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I am curious-- what are the possible repercussions of applying to transfer, if you strike out, or decide not to go? Would anyone at my current school even know, apart from the registrar, and whichever professors I asked to write my recommendations? Are the admissions office and financial aid people privy to that info? I'm trying to get a sense of the (non-financial) risks involved in applying to transfer. People make it sound like a breeze, but I suspect it's an arduous process.

It can be an annoying process, but the only people that will find out are the ones that you tell - your recommenders, someone in the registrar's office who sends out your transcript (and dean's certification, if needed). Admissions likely won't know, and whether financial aid finds out probably varies from school to school. My suspicion is that it wouldn't matter to financial aid either way - if you are trying to transfer, you are likely a good student, so they may be inclined to tempt you with money to stay. If you don't stay, then they turn around and give that money to someone who is there, or they put it back in the pool to offer to an applicant next year.

I guess I am also concerned about things being weird on an interpersonal level. I don't think I'd tell my classmates unless I had accepted an offer from another school. Does telling people transfer plans = GPA bragging? I'm thinking it does, which is why silence is golden just now.

I am too much of an open book. One student saw me looking up a potential transfer school. I think that everyone may know my rank and that I am planning to transfer. Plus, it is VERY awkward to go ask for the Dean's office to send that certification letter. You feel so guilty and dirty.

A'nold wrote:I am too much of an open book. One student saw me looking up a potential transfer school. I think that everyone may know my rank and that I am planning to transfer. Plus, it is VERY awkward to go ask for the Dean's office to send that certification letter. You feel so guilty and dirty.

That sounds horrendously awful.... I mean, there are no words kind of awful.

If you have a good reason its perfectly fine (or even if you don't, you don't have to justify it - just be polite and professional). You are paying these schools sometimes 40k for 1L year. Beyond that, you owe them nothing.

Attempting to transfer is extremely common and, to be honest, I doubt anyone outside of your friends will care. Especially ITE, administrators and teachers understand that you need to make yourself as competitive as possible. As was pointed out by someone else, if you are in the top 15% or so, you will likely be enticed to stay by extra money. When my friend and I were completing the transfer process, you would not believe the insane offers our old school made to her since she was the #1 student in the class. In the end though, you are just one student out of hundreds and any issues that arise from your application is a poor reflection on the other individuals, not yourself. This is law school, not a tea party.

AttractiveNuisance wrote:Attempting to transfer is extremely common and, to be honest, I doubt anyone outside of your friends will care. Especially ITE, administrators and teachers understand that you need to make yourself as competitive as possible. As was pointed out by someone else, if you are in the top 15% or so, you will likely be enticed to stay by extra money. When my friend and I were completing the transfer process, you would not believe the insane offers our old school made to her since she was the #1 student in the class. In the end though, you are just one student out of hundreds and any issues that arise from your application is a poor reflection on the other individuals, not yourself. This is law school, not a tea party.

I'd like to hear what they were offering her if you don't mind sharing

I didn't strike out, but I also didn't tell anyone I was transferring. When I finally told my friends, they were all happy for me... the only thing they were upset about was that I took so long to tell them. My professors were happy for me too.

Really, everyone understands. Your school administration doesn't want you to leave, but everyone understands why you're doing it, and everyone knows it isn't personal. I can't imagine any issue from striking out.

TonyDigital wrote:
I'd like to hear what they were offering her if you don't mind sharing

- living expenses
- waiver onto law review (our school didn't allow this for grades like others do)
- research assistantship with our most influential professor
- personal aid from the dean to get a fed clerkship (no guarantee could be made of course)

and what I think is the real shocker:
- a position as an adjunct professor in civil procedure as a 2L.

(Its been a year, I think all that is right. I know the position to teach is right.)

Depends on the school I'd say. My school is VERY small and the administration is like epicallly (sp?) loyal and salesmen-y about our school.

