Top Law Schools

Hello TLS, long-time lurker, first time poster here. Anyway, I am finishing up my first year at a T25-30 school, my first semester grades were all A's and A+'s, and I'm projecting to finish up with a 4.0+ GPA cumulative for my first year. I actually think I did better 2nd semester than first. I have two very good LORs lined up, one of which is from a prof who went to Yale Law (don't know if that helps). I am looking to transfer to any of HYS, can I get at least 1 of the 3? Thanks for your thoughts in advance.

lawbound1524 wrote:Hello TLS, long-time lurker, first time poster here. Anyway, I am finishing up my first year at a T25-30 school, my first semester grades were all A's and A+'s, and I'm projecting to finish up with a 4.0+ GPA cumulative for my first year. I actually think I did better 2nd semester than first. I have two very good LORs lined up, one of which is from a prof who went to Yale Law (don't know if that helps). I am looking to transfer to any of HYS, can I get at least 1 of the 3? Thanks for your thoughts in advance.

If that puts you into the top 1 or 2 students I'd say you have better than a 50% of getting one of HYS. Lock anywhere else. Period.

Would the LOR from a Yale alum help at all for transferring to YLS, or is that completely irrelevant?

I would guess it doesn't matter, so many profs went to yale

lawbound1524 wrote:Would the LOR from a Yale alum help at all for transferring to YLS, or is that completely irrelevant?

I don't know, I think it would be at least a small plus.

Maybe a small plus. Still, I honestly wouldn't worry about it. You have such a good shot at getting into 1 of the 3 anyways, just apply and wait for an acceptance to head your way.

Statistically, you have a pretty good shot at getting into at least one of the three. However, transfer admissions is more of a black box than maybe anything else. See GULC EA Thread. I would suggest applying to every school in the T10 to which you would consider transferring if accepted.

stinger35 wrote:Maybe a small plus. Still, I honestly wouldn't worry about it. You have such a good shot at getting into 1 of the 3 anyways, just apply and wait for an acceptance to head your way.

I don't want to take anything for granted, especially with Yale, which is my top choice (shocker there). I feel like since Harvard takes more transfers in general, my best shot is there, with Stanford #2 and Yale third. Is that accurate?

Also, my UG GPA is awful, but has a very strong upward trend. LSAT was 169. I would hope UG academics aren't a factor, but I have heard differing opinions on this.

Oh, just like me. Well, I used to be at a t30 school until we took a six-spot nosedive. Now I'm at a t35 school. And I only have a 4.0. Shameful! Alright, so your answer is this. Yale is hard to get into, they take about 10 kids. Maybe they take you, maybe they don't. One hears they care about undergraduate numbers. Then again, between being first in your class and the bullshit "I turned my life around" essay you could write (even if it's not true), you have a real chance. Harvard, very good chance, they take 30-some kids and most people in the top of their classes in the t14 aren't applying up, so you'd be one of the best applicants they have. Stanford, fewer admits (then again, fewer people apply out there so who knows what the percentages are like), and they have a crazy dean's statement they require where you're graded as to your personality and about 8 different factors, so getting along with whoever that is could be important. I asked my dean, who isn't the biggest fan, and she said she'd just plead ignorance.

lawbound1524 wrote: I have two very good LORs lined up, one of which is from a prof who went to Yale Law (don't know if that helps).

Didn't all law professors go to Yale?

Seriously, based on what little I know about the transfer process, you should apply to several schools. Although your odds of getting into at least one of HYSCC are excellent, I understand that the transfer application process is significantly less predictable than the 0L application process. Good luck!

Assuming that you are well within the top 5% of your first year law class at the end of the school year, then all law schools should be interested in receiving a transfer application from you. Doesn't mean that you will be accepted to Yale, Harvard or Stanford, but your odds should be as good as most other transfer applicants. Certainly you should be accepted to a couple top 14 schools if that is of interest to you.

CanadianWolf wrote:Assuming that you are well within the top 5% of your first year law class at the end of the school year, then all law schools should be interested in receiving a transfer application from you. Doesn't mean that you will be accepted to Yale, Harvard or Stanford, but your odds should be as good as most other transfer applicants. Certainly you should be accepted to a couple top 14 schools if that is of interest to you.

