Questions about becoming a "visiting student" as a 3L Forum

[wannabe146]

I have a reason for becoming a visiting student and just had a few questions.

1.) How hard is it to transfer to a T5 school from a T30?

2.) Does it hurt employment chances if I would visit a T70 school from the T30 school (because the location would be better)?

3.) Any good way to make up the difference in paying full tuition after losing your scholarship from your home school?

Thanks a lot for the help!

[jmhendri]

relevant to my interests.

[wannabe146]

Awesome. Maybe we can get some good answers here.

[CanadianWolf]

I don't know the answer to your question, but suggest inquiring about whether or not you will be able to participate in either law school's OCI.

[wannabe146]

Yeah, that is a good idea. I may have a job by then, but I was just thinking if I wanted to find something different besides that job.

[wannabe146]

anyone have any thoughts?

[wannabe146]

bump.

[wannabe146]

any help?

[concurrent fork]

There just aren't a lot of visiting students out there to answer your questions. Since you still get your degree from your home institution I imagine it is somewhat less competitive than a transfer, but I really do not know of any data points.

Also, yes - if you visit at a school that is not in your target market you will probably need to explain why to employers. I assume you have some compelling personal/academic reason for wanting to visit.

[wannabe146]

Hey, thanks a lot for the response! Would it hurt to go to a school ranked like 50 spots lower? Or does that not matter as my degree is still from the home school?

[wannabe146]

bump

[wannabe146]

hmmmm....not too many bites on this one.

[pjo]

Hey, thanks a lot for the response! Would it hurt to go to a school ranked like 50 spots lower? Or does that not matter as my degree is still from the home school?

I am also very interested in this, and I will probably do this as a 3L. Hopefully we can get some answers. I do have a bit of anecdotal evidence to offer. A friend of mine went to a T30 for law school, but got an SA gig at a firm in the region where she did her UG and where she is actually from. She was a visiting student as a 3L at the local T70 in the same region where she did her SA which she ended up working after graduation. So it doesn't seem like it really hurts to go to a lower ranked school in your 3L IF you already have a job lined up AND you're visiting at a school in the region where you'll be working. Also, I highly doubt it would be that difficult to gain a visiting student position going from a higher ranked school to a lower ranked one. When I withdrew from OSU after being accepted to a higher ranked school they sent me back an email about how I could come to OSU as a visiting student if I ever had the urge to experience living Columbus.

[Aqualibrium]

Relevant thread with a few answers:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =3&t=80855


The ranking of the school you visit really isn't going to matter. You are still technically a student/graduate of your original institution so visiting up or down isn't going to do much. Don't visit because you think the new school will improve your job prospects. If you don't already have a job, the only way it helps is by putting you in the city where you eventually want to settle/practice.

edit: lol just realized op is also in the thread I linked to.

[wannabe146]

pjo: Thanks for the anecdote. It was helpful. Maybe we can keep this thread going until we can get some good answers.

Aqualibrium: Thanks for the response.

[wannabe146]

anyone else have any answers?

[RVP11]

Hey, thanks a lot for the response! Would it hurt to go to a school ranked like 50 spots lower? Or does that not matter as my degree is still from the home school?

I am also very interested in this, and I will probably do this as a 3L. Hopefully we can get some answers. I do have a bit of anecdotal evidence to offer. A friend of mine went to a T30 for law school, but got an SA gig at a firm in the region where she did her UG and where she is actually from. She was a visiting student as a 3L at the local T70 in the same region where she did her SA which she ended up working after graduation. So it doesn't seem like it really hurts to go to a lower ranked school in your 3L IF you already have a job lined up AND you're visiting at a school in the region where you'll be working. Also, I highly doubt it would be that difficult to gain a visiting student position going from a higher ranked school to a lower ranked one. When I withdrew from OSU after being accepted to a higher ranked school they sent me back an email about how I could come to OSU as a visiting student if I ever had the urge to experience living Columbus.

This post ignores the fact that the most difficult thing about setting up a visiting year is convincing your degree-granting school to let you do it.

[wannabe146]

yes, that is true. i was just curious about the other aspects first. thanks, though.

[gwuorbust]

Can I:

Visit HYS
OCI at HYS
???
Profit

[concurrent fork]

Can I:

Visit HYS
OCI at HYS
???
Profit

You visit as a 3L, so this is assuming (1) you struck out at your home institution or got no-offered and (2) the few firms who actually hire 3Ls wouldn't auto-reject you because you will graduate from another school. It is hard to imagine a situation where you are not competitive for a 2L SA from a lower ranked school, but are nonetheless able to convince a firm looking for HYS students to hire you as a 3L.