AttractiveNuisance wrote:

TonyDigital wrote:
I'd like to hear what they were offering her if you don't mind sharing

- living expenses
- waiver onto law review (our school didn't allow this for grades like others do)
- research assistantship with our most influential professor
- personal aid from the dean to get a fed clerkship (no guarantee could be made of course)

and what I think is the real shocker:
- a position as an adjunct professor in civil procedure as a 2L.

(Its been a year, I think all that is right. I know the position to teach is right.)

What school (or tier if you'd be more comfortable) is this?

.

Bankhead wrote:

AttractiveNuisance wrote:

TonyDigital wrote:
I'd like to hear what they were offering her if you don't mind sharing

- living expenses
- waiver onto law review (our school didn't allow this for grades like others do)
- research assistantship with our most influential professor
- personal aid from the dean to get a fed clerkship (no guarantee could be made of course)

and what I think is the real shocker:
- a position as an adjunct professor in civil procedure as a 2L.

(Its been a year, I think all that is right. I know the position to teach is right.)

What school (or tier if you'd be more comfortable) is this?

It was a low ranked school. I can't really give more info I doubt either party involved would want people to know.

I don't know....if my school asked me to become an adjunct professor, I might just stay, haha.

LOL I don't think I'd attend a school where a 2L teaches my civ pro class...

Bankhead wrote:LOL I don't think I'd attend a school where a 2L teaches my civ pro class...

Yeah, that would be pretty

Bankhead wrote:LOL I don't think I'd attend a school where a 2L teaches my civ pro class...

You won't be taking over for Geyh next year? I'm ready to take over for Shreve

Bankhead wrote:LOL I don't think I'd attend a school where a 2L teaches my civ pro class...

Our TA for civ pro is a 2L, he holds a mini-class once a week which has taught us more than our prof could ever hope to.

JPU wrote:

Bankhead wrote:LOL I don't think I'd attend a school where a 2L teaches my civ pro class...

Our TA for civ pro is a 2L, he holds a mini-class once a week which has taught us more than our prof could ever hope to.

Dude, that'd be sweet.

LOL WTF at the adjunct professor thing TA, I can understand. But if you're talking about actually teaching a class...

I can't wait to have that conversation with the dean's office...or even the registrar's office, since it's in the law school building. Everyone here is so nice and so polite, and I feel like they have a secret alarm system that they activate when someone intends to transfer. Not a single person at my school knows of my intent, and I won't be revealing it to anyone besides the offices required to know. Even when the dean inevitably asks why I want to transfer, I'll just give an honest, but terse, response: to be closer to family.

However, since transferring is anything but assured, I'm hedging my bets; it's a careful balancing act for recommendations... two of my 1L professors are leaving after this year, and I will probably ask them for recommendations. I did slightly better than average in one class, and I knocked the other class out of the park. Moreover, these two professors are close friends, so I think I might have a better shot asking them. However, I'm *really* undecided about the prof in whose class I did slightly better than median...it was one of my worst grades, and I should really ask the other profs in whose classes I did far better, but I'm just nervous about the consequences...I'm sure they'd understand, but it'd be a hell of a kick in the ass for me to get a letter of recommendation, and then in the event I don't transfer, I ask them for a research assistantship or something.. "Oh, I guess I could settle for a research position with you."

At my school people are pretty open about this kind of stuff. Suprisingly few actually transfer every year. Law review, moot court, and scholarships help keep most of the top students around. A lot of people like the big fish small pond experience.

I am concerned that transferring to a better school might actually hamper me if I want to go work for the federal government (SEC). The requirements almost always have moot court and journal experience as desired experience... And most likely I won't get that experience if I transfer...

I have a crap ton of debt (mostly due to UG-paid for it all myself). I will have 100k more if I transfer........if I stay, even though I am at the top of my class I have a very low chance of getting a firm job making 100k. If I go, I will likely still have a small chance at a good firm job. The gov. isn't really hiring in my state right now or many other nearby states for that matter.

I think I need to transfer and just take the surer thing as far as risks go.