I don't mean to sound snooty or anything, but HYS are really the only ones I'd transfer to. I don't think it's worth it for me to leave the school where I currently go (which I really like) unless it's to any of HYS. Maybe this is misguided, I don't really know.

lawbound1524 wrote:

CanadianWolf wrote:Assuming that you are well within the top 5% of your first year law class at the end of the school year, then all law schools should be interested in receiving a transfer application from you. Doesn't mean that you will be accepted to Yale, Harvard or Stanford, but your odds should be as good as most other transfer applicants. Certainly you should be accepted to a couple top 14 schools if that is of interest to you.

I don't mean to sound snooty or anything, but HYS are really the only ones I'd transfer to. I don't think it's worth it for me to leave the school where I currently go (which I really like) unless it's to any of HYS. Maybe this is misguided, I don't really know.

I think most people here would agree with that. 1st in your class from a T30 isn't something you want to give up for any 'ol T14.

polycom01 wrote:

lawbound1524 wrote:

CanadianWolf wrote:Assuming that you are well within the top 5% of your first year law class at the end of the school year, then all law schools should be interested in receiving a transfer application from you. Doesn't mean that you will be accepted to Yale, Harvard or Stanford, but your odds should be as good as most other transfer applicants. Certainly you should be accepted to a couple top 14 schools if that is of interest to you.

I don't mean to sound snooty or anything, but HYS are really the only ones I'd transfer to. I don't think it's worth it for me to leave the school where I currently go (which I really like) unless it's to any of HYS. Maybe this is misguided, I don't really know.

I think most people here would agree with that. 1st in your class from a T30 isn't something you want to give up for any 'ol T14.

Agree with all this.

lawbound1524 wrote:Would the LOR from a Yale alum help at all for transferring to YLS, or is that completely irrelevant?

It is from a Yale LAW alum presumably, not just some random person who went there for undergrad. It should be considered a plus in an app to Yale, but by no means a lock. Fwiw, Yale is very hard to transfer into compared to Harvard or Columbia. Yale tends to take 10 or fewer transfers every year. And the top student at a lot of T-30 schools as well as some students in the T-14 schools try to transfer there every year. Just thought you should know. But in any case, you should always go for it if interested.

I do think it'd be worth your time to look at the school profiles on lawschoolnumbers.com. Most of them say how many transfers they take.

As for some of your other schools, I think it really comes down to preference. I don't know exactly what school you're at (definitely not mine, since we don't do the 4.00 gpa scale thing), but sometimes you are better off being a top student at a school in that range than a transfer at a school a few knocks higher (if YHS don't work that is). Just food for thought.

To answer your question though, I think Harvard would likely be your best shot.

If you are #1 or 2 in your class at a t30, why the need to transfer up? You should have your pick of quality jobs and clerkships, plus your school will probably up your scholly to retain your services.

Notor wrote:If you are #1 or 2 in your class at a t30, why the need to transfer up? You should have your pick of quality jobs and clerkships, plus your school will probably up your scholly to retain your services.

I agree that it's a tough decision, that's why I'm only shooting for HYS. I am very much interested in BigLaw and politics in the future, and my current school is good, but not great, in those departments. Also, I have no scholarship, and won't get one next year, regardless of my grades. Fortunately money isn't an issue for me (very generous parents), so tuition isn't my major concern. The shallow side of me just loves the thought of having an HYS-name diploma on my wall, too.

lawbound1524 wrote:

Notor wrote:If you are #1 or 2 in your class at a t30, why the need to transfer up? You should have your pick of quality jobs and clerkships, plus your school will probably up your scholly to retain your services.

I agree that it's a tough decision, that's why I'm only shooting for HYS. I am very much interested in BigLaw and politics in the future, and my current school is good, but not great, in those departments. Also, I have no scholarship, and won't get one next year, regardless of my grades. Fortunately money isn't an issue for me (very generous parents), so tuition isn't my major concern. The shallow side of me just loves the thought of having an HYS-name diploma on my wall, too.

Kinda changes things a bit, esp with the $$ issue and the interest in politics. Definitely take a shot at HYS, likely H.

apper123 wrote:

lawbound1524 wrote:

Notor wrote:If you are #1 or 2 in your class at a t30, why the need to transfer up? You should have your pick of quality jobs and clerkships, plus your school will probably up your scholly to retain your services.

