Is it too late to transfer? Should I? MVP --> HY Forum

[GeePee]

Don't go. As much as I'd look forward to meeting new people at H next year, top 1% at a T10 is perfect positioning -- something like top 10% would be much more appropriate for a transfer. Even at that level, it's not always the correct fit. Chances are, you have already made great connections with professors at UVA. Don't give that up. Start telling them that you're considering applying for clerkships, see if there's anything else you can do with them to foster the relationship (TA for them, research/writing, take more classes with them). This way, you'll have them activated and ready for applications in the spring.

Good luck and congratulations.

[itsirtou]

Don't go. As much as I'd look forward to meeting new people at H next year, top 1% at a T10 is perfect positioning -- something like top 10% would be much more appropriate for a transfer. Even at that level, it's not always the correct fit. Chances are, you have already made great connections with professors at UVA. Don't give that up. Start telling them that you're considering applying for clerkships, see if there's anything else you can do with them to foster the relationship (TA for them, research/writing, take more classes with them). This way, you'll have them activated and ready for applications in the spring.

Good luck and congratulations.

Thanks!

And it sounds like that's basically the consensus, to stay. You're right; it's some of those relationships with the professors that I'd really, really hate to give up -- there's one professor in particular who I'm a research assistant for this summer, and I have a great relationship with her, and she's pretty well-known for really going to bat for her students. (I've already told her I want a clerkship like burning.)

Thanks for the advice.

[JollyGreenGiant]

I assumed my grades were going to be awful.

Er, they weren't. With one grade missing, I'm in the top 1% of my class right now at UVa.

By the way, kudos for this! I'm really curious - why the mismatch in expectation vs reality? Care to share your secrets to success?

Thanks! I came out of two of my exams feeling as though I'd done terrible -- in fact, after my evidence exam, I literally cried (I forgot to answer a question and had to really rush to get it done).

Haha I wish I had some secrets to success to share, because then I'd know what I'm doing right! Let's see --

1. I type monstrously fast, so I'm able to write usually around 28-30 pages for each of my exams. The only one I wrote way less for (Contracts) was because the professor basically told us he doesn't want long exams.

2. I do all my own outlines from scratch. I usually go through an E&E or a hornbook first and make a skeleton outline from that (I'm always really careful to only include things I know the professor has talked about); then I go through my notes and fill in my outline from that; and last I go through the book. That part takes the longest, but it's really worth it. (I still usually don't bother reading the notes after the cases though, lol.)

3. I honestly really backload my semesters; whether or not this is actually smart is probably debatable, but it worked for me, haha. The first two months I just read the cases, maybe brief if I feel like it's going to be particularly important or if I'm on call for that day. I have a lot of free time in the evenings and I watch a lot of netflix. The last two weeks before finals is when I really started working intensely.

4. I don't highlight things. I've found that, oddly enough, I tune things out when I highlight them -- it's as though once I start highlighting, my brain goes, "Oh, you've learned that -- done!" and I don't pay attention to what I'm reading. So I write notes in margins, but that's it.

5. I have an amazing study group -- I'm really lucky in that respect. We don't study during the semester, but when it comes to finals, we have 1-2 really intense study sessions that are great for me because they highlight where I don't know things.

Geez, that's all I can think of. I feel like 0% of that was helpful because the law school study process is so individualized, but I guess it worked for me, at least.

Damn, this is literally exactly what I do (except for the study group-- and I do highlight). Kudos, my friend, for being very successful.

[itsirtou]

I assumed my grades were going to be awful.

Er, they weren't. With one grade missing, I'm in the top 1% of my class right now at UVa.

By the way, kudos for this! I'm really curious - why the mismatch in expectation vs reality? Care to share your secrets to success?

Thanks! I came out of two of my exams feeling as though I'd done terrible -- in fact, after my evidence exam, I literally cried (I forgot to answer a question and had to really rush to get it done).

Haha I wish I had some secrets to success to share, because then I'd know what I'm doing right! Let's see --

1. I type monstrously fast, so I'm able to write usually around 28-30 pages for each of my exams. The only one I wrote way less for (Contracts) was because the professor basically told us he doesn't want long exams.

2. I do all my own outlines from scratch. I usually go through an E&E or a hornbook first and make a skeleton outline from that (I'm always really careful to only include things I know the professor has talked about); then I go through my notes and fill in my outline from that; and last I go through the book. That part takes the longest, but it's really worth it. (I still usually don't bother reading the notes after the cases though, lol.)

3. I honestly really backload my semesters; whether or not this is actually smart is probably debatable, but it worked for me, haha. The first two months I just read the cases, maybe brief if I feel like it's going to be particularly important or if I'm on call for that day. I have a lot of free time in the evenings and I watch a lot of netflix. The last two weeks before finals is when I really started working intensely.

4. I don't highlight things. I've found that, oddly enough, I tune things out when I highlight them -- it's as though once I start highlighting, my brain goes, "Oh, you've learned that -- done!" and I don't pay attention to what I'm reading. So I write notes in margins, but that's it.

5. I have an amazing study group -- I'm really lucky in that respect. We don't study during the semester, but when it comes to finals, we have 1-2 really intense study sessions that are great for me because they highlight where I don't know things.

Geez, that's all I can think of. I feel like 0% of that was helpful because the law school study process is so individualized, but I guess it worked for me, at least.

Damn, this is literally exactly what I do (except for the study group-- and I do highlight). Kudos, my friend, for being very successful.

Thank you! lol it's been like three days and it still isn't real to me yet.

(It was a struggle not to highlight, because I love using tons of colors and highlighting and making things look nice, haha.)

[wackjickham]

People come and go Yale law degrees last a life time.

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