Seeking advice/chances upgrading from bottom half of T1 Forum

[stillupintheair]

Go to one of the schools in the area from 30-50. Finished right around 15-17% range. Got a CALI or two and a paying summer gig at a firm. Looking to bust T17, maybe higher if I can.

As for current school, I like it but just want to upgrade to a school with more than just a regional reach and expand future opportunities, especially regarding OCI representation (and I am not that keen anymore on staying in this particular region for various reasons). I might be asked to law review based on note, who knows. Lastly, the school feeds a decent secondary market and top students (>25%) usually fare ok for work in that particular market in normal times, but been a bit rough ITE for some even within that range.

I do have a very very significant scholarship at my current school. Thanks

[Thane Messinger]

Go to one of the schools in the area from 30-50. Finished right around 15-17% range. Got a CALI or two and a paying summer gig at a firm. Looking to bust T17, maybe higher if I can.

As for current school, I like it but just want to upgrade to a school with more than just a regional reach and expand future opportunities, especially regarding OCI representation (and I am not that keen anymore on staying in this particular region for various reasons). I might be asked to law review based on note, who knows. Lastly, the school feeds a decent secondary market and top students (>25%) usually fare ok for work in that particular market in normal times, but been a bit rough ITE for some even within that range.

I do have a very very significant scholarship at my current school. Thanks

Given your stats, the chances are fair, especially if you can get two strong letters of recommendation. As to advice, a few points: when you transfer you should consider law review (which does not usually transfer), credits (same), and scholarships. In short, transferring can be a very good move, but comes with numerous practical considerations. You might read Art of the Law School Transfer for more on each.

Thane.

[sanpiero]

Check out the yahoo database, transferapps. Students outside the T10% don't seem to fare too well when trying to transfer to a T14 (unless of course their current school is a T25). That said, the transfer game is less numbers-oriented than regular admission. i think a great ps, good reasons to transfer, and great recs can make up for a less than stellar rank.

[stillupintheair]

thanks guys. I have ties out west, so that should help UCLA, but I think my numbers are competitive there anyway. I also have quite a few years of WE and some great letters I think from two CALI'd class professors forthcoming. I am targetting Tex/UCLA/Vandy, more UCLA then T/V. But I was hoping Boalt or Duke might be actual possibilities, but remain very doubtful.

I am posting from an alt, but I have been part of the board for a while and done a lot of reading into the matter, generally, and have spent some time on transferapps

Any thoughts on chances for UCLA/Duke/Boalt and maybe NU as my spread of apps?

[pocket herc]

I am in a very similar position, attending a lower t-1 school, etc. I just don't know what advantage there would be in transferring to a school like UCLA, unless you just far prefer the region. It would be one thing to transfer to a t-10, t-14, whatever, but would a transfer student at UCLA really fare much better than a top 17 percent student (perhaps even with law review) at a lower T-1? UCLA is a great school without a doubt, but I just don't know if it would confer that many benefits in this situation.

[sanpiero]

thanks guys. I have ties out west, so that should help UCLA, but I think my numbers are competitive there anyway. I also have quite a few years of WE and some great letters I think from two CALI'd class professors forthcoming. I am targetting Tex/UCLA/Vandy, more UCLA then T/V. But I was hoping Boalt or Duke might be actual possibilities, but remain very doubtful.

I am posting from an alt, but I have been part of the board for a while and done a lot of reading into the matter, generally, and have spent some time on transferapps

Any thoughts on chances for UCLA/Duke/Boalt and maybe NU as my spread of apps?

IMO, given your situation, if you really want to attend a school, then apply. In the long-run that $100 application fee is negligible. Transferapps is far too small of a sample to really glean anything ground-breaking about who has a chance where. Your softs could make someone on an admissions committee push hard for you, even though you aren't T10%. So, I say, apply to all those schools you mentioned, if you really want to attend them.

[sanpiero]

I am in a very similar position, attending a lower t-1 school, etc. I just don't know what advantage there would be in transferring to a school like UCLA, unless you just far prefer the region. It would be one thing to transfer to a t-10, t-14, whatever, but would a transfer student at UCLA really fare much better than a top 17 percent student (perhaps even with law review) at a lower T-1? UCLA is a great school without a doubt, but I just don't know if it would confer that many benefits in this situation.

OP really doesn't want to stay in his region, so transferring to a school in the region in which he wants to practice makes sense. on the other hand, if you are T17% at Loyola, it doesn't make too much sense to transfer to UCLA, especially if you have a large scholly at Loyola.