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Just found out I am in the top 25% of my class at University of Florida and was wondering if UIUC is an option if I maintain that percentile through next semester.

There was (maybe still is) a poster on this forum who transferred from UF to Michigan, so it can be done. I have no idea how high s/he was ranked at UF before the transfer though. Search through the forums, check out the yahoo transferapps database for the hard numbers, and try placing an anonymous phone inquiry to UIUC's admissions office to find out what their cutoffs are. A compelling reason (i.e. better than "I'm from Illinois." or "Better jerbs!") to transfer would certainly help.

Transferring can be a bit of a black box, and UIUC doesn't offer a spring application process, so be sure and work your tail off this spring, as they'll be considering your entire first year grades for admissions.

Thanks for the quick response! I appreciate the info - I will do some more research and continue to work hard.

Are you just basing this on previous years or were you able to find out through student affairs? I'm curious what my class rank is since the class percentiles .pdf hasn't been updated online yet...

You might be able to transfer to UIUC with that rank. Do you have a compelling reason to want to study there?

@fcowrx - I looked at the previous years' percentiles, where I would fall in the 20% percentile and, giving room for change, anticipate being in at least the 25%.
@mistergoft - I do have compelling reasons to want to transfer, some a little more personal so I don't want to post them. Basic incentives include close family/free housing/in state tuition.
Thanks again for any advice

sintacs wrote:@fcowrx - I looked at the previous years' percentiles, where I would fall in the 20% percentile and, giving room for change, anticipate being in at least the 25%.
@mistergoft - I do have compelling reasons to want to transfer, some a little more personal so I don't want to post them. Basic incentives include close family/free housing/in state tuition.
Thanks again for any advice

Not saying this has any bearing on your chances for admission (and I understand your desire to remain anonymous. Dean Pless routinely frequents these fora.), but the reasons you listed aren't really compelling reasons. Legitimate? Sure. Compelling reasons include things like "My [insert immediate family member here] was diagnosed with leukemia and has 6 months to live in a hospital in Chambana." or "I own a house two blocks from the UIUC law school that I wasn't able to sell. I literally cannot afford to carry a mortgage and rent a place in Florida to go to law school."

you will get in somewhere with those grades. Top 1/3 or above will give you a chance at wustl/emory/uiuc.. etc
You need better than top 10% to get into somewhere more meaningful.. ie GULC/ucla/usc/texas/vandy

patrickd139 wrote:

sintacs wrote:@fcowrx - I looked at the previous years' percentiles, where I would fall in the 20% percentile and, giving room for change, anticipate being in at least the 25%.
@mistergoft - I do have compelling reasons to want to transfer, some a little more personal so I don't want to post them. Basic incentives include close family/free housing/in state tuition.
Thanks again for any advice

Not saying this has any bearing on your chances for admission (and I understand your desire to remain anonymous. Dean Pless routinely frequents these fora.), but the reasons you listed aren't really compelling reasons. Legitimate? Sure. Compelling reasons include things like "My [insert immediate family member here] was diagnosed with leukemia and has 6 months to live in a hospital in Chambana." or "I own a house two blocks from the UIUC law school that I wasn't able to sell. I literally cannot afford to carry a mortgage and rent a place in Florida to go to law school."

I don't think it has to be compelling with his grades; he is probably right on the boarderline of being an admit, and having some connections to UIUC (as opposed to being convinced that transferring upwards according to US News would enhance his job prospects, every so marginally) will give him the edge he needs to get in.

My advice is to: a) talk with your professors and figure out what you can do differently to do better this semester and b) start forging a relationship or two with some of your professors so that you can get good letters of recommendation come time to submit your application to UIUC.

Good luck, sounds like you're doing this for the right reasons.

mistergoft wrote:I don't think it has to be compelling with his grades; he is probably right on the boarderline of being an admit, and having some connections to UIUC (as opposed to being convinced that transferring upwards according to US News would enhance his job prospects, every so marginally) will give him the edge he needs to get in.

My advice is to: a) talk with your professors and figure out what you can do differently to do better this semester and b) start forging a relationship or two with some of your professors so that you can get good letters of recommendation come time to submit your application to UIUC.

Good luck, sounds like you're doing this for the right reasons.

FTR, I agree completely with this entire post, esp. the last sentence. I don't think OP needs compelling reasons to make the jump in his/her unique situation. Just don't think the reasons he has are compelling, that's all. GL, OP!

Don't want to create a new thread so I'll bump this one.. Do you guys think the app fees to a couple schools in the T14 are worthwhile at Top 25% ? I'm hoping to raise my gpa this Spring by changing around my study habits a little bit (i.e. don't mess around as much lol) or at the least replicate last semester's results.

Also, how does one go about leveraging class rank for increased scholarship money? Showing acceptances at higher ranked schools necessary? I would assume yes, so naturally, I wonder how high the school has to be ranked to get a meaningful increase in scholarship...

FWIW, I'm shooting for biglaw in Florida...

fcowrx wrote:Don't want to create a new thread so I'll bump this one.. Do you guys think the app fees to a couple schools in the T14 are worthwhile at Top 25% ? I'm hoping to raise my gpa this Spring by changing around my study habits a little bit (i.e. don't mess around as much lol) or at the least replicate last semester's results.

Also, how does one go about leveraging class rank for increased scholarship money? Showing acceptances at higher ranked schools necessary? I would assume yes, so naturally, I wonder how high the school has to be ranked to get a meaningful increase in scholarship...

FWIW, I'm shooting for biglaw in Florida...

First, if you're looking for biglaw in Florida, I would suggest that you not transfer to UIUC. But assuming you know that, it's probably worth it to send out an app to some of the lower T14, especially if you can raise your class rank to top 15% or so. Don't get your hopes up, though. Given your career aspirations, I wouldn't advise leaving UF for anything less than T14, and even then it would have to be UF (sans LR) v. T14 (likely GULC or Cornell range). If you have any kind of scholarship at UF, that should also play a huge role in your decision.

As for leveraging class rank for scholarship, there are two ways to do this. Way 1: You can be so highly ranked that the school either a) automatically gives you additional scholarship money or b) it makes you competitive for additional upper division scholarships which weren't available your 1L year. This way does not require an acceptance at a higher ranked school.

Way 2: With acceptance to significantly better school in hand, and complete willingness to walk away from UF if they do not give you scholarships (it's kind of like an ultimatum in that respect), you can issue an ultimatum: give me money or I'll bail for greener pastures. If you're not prepared to follow through with your end of the bailing, be prepared for backlash, if not overt.