Top Law Schools

I go to a top 20 school. GPA is 3.82, top 10% cut off is 3.66...I'm not sure where I rank, but I think its probably in the top 5%, possibly higher.

I am thinking really hard about georgetown and chicago ED now, but I'm not sure if this is the right call, esp regarding chicago.

Mainly, I'm wondering if I could do better than chicago if I maintain my grades. Is this realistic? Would I have a realistic shot at HYS or columbia/NYU if I'm in the top 5% of a t20 school?

One other question...I know chicago's ED acceptance is contingent in at least some way on second semester grades...how much so?

Thanks!

no need for ED

One other thing...what are my chances at chicago ED anyways?

shmoo597 wrote:One other thing...what are my chances at chicago ED anyways?

really depends on your lsat score

3.82 is really good. if you can get a 170+ you're in ED

s0ph1e2007 wrote:

shmoo597 wrote:One other thing...what are my chances at chicago ED anyways?

really depends on your lsat score

3.82 is really good. if you can get a 170+ you're in ED

OP is trying to transfer

I'm an OL but it sounds like top 10% at a t20 is a better deal than transferring to GULC, unless you really want to leave.

The short answer to all of these questions is "yes." So long as you can hold you position within the top 5%, you should have a decent shot at Columbia on down. HYS is certainly more unpredictable. Come May 1st, may transfer apps will be out the door (w/ second semester grades to follow once received).

DO NOT apply to Georgetown. Its a waste of time with your grades and if you do I'm going to T.P your room every night for the rest of the semester.

betasteve wrote:

chadwick218 wrote:The short answer to all of these questions is "yes." So long as you can hold you position within the top 5%, you should have a decent shot at Columbia on down. HYS is certainly more unpredictable. Come May 1st, may transfer apps will be out the door (w/ second semester grades to follow once received).

Is that the SOP? As soon as spring semester ends, shoot the app with spring grades to follow once published? I think my grades are scheduled to come out after some of the deadlines, and was wondering about this.

I need to look into this more. Having spoken with the admissions director at NYU, I was encouraged to apply on 5/1 or immediately thereafter and then follow-up with grades when they become available (likely a month after the end of the semester).

chadwick218 wrote:I need to look into this more. Having spoken with the admissions director at NYU, I was encouraged to apply on 5/1 or immediately thereafter and then follow-up with grades when they become available (likely a month after the end of the semester).

Betasteve, I didn't realize that you were looking to leave Big D. I will be targeting NYU (unfortunately they do not appear to have a tranfer ED program like Chicago). The 7 semester JD/LLM in Taxation appeals to me.

betasteve wrote:

chadwick218 wrote:The short answer to all of these questions is "yes." So long as you can hold you position within the top 5%, you should have a decent shot at Columbia on down. HYS is certainly more unpredictable. Come May 1st, may transfer apps will be out the door (w/ second semester grades to follow once received).

Is that the SOP? As soon as spring semester ends, shoot the app with spring grades to follow once published? I think my grades are scheduled to come out after some of the deadlines, and was wondering about this.

I know people that did it both ways. As long as your app is in by the deadline (which varies by school), they will generally wait until they have your grades to make a decision. And if you think it sucked waiting for grades this semester, wait until the summer which takes just as long or not longer to get grades back.

Most (if not all) places will not even look at your application until they have all of your 1L grades anyways, so it isn't worth it to kill yourself to get stuff in early if it will interfere with studying for the 2nd semester. The risk you run is that you spend 90 bucks to apply and your grades go down, so I waited until I had grades but had everything else teed up and ready to send out since you can just send your app in online through LSAC.

Most places wait until late June/early July to make decisions, but I know UVA last year sent out all its transfer decisions even before their application deadline, so there is some benefit to getting things in before the last minute. It is not as "rolling" as the RD during the normal cycle, but there are only a certain number of spots to be had.

chadwick218 wrote:Betasteve, I didn't realize that you were looking to leave Big D. I will be targeting NYU (unfortunately they do not appear to have a tranfer ED program like Chicago). The 7 semester JD/LLM in Taxation appeals to me.

chadwick, can you transfer to the nyu jd/llm as a 1L or is it for 2L's who then start at NYU in their 3rd year?

If you're top 5% at a T20 you should make LR there, right? You could be better off staying, unless you make a big jump up (and by that I mean T6). It depends on where you are, how much you like it there, and whether you want to work in the region your school is. (When we're talking T20 "region" means essentially "side of the Mississippi").

If top 5% at T20 doesn't have a great shot at GULC, Chicago, Columbia, NYU....then who does? Harvard and Yale depends on your LSAT and other stuff but you would have a shot.

Thanks for all the info, esp on when to send in apps. Just to clarify, I have a pretty good shot at chicago ED, and a decent shot (assuming I can maintain my grades) at CCN and a questionable but real chance at HYS? LSAT was 167, UG GPA was 3.7 from a top public school.

shmoo597 wrote:Thanks for all the info, esp on when to send in apps. Just to clarify, I have a pretty good shot at chicago ED, and a decent shot (assuming I can maintain my grades) at CCN and a questionable but real chance at HYS? LSAT was 167, UG GPA was 3.7 from a top public school.

