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Can transfer students still distinguish themselves from the class by earning honors such as magna cum laude?

This is a good question, and something I'd like to know the answer to as well.

Varies by school. Need to check each one individually as all have differing policies.

edit: never mind

Journeybound wrote:Can transfer students still distinguish themselves from the class by earning honors such as magna cum laude?

To be safe, I will say that it probably depends on the school. From everything I have seen, though, it looks like transfer students not only have the option of earning latin honors, but they often have an easier time of attaining them given that transfers' GPAs are calculated entirely on the basis of their post-transfer grades (i.e., their 2L and 3L grades, when electives/seminars with easier curves may be taken). Taking account of the higher curves available in many upper division courses, I'd say you can be a medianish T14 transfer and still get latin honors, whereas a T14 non-transfer student with an equivalent performance in each class would be weighed down by 1L grades (where the curves are mandatory and the medians are lower).

Son of Cicero wrote:

Journeybound wrote:Can transfer students still distinguish themselves from the class by earning honors such as magna cum laude?

To be safe, I will say that it probably depends on the school. From everything I have seen, though, it looks like transfer students not only have the option of earning latin honors, but they often have an easier time of attaining them given that transfers' GPAs are calculated entirely on the basis of their post-transfer grades (i.e., their 2L and 3L grades, when electives/seminars with easier curves may be taken). Taking account of the higher curves available in many upper division courses, I'd say you can be a medianish T14 transfer and still get latin honors, whereas a T14 non-transfer student with an equivalent performance in each class would be weighed down by 1L grades (where the curves are mandatory and the medians are lower).

Ehhhhh.... Doesn't really make sense.. If the person was able to transfer in, their grades were presumably top 5-10% at their old school. So even if these grades were factored into their GPA, they would still be in very good shape for latin honors. I don't really think transfers have any unfair advantage..

LuvTheWNBA wrote:

Son of Cicero wrote:

Journeybound wrote:Can transfer students still distinguish themselves from the class by earning honors such as magna cum laude?

To be safe, I will say that it probably depends on the school. From everything I have seen, though, it looks like transfer students not only have the option of earning latin honors, but they often have an easier time of attaining them given that transfers' GPAs are calculated entirely on the basis of their post-transfer grades (i.e., their 2L and 3L grades, when electives/seminars with easier curves may be taken). Taking account of the higher curves available in many upper division courses, I'd say you can be a medianish T14 transfer and still get latin honors, whereas a T14 non-transfer student with an equivalent performance in each class would be weighed down by 1L grades (where the curves are mandatory and the medians are lower).

Ehhhhh.... Doesn't really make sense.. If the person was able to transfer in, their grades were presumably top 5-10% at their old school. So even if these grades were factored into their GPA, they would still be in very good shape for latin honors. I don't really think transfers have any unfair advantage..

Its unfair if the school had a harsh curve mandated for 1l's but not as harsh on 2l and 3l students. Thus the transfer student competes soley based on the hihger curve against students that have the lower curve as 1l weighing down their gpa.

Some school have answered this by having transfer students get a limited amount of spots in latin honors and essentially compete against themselves. But that is potentially unfair to transfers as well.


there is some good discussoin of issues like this one and transfer stigma on this above the law post I read the other day.
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It varies from school to school. Stanford has done away with latin honors altogether - so no issue here!