Top Law Schools

I am at a top 30 and at the tippy-top of my class. Want to work here, could probably get scholly for next 2 years. Worth it to transfer? Don't think I want academia.

Not sure why you would need to transfer. If you are already in your target market, then you can essentially have your pick of the best firms in that market as one of the very top students if not the top student in your class. For example, if you go to BC, I doubt transferring over to Harvard would really help you all that much since every big Boston firm will be trying to get you. It couldn't possibly be better for you than that at any other school. Unless of course your absolute sole objective is to work for some V10 firm that doesn't interview at schools outside of the top 10 or 14. I know that, if I were you, I would stay put. I wouldn't want to take on additional debt when I know that I'm already secure for pretty much whatever I want after graduation.

I say stay. Being a top 30 school, I'm sure all employers in your target market will be at your school's OCI, and being in the top 1% means that you're the first person they want to talk to.

Also not going an extra $100k in debt would be nice

You're at the top of your class, in the region you want to be, at a school that will presumably employ you within that region.

Why would you leave?

Stay, try to grab a big scholarship.

Nice job killing your first year.

i was in this exact position after 1L (btw first semester grades are the easy part; people tend to catch on exam-wise by second semester) and transferring was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

the difference was, i wasn't in a so-called "target market," fwiw.

Apply to use as bargaining tool for scholarship, and then take the scholarship and stay.

Apply to HYS, and if you get one, make the decision then. Your school might not play ball with scholarship negotiations. Also, even if you have no interest in academia, these schools will give you better options if you decide to clerk, change your mind on region/want to prestige whore, etc.

I would also recommend applying to HYS.

Regionality wrote:Apply to use as bargaining tool for scholarship, and then take the scholarship and stay.

almost no school will do this. sorry.

Cupidity wrote:

Regionality wrote:Apply to use as bargaining tool for scholarship, and then take the scholarship and stay.

almost no school will do this. sorry.

Almost every school will do this...what do you mean?

Nearly every school will offer scholarships to their top students if asked, and going in with an acceptance letter from another, higher ranked school is that much more of compelling reason for them to give you a scholarship. Is this what you're referring to? Because it's pretty common practice according to my understanding and limited experience (which is not non-existent)

Regionality wrote:

Cupidity wrote:

Regionality wrote:Apply to use as bargaining tool for scholarship, and then take the scholarship and stay.

almost no school will do this. sorry.

Almost every school will do this...what do you mean?

Nearly every school will offer scholarships to their top students if asked, and going in with an acceptance letter from another, higher ranked school is that much more of compelling reason for them to give you a scholarship. Is this what you're referring to? Because it's pretty common practice according to my understanding and limited experience (which is not non-existent)

My school claims that there is a built-in scholarship increase for top 10% students ($10,000 on top of what you've already got), and thus scholarship increases beyond that are non-negotiable. I don't really believe them, though, for two reasons. (1) there's a difference b/t T9% and T1% students, esp. at a non-elite school. (2) An acceptance letter in-hand shows them not just that you are thinking about transferring or applying, but that you could mail-in a deposit to the transfer school any day.

Can anyone report back on this?

OP -
I would recommend that you establish a relationship with the higher-ups at your school, particularly the dean and the person in charge of scholarships. Let them know (soft of) what you're thinking, so that the fateful day when you go in to speak with them with your acceptance letter it's not the first time you've met. Also, you must be polite about all this, and not make it a "negotiation." They will be very receptive to a T1% student, because they really want to keep you.

Vronsky wrote:

Regionality wrote:

Cupidity wrote:

Regionality wrote:Apply to use as bargaining tool for scholarship, and then take the scholarship and stay.

almost no school will do this. sorry.

Almost every school will do this...what do you mean?

Nearly every school will offer scholarships to their top students if asked, and going in with an acceptance letter from another, higher ranked school is that much more of compelling reason for them to give you a scholarship. Is this what you're referring to? Because it's pretty common practice according to my understanding and limited experience (which is not non-existent)

Can anyone report back on this?

OP -
I would recommend that you establish a relationship with the higher-ups at your school, particularly the dean and the person in charge of scholarships. Let them know (soft of) what you're thinking, so that the fateful day when you go in to speak with them with your acceptance letter it's not the first time you've met. Also, you must be polite about all this, and not make it a "negotiation." They will be very receptive to a T1% student, because they really want to keep you.

Many schools negotiate, but some schools absolutely do not. When I showed my acceptances to my old school they basically told me to gtfo.

Sure - they want to keep top students to boost employment stats. But, if your school has a policy against merit scholarship increases, you are out of luck no matter how cozy you get with administrators.