I think if you can maintain your grades you're a pretty good shot at H or S. This is why you shouldn't ED to Chicago; if your grades are good enough to make it there, they're likely also good enough to make those schools.

Y is the only really questionable one, but that's just because they can be as picky as they want, because they're Yale.

leron wrote:

chadwick218 wrote:Betasteve, I didn't realize that you were looking to leave Big D. I will be targeting NYU (unfortunately they do not appear to have a tranfer ED program like Chicago). The 7 semester JD/LLM in Taxation appeals to me.

chadwick, can you transfer to the nyu jd/llm as a 1L or is it for 2L's who then start at NYU in their 3rd year?

to actually transfer, i would have to do so after my 1L year. i have consider another possibility (pending the approval of the school that I presently attend) of completing my first 2 years here and accumulate approximately and then enroll at NYU as a visiting student during my 3L year. after completing my 3L year at NYU, I would be awarded the jd at my present school and would continue on as an LLM at NYU in the fall after my 3L year. essentially, i would be able to earn both degrees in 7 semesters. depending on what happens this summer (i.e. clinical work and classes), it is possible that I can complete the dual degree in 6 semesters (but unlikely).

if I stay at my present school, I would be able to complete a dual jd /llm in taxation over the course of 6 semesters.

vanwinkle wrote:If you're top 5% at a T20 you should make LR there, right? You could be better off staying, unless you make a big jump up (and by that I mean T6). It depends on where you are, how much you like it there, and whether you want to work in the region your school is. (When we're talking T20 "region" means essentially "side of the Mississippi").

Yeah this is what I was going to say (and we're seeing a common theme here among some of these T20 transfer to T6 threads). All of this is really, really situational, and without knowing more we're basically just guessing. Let's say you go to UT-Austin or USC, two T20 schools that do really well in their respective regions. Let's say you want BigLaw in that region. There's really absolutely no point transferring to any school that isn't a T6 unless you have a really really good reason to believe that your grades were a fluke (i.e., you stole the answer key the night before the exam). Even then, is it worth leaving behind your grades and end up doing OCI 2L year at a new school ITE? My answer generally would be only if it's HYS. And I definitely don't think it would be worth EDing at Chicago. This is just an example of how these questions can be really complicated.

Don't ED at Chicago unless you can't see yourself practicing anywhere but Chicago. If Columbia appeals to you at all, do NOT ED Chicago, because you probably are going to get in to Columbia. Top 5% gives you a good shot at Harvard. You'll be doing the "what-if" dance forever if you ED Chicago. I should know, and I wasn't even at a T20.

That said, Chicago is an amazing school. It really is. I just don't think that binding ED is a good thing for someone in your situation to do.

Of course, if your grades end up dropping in the second semester, you're going to hate me, and that's why I did Chicago ED as well. I was convinced my 1st semester grades were a fluke, that I had no shot at Harvard because I wasn't going to stay in the top 3%, etc. I also am 100% sure I want to practice in Chicago. Of course, then my grades went up second semester, put me at top 1%, and Chicago gleefully sent me the "congratulations, we aren't revoking your offer, see you in August!" e-mail, knowing they had palmed me out of Harvard. Harvard gives need-based aid to transfers, by the way. In conclusion: it doesn't seem like you would die if you don't get a job in Chicago. Don't ED at Chicago.

ToTransferOrNot wrote:Don't ED at Chicago unless you can't see yourself practicing anywhere but Chicago. If Columbia appeals to you at all, do NOT ED Chicago, because you probably are going to get in to Columbia. Top 5% gives you a good shot at Harvard. You'll be doing the "what-if" dance forever if you ED Chicago. I should know, and I wasn't even at a T20.

That said, Chicago is an amazing school. It really is. I just don't think that binding ED is a good thing for someone in your situation to do.

Of course, if your grades end up dropping in the second semester, you're going to hate me, and that's why I did Chicago ED as well. I was convinced my 1st semester grades were a fluke, that I had no shot at Harvard because I wasn't going to stay in the top 3%, etc. I also am 100% sure I want to practice in Chicago. Of course, then my grades went up second semester, put me at top 1%, and Chicago gleefully sent me the "congratulations, we aren't revoking your offer, see you in August!" e-mail, knowing they had palmed me out of Harvard. Harvard gives need-based aid to transfers, by the way. In conclusion: it doesn't seem like you would die if you don't get a job in Chicago. Don't ED at Chicago.

This is good advice.

belkin00 wrote:I'm an OL but it sounds like top 10% at a t20 is a better deal than transferring to GULC, unless you really want to leave.

0Ls are NOT WELCOME to post in the transfer forum

chitown825 wrote:

belkin00 wrote:I'm an OL but it sounds like top 10% at a t20 is a better deal than transferring to GULC, unless you really want to leave.

0Ls are NOT WELCOME to post in the transfer forum