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Two questions:
1. I have a 3.8 from a school ranked in the 20s. What are my chances?
2. Does anyone have an idea when decisions start to come out?
(complete at GULC on 3/3/2011, submitted to Chicago 4/3/2011)

Chances are good at both. GULC EA decisions come out beginning of May.

I don't know why you would want to transfer though, especially to GULC.

You're a shoe-in at G'Town. They take a number of transfers every year. And like the poster above me, I'm not sure why you would want to do that either. Being in your spot at a school in the 20s is powerful.

Not sure what to say about UChicago. And it's iffier on whether transferring would be worthwhile. Maybe so.

Aren't both of these contingent on your Spring grades anyway?

You Gotta Have Faith wrote:You're a shoe-in at G'Town. They take a number of transfers every year. And like the poster above me, I'm not sure why you would want to do that either. Being in your spot at a school in the 20s is powerful.

Not sure what to say about UChicago. And it's iffier on whether transferring would be worthwhile. Maybe so.

Aren't both of these contingent on your Spring grades anyway?

Yeah, at this point the deadline for EA at Gtown is over; I don't know about UChi. Did you already apply? UChi EA is notoriously not a great option because it is binding on you if they accept (so if you kill 2nd sem. you can't apply HYS), but if your grades go down they reserve the right to rescind. As far as I know GULC does not rescind (unless you failed out perhaps), though I have seen at least one poster saying they will rescind if you go down in grades (I just haven't seen any objective verification of that, and the poster later seemed to withdraw the comments). But if you haven't already applied EA then I think it is a moot point. If you have, then if UChi accepts you I believe you must attend (or at least that you can't attend another transfer school). Good luck. BTW, I think UChi transfer from T25 or so would be good move; I just wouldn't apply EA unless you really wanted UChi (potentially to exclusion of HYS).

Thanks for the responses. My applications for both are already in. Both well in advance of the EA deadlines. I'm applying to these schools because I want better access to the east coast markets for personal reasons (I go to school out west).

Thats the stock answer. The real reason is, when I get on planes and tell people where I go to school, I want them to at least know the name I tell them is a real place.

Cool- good luck! I imagine you have a good shot at both schools. I have heard transfer apps can be a bit of a black box, so I don't know that you are an auto-admit, even at GULC. I'm sure in many cases the process is entirely numbers driven though, in which case I imagine that you have a very, very good shot at GULC, and a reasonable shot at UChi.

chanel1285 wrote:Thats the stock answer. The real reason is, when I get on planes and tell people where I go to school, I want them to at least know the name I tell them is a real place.

Yea, I think name recognition can go a long way. For all the crap it gets on TLS, Georgetown has very strong name recognition and reach in my experience (talking with ppl in the legal profession half-way across the country etc).

Lol, though- I think you were probably just kidding... (or at least half kidding)...

well, at least you're honest. I'm transferring this year too, so I understand the desire to attend a school with lay prestige.

chanel1285 wrote:Thats the stock answer. The real reason is, when I get on planes and tell people where I go to school, I want them to at least know the name I tell them is a real place.

People on planes don't know UC Davis?

If so, transferring makes sense in your case. A school that's been ranked in the 30's and 40's for the past 10 years and happened to jump to 23 =/= t25 school. hth

chanel1285 wrote:Thats the stock answer. The real reason is, when I get on planes and tell people where I go to school, I want them to at least know the name I tell them is a real place.

Chances are, if they don't know the place you go now is a real place, they probably think UChicago is some mediocre public state school.

Helmholtz wrote:

chanel1285 wrote:Thats the stock answer. The real reason is, when I get on planes and tell people where I go to school, I want them to at least know the name I tell them is a real place.

Chances are, if they don't know the place you go now is a real place, they probably think UChicago is some mediocre public state school.

That is sooooo true. Reality is, lawyers will always know UChicago is a great school, and they will probably always be familiar with the school you're at right now as well. Just discount lay impressions. A lot of people I talk to don't think UVA or Michigan are anything beyond ordinary state law schools either.