2016 1L Transfer Thread Forum

[specterdraperaxe]

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[Goldie]

Top 1% at wustl, applying to HYS and Columbia, but probably wouldn't xfer to Columbia. Goals are 2d Cir or 9th Cir clerkship (7th too I guess), and/or prestigious biglaw (like W+C level but not that one). Want either NYC, Chi, or LA.

It feels practically certain my grades will drop this semester. :-/

Question for the experienced- could I get 2/7/9 cir even if I transfer to H, since I have 0 professor connections? What are my odds of getting those from the top of Wustl?

I'm a transfer 2L at Harvard. I can't speak to 2/7/9 specifically, since I focused much more on a different circuit. But I have 4 circuit clerkship interviews scheduled for next week. It is tough developing the professor connections here, but I have good recommendations from my 1L school and I got one of my professors here to write a letter for 2 judges that asked for it (after I had the interviews scheduled.) So I guess my point is that circuit clerkships are very possible for transfers.

[Joscellin]

Top 1% at wustl, applying to HYS and Columbia, but probably wouldn't xfer to Columbia. Goals are 2d Cir or 9th Cir clerkship (7th too I guess), and/or prestigious biglaw (like W+C level but not that one). Want either NYC, Chi, or LA.

It feels practically certain my grades will drop this semester. :-/

Question for the experienced- could I get 2/7/9 cir even if I transfer to H, since I have 0 professor connections? What are my odds of getting those from the top of Wustl?

I'm a transfer 2L at Harvard. I can't speak to 2/7/9 specifically, since I focused much more on a different circuit. But I have 4 circuit clerkship interviews scheduled for next week. It is tough developing the professor connections here, but I have good recommendations from my 1L school and I got one of my professors here to write a letter for 2 judges that asked for it (after I had the interviews scheduled.) So I guess my point is that circuit clerkships are very possible for transfers.

Your 1L profs at your old school still wrote letters for clerkships? My understanding is that, while it's often specific to institution/prof, common practice is to not do that?

[acr]

Top 1% at wustl, applying to HYS and Columbia, but probably wouldn't xfer to Columbia. Goals are 2d Cir or 9th Cir clerkship (7th too I guess), and/or prestigious biglaw (like W+C level but not that one). Want either NYC, Chi, or LA.

It feels practically certain my grades will drop this semester. :-/

Question for the experienced- could I get 2/7/9 cir even if I transfer to H, since I have 0 professor connections? What are my odds of getting those from the top of Wustl?

I'm legitimately curious about why transferring from here would be a good decision for you. In my opinion staying at WUSTL, if anything, is a better option for you. WUSTL's OCI is completely pre-select, so even if your grades "drop" this semester to top 10% or 15%, you will still fare very well in August and most likely have your choice of whatever firm/region you want.

Then there's the money issue. If you're not already on full scholarship, then I'm positive WUSTL would increase your scholarship to a Dean's Fellowship if you ask. They might even give you a COL stipend. You could graduate from here with literally no debt as opposed to sinking yourself into $150K at least at any of the other schools you're considering for largely the same outcome. You've been around on these forums for quite a while, so I'm sure you've seen it, but read through the "Student Loan Numbers" thread and I'm sure it will at least cause you to think twice about going into that much debt when you don't have to.

If you want a fed clerkship, paying off the debt will take even longer. To me the increased odds of HYS' placement into clerkships is not worth the other tradeoffs.

As long as you can stomach WUSTL's lesser "prestige" than HYS, I see no reason to basically give up (potential) law review, a Dean's Fellowship, professor connections, and no debt for another school.

[PeanutsNJam]

Yeah I mean I'm mostly for not transferring at this point, but I just want to make an as informed a decision as possible. I hear with things like this, no matter what decision you make, you're going to regret it. Could I get a CoA clerkship and move to MTO/Wachtell if I xfer? If not, or if highly unlikely even from YHS, then yeah there's no reason to xfer, since top of wustl can get interviews with sullcrom/covington/mofo/etc. anyway. It's an odds analysis.

TL;DR: Would my odds of getting fed clerkships in 2/7/9 increase if I transfer, and if so, would the increase in odds be worth the added cost, losing friends, long distance relationship, etc.? Is it like 10% chance at wustl -> 50% chance at H? Or more like 20%-30%? Idk.

I am here on a big ass scholarship, so I would lose that too, but I could rich parents yolo YHS so debt isn't the biggest concern.

[Goldie]

Top 1% at wustl, applying to HYS and Columbia, but probably wouldn't xfer to Columbia. Goals are 2d Cir or 9th Cir clerkship (7th too I guess), and/or prestigious biglaw (like W+C level but not that one). Want either NYC, Chi, or LA.

It feels practically certain my grades will drop this semester. :-/

Question for the experienced- could I get 2/7/9 cir even if I transfer to H, since I have 0 professor connections? What are my odds of getting those from the top of Wustl?

I'm a transfer 2L at Harvard. I can't speak to 2/7/9 specifically, since I focused much more on a different circuit. But I have 4 circuit clerkship interviews scheduled for next week. It is tough developing the professor connections here, but I have good recommendations from my 1L school and I got one of my professors here to write a letter for 2 judges that asked for it (after I had the interviews scheduled.) So I guess my point is that circuit clerkships are very possible for transfers.

Your 1L profs at your old school still wrote letters for clerkships? My understanding is that, while it's often specific to institution/prof, common practice is to not do that?

