probably slightly above average but nothing extraordinary. However, I have zero LS softs (no CALIs/moot court/student association stuff). Should I scramble to join things? Without them, am I dead unless I get a major grade boost spring semester?

Edit: I know trying to slap on superficial things doesn't matter, I'm more concerned with how to spin the total lack of them.

I don't think of CALIs as "softs". Those are part of your grades package. I think you should definitely work on boosting your grades this spring, but I don't think you're "dead" without doing so. You're doing well at a T14, you'll be within range. The way it typically works from what I can tell is, they filter out everyone who's not "in range" grades-wise, and then among the remaining applicants, choose based on PS/WE/softs. Top 10% at T14 is enough to get you past the first step. Higher grades will certainly help, but whether you raise your GPA or not, you've still got to have a good application package to pass that second step.

This doesn't mean to freak out, though. You may have more than you realize.

Pre-LS WE is by far the strongest soft when it comes to transfers, especially at a place like HLS where they're now actively focusing on WE. Plus, by the time you apply you'll be working in a summer job/internship somewhere. Do you have a summer job lined up already? Can you articulate why you want to work there, or what it has to do with your future goals/ambitions? If so then that gives you something to talk about and have on your resume that isn't "spin".

Also, I believe most schools do journal tryouts by the end of 1L. By the time the application deadline rolls around, you should probably be able to put on your resume that you're on a journal at your school, even if you haven't done anything for it yet. Once you're a member, you can list it. So you'll probably have that.

My main concern is that you don't want to look like you're not doing anything at all during 1L. What do you do with your spare time? I don't think you should "scramble" to join things, but it might be to your benefit to be involved in something outside of law school. What you're involved in doesn't even have to be law-related, it could be a student org that's at the law school but geared around another interest, or you could be putting in your spare time in something outside of school entirely.

You just want your application to show you're a human being and do more than just go to class and study. It really depends on what you did before coming to law school. If that stuff already speaks loudly enough about who you are, then you may not need anything on your resume for 1L.

Having this stuff isn't just good for transferring, it will also benefit you during OCI, as well. You want to have interesting things on your resume, because employers will be basing their questions on what your resume says. If you're in an organization or doing some extracurricular that they find interesting, they might ask you to explain your interest there, and that gives you the opportunity to talk about something you enjoy doing. If your resume is barren and uninspiring, then they'll be more likely to go to more general questions like, "Why are you interested in our law firm?"

You're in good shape so far, but it wouldn't hurt to bolster your resume a little, as long as the things you get involved with are things you're actually interested in doing.

[keg411]

VW, is pre-LS WE really that important for transfer? I'd like to hope so, but I have my doubts; especially since it seemed to make no difference in my original cycle.

[vanwinkle]

VW, is pre-LS WE really that important for transfer? I'd like to hope so, but I have my doubts; especially since it seemed to make no difference in my original cycle.

I'm not sure how important it is at other schools, but they're actively choosing based on it at HLS. They're putting a new emphasis on WE, both in regular and transfer admissions, and drastically increasing the percentage of people with WE admitted. (I think something like 75% of this fall's incoming class will have at least 1 year of WE, or something like that.)

I know for certain they are doing this; what I'm not certain about is their exact motivation. If I had to speculate, it's trying to remain at the top of the hill, especially with the new grading policy. They want employers to believe that everyone who goes to HLS is worth hiring, and I suppose that one way to ensure that's true is to make sure their students already have WE and are prepared for the real world.

[jhawk4life]

TTT in Midwest
3.64 9/140 = Top 7%

Thinking UCLA or Univ. of San Diego.
Really want to do sports and entertainment law
Love my school now, so if UCLA didn't work out I'd be happy staying here as well


Chances?

[Regionality]

TTT in Midwest
3.64 9/140 = Top 7%

Thinking UCLA or Univ. of San Diego.
Really want to do sports and entertainment law
Love my school now, so if UCLA didn't work out I'd be happy staying here as well


Chances?

you might have better results applying to midwest schools unless you can demonstrate a compelling reason for moving to the west coast...

If you're interested in entertainment law I suppose that's a compelling reason so long as you can back it up with activities, classes, organizations, etc that you've done to substantiate the claim...and then link this interest with the schools you are applying to.

You might have better luck applying to Tier 1 schools in the midwest like Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois etc.

though in the end it's mostly your grades/rank/school rank that matters, so I'd say you have a pretty good shot at the west coast schools...not sure they're worth sticker though.

[baseballisfun]

Hi there. Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide on my situation.

I'm not sure whether I want to transfer, but I'm weighing my options and I would appreciate any feedback.

I currently attend a Tier 1 school PT (ranked 40-50) and I'm somewhere inside the top 10%.

Chances at:
Columbia
UVA
Michigan
Boalt
U Chicago
Northwestern
Georgetown
UCLA

Thanks!

