Successful Transfers, please advise the lowly 0Ls Forum

[bigben]

Or that you will transfer somewhere and nonetheless fail to materially increase your job prospects.

This is a particularly good point. I transferred to a T14 and know of a number of transfers who don't have jobs. Many of them left scholarships at their old schools for full-price at the T14 and are now in worse financial shape than they would have been. They still have the good degree, but I'm sure a number of them now question the decision to transfer.

Sorry to hear that.

[Thane Messinger]

I'm walking in knowing that I'll try to transfer....so that said, if you did it (congrats!)

can you give us:

What school you came from?

Were they supportive?

Any particular profs to avoid and/or cultivate relationships with when getting refs?

Thanks!!

There are good points on both sides of this recurring debate, and most if not nearly all of this depends on first-year grades. Also, timing is a serious concern; you're thus smart to think of this, now.

If you do intend to transfer, it makes sense to look VERY seriously at how you are going to increase your odds to get good grades--great grades, really. Despite much of the discussion and assumptions elsewhere, this is achievable--but not by what most would think is the way, namely, "study a lot." For most, that is exactly wrong. Rather, you need to study well, steadily, and smart.

Transferring comes with some serious downsides. For a further look into those, as well as timing, etc., there's Art of the Law School Transfer, a book recently out.

Best of luck,

Thane.

[A'nold]

The only credited response here is this: Go to a school that you could TOLERATE graduating from and from which you have reasonable goals for finishing median there. Plan on doing whatever you want after that. I actually think going in wanting to transfer is perfectly fine if the above is met.

[98234872348]

whoops that was supposed to be a pm

[bk1]

So - your suggestion to take the LSAT again (which impliedly means taken one more time than you have, no matter how many times you have) presumes that you can do better than you did on the LSAT, or that there are not other factors, such as GPA, that prevents going to a higher school.
You advice is just as stupid as advising someone that they should try to transfer.

But my guess is that you were simply trolling. You'll stop that now.

I think that many people are in a position to retake and get an LSAT that will get them into a T14 or at least a strong regional school.

I get the feeling that the problem is most people don't even consider retake/reapply as an option when looking at their cycle because they are set on going in the fall and that telling them their is a better option is definitely one of the best responses they can be given.

[AmicusCuriae]

Or that you will transfer somewhere and nonetheless fail to materially increase your job prospects.

This is a particularly good point. I transferred to a T14 and know of a number of transfers who don't have jobs. Many of them left scholarships at their old schools for full-price at the T14 and are now in worse financial shape than they would have been. They still have the good degree, but I'm sure a number of them now question the decision to transfer.

What school/could you be a bit more elaborate/do you know transfers that DO have jobs?

A number of transfers do have jobs, myself included. There is no noticeable pattern between those who have jobs and those who don't. Somewhat random it seems. My point is it's a risk given that most transfers give up some money and end up in roughly the same position, just with more debt.

[worldtraveler]

Some people are just never going to do better on the LSAT no matter how many times they take it. Yes, some people can improve and probably should take it again. But not everyone is going to score a 170 or even a 160, just like not everyone can be in the top 10%. There's that whole curve thing. People seem to forget that.

[vanwinkle]

Some people are just never going to do better on the LSAT no matter how many times they take it. Yes, some people can improve and probably should take it again. But not everyone is going to score a 170 or even a 160, just like not everyone can be in the top 10%. There's that whole curve thing. People seem to forget that.

This is true. However, those people should either 1) not count on transferring and be happy at the kind of schools they can get into with their low LSAT scores, or if they can't do that, 2) not go to law school at all.

[thexfactor]

I'm walking in knowing that I'll try to transfer....so that said, if you did it (congrats!)

can you give us:

What school you came from?

Were they supportive?

Any particular profs to avoid and/or cultivate relationships with when getting refs?

Thanks!!

Hey i see from your previous posts that you got into DOZO. I figure that if you got into dozo then you are prob around ~163 164 lsat range. Retake the LSAT and get 2-3 more points. This will make it likely that fordham will accept you next year.
There is a night and day difference between the odds of getting a biglaw job out of carbozo and fordham.