I don't know if it's common practice or not, but I've had 5 out of 9 1L professors write letters on my behalf, and I think the other 4 would've been willing to do so as well.

[PeanutsNJam]

This could all be a moot discussion anyway since it's very possible I end up below top 5% after spring. Then it's a discussion of whether CCN is worth it lulz.

[clshopeful]

I;m wondering whether transferring from a T3 in northwest to UCLA is worth it, especially when I want to practice in northwest. Yes UCLA is like 100 spots higher than my school and holds way better reputation, but If I;m coming back here anyway after graduation, does it make sense?

[xael]

Top 1% at wustl, applying to HYS and Columbia, but probably wouldn't xfer to Columbia. Goals are 2d Cir or 9th Cir clerkship (7th too I guess), and/or prestigious biglaw (like W+C level but not that one). Want either NYC, Chi, or LA.

It feels practically certain my grades will drop this semester. :-/

Question for the experienced- could I get 2/7/9 cir even if I transfer to H, since I have 0 professor connections? What are my odds of getting those from the top of Wustl?

PMed, and if other people have similar questions about this let me know. I'm at HYS and tho I didn't transfer here, I'm close with someone who did and is currently applying to clerkships.

[specterdraperaxe]

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[KunAgnis]

Currently at a low 50's school on the east coast, 3.84 top 10%. For geographical preference, family, and financial regions I'm targeting California (and probably the LA area specifically).

Crossing my fingers for UCLA but UC Irvine is a possibility too.

I think with your numbers, you could try UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Stanford. While this is purely subjective, I don't think UCI is worth the app, as UCI's region "overlaps" with UCLA and you're pretty much as shoe-in for UCLA.

[clshopeful]

Currently at a low 50's school on the east coast, 3.84 top 10%. For geographical preference, family, and financial regions I'm targeting California (and probably the LA area specifically).

Crossing my fingers for UCLA but UC Irvine is a possibility too.

I think with your numbers, you could try UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Stanford. While this is purely subjective, I don't think UCI is worth the app, as UCI's region "overlaps" with UCLA and you're pretty much as shoe-in for UCLA.

agreed. I'd stay away from UCI.

[Top20TransferHopeful]

I'm at a TT and hoping for Notre Dame, Vandy, or UCLA.

[LeeAllen]

4.0 at T14 hoping for Stanford.

[SXNW]

I;m wondering whether transferring from a T3 in northwest to UCLA is worth it, especially when I want to practice in northwest. Yes UCLA is like 100 spots higher than my school and holds way better reputation, but If I;m coming back here anyway after graduation, does it make sense?

What's your approximate rank? What are your career goals (PI, private practice, gov, etc.)?

[specterdraperaxe]

.

[clshopeful]

I;m wondering whether transferring from a T3 in northwest to UCLA is worth it, especially when I want to practice in northwest. Yes UCLA is like 100 spots higher than my school and holds way better reputation, but If I;m coming back here anyway after graduation, does it make sense?

What's your approximate rank? What are your career goals (PI, private practice, gov, etc.)?

i want mid-law, transcation/litigation. Rank is top 5%

[A. Nony Mouse]

Your 1L profs at your old school still wrote letters for clerkships? My understanding is that, while it's often specific to institution/prof, common practice is to not do that?

Based on the clerkship discussions here, I don't think I'd go so far as to say it's common practice for 1L profs not to write. I think it really is too institution/prof specific to say. I think a lot of transfers have had 1L profs write. (Though it probably takes on greater importance post-Plan now that hiring is earlier.)

[EncyclopediaOrange]

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[SXNW]

I;m wondering whether transferring from a T3 in northwest to UCLA is worth it, especially when I want to practice in northwest. Yes UCLA is like 100 spots higher than my school and holds way better reputation, but If I;m coming back here anyway after graduation, does it make sense?

What's your approximate rank? What are your career goals (PI, private practice, gov, etc.)?

i want mid-law, transcation/litigation. Rank is top 5%

If you want mid-law in the PNW, I don't really see a reason to transfer and incur significantly higher debt. Seattle and Portland are both very insular and I don't think a move outside the T14 would be worth it. Just based on your position in the class there should be a fair amount of opportunities, potentially even some in biglaw satellites if you interview well.

I transferred to a t14 from one of the three possible schools that you attend, so feel free to PM me.

[Nebby]

Checking in. #6 at a T2 in the 50s. Hoping for Gulc or somewhere higher. Definitely not confident I'll do as well this semester. Hoping for a miracle at UofC.

Don't be a negative Nancy. You'll do fine. Just don't ED Chicago unless you absolutely want to practice in Chicago

[HeirCroc]

Why do you say that? Transfers to UofC have a hard time getting jobs outside of Chicago?

[AprilintheD]

nope

[Nebby]

Current school: Wayne State

First semester GPA: 3.92

Target school: Michigan

What are my chances?

I do not plan on transferring anywhere else. I want to stay in Michigan and initial job goal is Detroit big law. Which school would be best with that in mind?

Michigan. Maintain your GPA and you have a great shot

[AK135]

Checking in. 3.92 at T1 in the low 40's. School doesn't rank, but cutoff for top 10% was 3.78 (higher curve + unusually high semester).

Planning on applying to H,S,C,C, and Penn. Really hoping for H/S, but I know that those are slim pickings...would be thrilled with Columbia or Chicago.

Good luck to everyone! I am excited to see how we all do!