[Wholigan]

The posters who usually answer ITT don't always venture a guess at PT, so I will answer since I have been looking into this. Basically being PT seems to count slightly against you and make an already random process even more random. There is someone on this site who got into Columbia, UMich, and Boalt, and was rejected from all of DNCG and UCLA. (With GULC of course being explicitly PT-friendly, with a PT program themselves)

My advice would be to blanket all of them if you want to transfer, because they are all going to be unpredictable.

[Stellar]

Currently ~ top 15% at a school in the 80's. What's the highest jump I could reasonably hope to make?

Would places like Fordham/BC/GWU be a pipe dream unless I pull a 4.0 this semester?

[lawloser22]

Currently ~ top 15% at a school in the 80's. What's the highest jump I could reasonably hope to make?

Would places like Fordham/BC/GWU be a pipe dream unless I pull a 4.0 this semester?

Nah, those schools are probably your targets right now. top 10% should give you a reasonable shot at GULC/UCLA. Highest jump you could hope for with those stats, in terms of rank, is probably WUSTL.

[littlepiggie818]

Currently, 3.8 at a T3 school in LA, ranked at top 10% (could be higher, since my school only ranks in 10% increment). Is it possible to transfer to UCLA or Berkeley?

[lawloser22]

Currently, 3.8 at a T3 school in LA, ranked at top 10% (could be higher, since my school only ranks in 10% increment). Is it possible to transfer to UCLA or Berkeley?

Yes, good chance at UCLA. Probably need top 5% at least for berkeley though.

[slv123086]

GPA: 3.86, Rank 4/140 (top 3%) at Tier 3 Chicago Law School

Federal Externship, 3 CALIs, honors council, invited on law review

Good LORs, average PS, average WE



Chances (sorry for so many):

GULC (ED/RD)
WUSTL (ED/RD)
UIUC
ND
Northwestern
Michigan
Wisconsin
Iowa
IIT - Chicago Kent
Loyola Chicago

[vanwinkle]

GPA: 3.86, Rank 4/140 (top 3%) at Tier 3 Chicago Law School

Federal Externship, 3 CALIs, honors council, invited on law review

Good LORs, average PS, average WE



Chances (sorry for so many):

GULC (ED/RD)
WUSTL (ED/RD)
UIUC
ND
Northwestern
Michigan
Wisconsin
Iowa
IIT - Chicago Kent
Loyola Chicago

You should be getting together a U of Chicago ED transfer app right now. Talk to profs today, get rec letters in motion, request a transcript from your registrar. No time to waste here, deadline is April 30.

EDIT: If you're applying to GULC/WUSTL EA you should be in good shape already. But don't overlook Chicago. I believe both GULC and WUSTL are non-binding EA (not ED) so you can apply to them while still applying to Chicago (you'd just have to withdraw from GULC and WUSTL if Chicago accepts you).

[Sphinx1146]

Top 5% at a T35-45 in the west, good LOR's.

Chances at Boalt, Stanford, UCLA, Texas?

[Richie Tenenbaum]

~15% (maybe a little better, probably a little worse) at UT/Vandy/UCLA.

Chances at HYS and Chicago? WL'd at Chicago when originally applied.

Also- is it worth trying to transfer up to Chicago if my dream goal is academia?

[lawloser22]

Top 5% at a T35-45 in the west, good LOR's.

Chances at Boalt, Stanford, UCLA, Texas?

S: 35-40%
Boalt: 50-55%
UCLA: 70%
Tx: req. significant ties to tx

~15% (maybe a little better, probably a little worse) at UT/Vandy/UCLA.

Chances at HYS and Chicago? WL'd at Chicago when originally applied.

Also- is it worth trying to transfer up to Chicago if my dream goal is academia?

HYS: 30-35%; you'll probably need around top 10% for a 50/50 shot at H
Chi: 40-45%; yes, and I would ED if I were you.

[vanwinkle]

~15% (maybe a little better, probably a little worse) at UT/Vandy/UCLA.

Chances at HYS and Chicago? WL'd at Chicago when originally applied.

Also- is it worth trying to transfer up to Chicago if my dream goal is academia?

If your dream goal is academia then you need to raise your GPA into the top 10% range or better. Though, Chicago might take you ED if you're ready to apply now..

[TTT_School_of_Lawl]

.

[lawloser22]

Would appreciates some estimates:

Currently at T3 in Midwest attempting to transfer to CA
3.54 GPA on 2.6 curve
top 10%

Softs:
Law Review Invite
Secondary Journal Member
Landed a summer internship with DOJ
Strong ties to CA

Applying to:

Loyola LA:
Pepperdine:
UC Davis:
UC Irvine:
UCLA:
USC:

Edit to add Softs

Accounting for softs/strong ties to CA:

Loyola LA: 70%
Pepperdine: 70%
UC Davis: 60%
UC Irvine: 65%
UCLA: 50%
USC: 50%