I agree that it's a tough decision, that's why I'm only shooting for HYS. I am very much interested in BigLaw and politics in the future, and my current school is good, but not great, in those departments. Also, I have no scholarship, and won't get one next year, regardless of my grades. Fortunately money isn't an issue for me (very generous parents), so tuition isn't my major concern. The shallow side of me just loves the thought of having an HYS-name diploma on my wall, too.

Kinda changes things a bit, esp with the $$ issue and the interest in politics. Definitely take a shot at HYS, likely H.

Is Harvard better than YS for politics? I feel like it is, but that may just be my impression and may not be based in facts.

lawbound1524 wrote:

apper123 wrote:

lawbound1524 wrote:

Notor wrote:If you are #1 or 2 in your class at a t30, why the need to transfer up? You should have your pick of quality jobs and clerkships, plus your school will probably up your scholly to retain your services.

I agree that it's a tough decision, that's why I'm only shooting for HYS. I am very much interested in BigLaw and politics in the future, and my current school is good, but not great, in those departments. Also, I have no scholarship, and won't get one next year, regardless of my grades. Fortunately money isn't an issue for me (very generous parents), so tuition isn't my major concern. The shallow side of me just loves the thought of having an HYS-name diploma on my wall, too.

Kinda changes things a bit, esp with the $$ issue and the interest in politics. Definitely take a shot at HYS, likely H.

Is Harvard better than YS for politics? I feel like it is, but that may just be my impression and may not be based in facts.

I have no idea tbh. I just said H cause they have a big transfer class.

apper123 wrote:

polycom01 wrote:

lawbound1524 wrote:

CanadianWolf wrote:Assuming that you are well within the top 5% of your first year law class at the end of the school year, then all law schools should be interested in receiving a transfer application from you. Doesn't mean that you will be accepted to Yale, Harvard or Stanford, but your odds should be as good as most other transfer applicants. Certainly you should be accepted to a couple top 14 schools if that is of interest to you.

I don't mean to sound snooty or anything, but HYS are really the only ones I'd transfer to. I don't think it's worth it for me to leave the school where I currently go (which I really like) unless it's to any of HYS. Maybe this is misguided, I don't really know.

I think most people here would agree with that. 1st in your class from a T30 isn't something you want to give up for any 'ol T14.

Agree with all this.

+1

Harvard really turned me off recently when I emailed them a few questions about transferring, and I got back a copy-paste of the paragraph on transferring from their website, which didn't answer ANY of my questions. As if I couldn't read the website for myself. If ONLY I had thought to check ONLINE before I emailed my questions! Thanks Harvard! Maybe they were too busy to answer each email individually, but still....

lawbound1524 wrote:Harvard really turned me off recently when I emailed them a few questions about transferring, and I got back a copy-paste of the paragraph on transferring from their website, which didn't answer ANY of my questions. As if I couldn't read the website for myself. If ONLY I had thought to check ONLINE before I emailed my questions! Thanks Harvard! Maybe they were too busy to answer each email individually, but still....

Shoulda replied:

"Keep quoting VICKAS"

anyone? anyone?

apper123 wrote:

lawbound1524 wrote:Harvard really turned me off recently when I emailed them a few questions about transferring, and I got back a copy-paste of the paragraph on transferring from their website, which didn't answer ANY of my questions. As if I couldn't read the website for myself. If ONLY I had thought to check ONLINE before I emailed my questions! Thanks Harvard! Maybe they were too busy to answer each email individually, but still....

Shoulda replied:

"Keep quoting VICKAS"

anyone? anyone?

I don't get it.

lawbound1524 wrote:

apper123 wrote:

lawbound1524 wrote:Harvard really turned me off recently when I emailed them a few questions about transferring, and I got back a copy-paste of the paragraph on transferring from their website, which didn't answer ANY of my questions. As if I couldn't read the website for myself. If ONLY I had thought to check ONLINE before I emailed my questions! Thanks Harvard! Maybe they were too busy to answer each email individually, but still....

Shoulda replied:

"Keep quoting VICKAS"

anyone? anyone?

I don't get it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymsHLkB8u3s