Top Law Schools

So I am currently in the top 10% at a T25 school in the midwest, and graded onto law review. I receive about $15K in scholarships, but pay out of state tuition of about $43K.

I recently found out that I got accepted to Michigan as a transfer (i also applied to Penn and am waiting to hear back). Does it make sense to transfer from where I'm at, where I have good relationships with professors and other students, as well as the benefit of law review, to a T10 school just to increase my employment prospects? The OCI list at my current school this year is pitiful, and even with my strong credentials I'm worried that it may not be enough to get me a decent firm job.

Am I overvaluing the effect going to Michigan will have on my employment prospects, especially if I exchange certain law review membership for a 2 in 35 shot at Michigan and top 10% for no rank at all?

Any advice would be helpful.

crazyblink653 wrote:So I am currently in the top 10% at a T25 school in the midwest, and graded onto law review. I receive about $15K in scholarships, but pay out of state tuition of about $43K.

I recently found out that I got accepted to Michigan as a transfer (i also applied to Penn and am waiting to hear back). Does it make sense to transfer from where I'm at, where I have good relationships with professors and other students, as well as the benefit of law review, to a T10 school just to increase my employment prospects? The OCI list at my current school this year is pitiful, and even with my strong credentials I'm worried that it may not be enough to get me a decent firm job.

Am I overvaluing the effect going to Michigan will have on my employment prospects, especially if I exchange certain law review membership for a 2 in 35 shot at Michigan and top 10% for no rank at all?

Any advice would be helpful.

Do it. TOP 25 schools are absolutely fucked right now. At last you have a chance at legal employement from a t10.

Wait, are you at the same T25 Midwest school as the other guy receiving $15k in scholarships and paying $42k in out of state tuition who ALSO got in to Michigan?

Bronx Bum wrote:
Do it. TOP 25 schools are absolutely fucked right now. At last you have a chance at legal employement from a t10.

In a vacuum I think going to UM would be the correct choice, but given your relations with the school (and connections to the area/family?), it makes the decision a bit tougher.

transplantedbuckeye wrote:Wait, are you at the same T25 Midwest school as the other guy receiving $15k in scholarships and paying $42k in out of state tuition who ALSO got in to Michigan?

ha no, although that is highly coincidental...furthermore, unlike that guy, i have no desire to go to the west coast, nor any desire to get into public interest law.

Bronx Bum wrote:

crazyblink653 wrote:So I am currently in the top 10% at a T25 school in the midwest, and graded onto law review. I receive about $15K in scholarships, but pay out of state tuition of about $43K.

I recently found out that I got accepted to Michigan as a transfer (i also applied to Penn and am waiting to hear back). Does it make sense to transfer from where I'm at, where I have good relationships with professors and other students, as well as the benefit of law review, to a T10 school just to increase my employment prospects? The OCI list at my current school this year is pitiful, and even with my strong credentials I'm worried that it may not be enough to get me a decent firm job.

Am I overvaluing the effect going to Michigan will have on my employment prospects, especially if I exchange certain law review membership for a 2 in 35 shot at Michigan and top 10% for no rank at all?

Any advice would be helpful.

Do it. TOP 25 schools are absolutely fucked right now. At last you have a chance at legal employement from a t10.

LOL.

What is your total cost of attendance at your current school and what would your total cost of attendance be at Michigan? Do you know what you'd like to do after graduation?

ndirish2010 wrote:

Bronx Bum wrote:

crazyblink653 wrote:So I am currently in the top 10% at a T25 school in the midwest, and graded onto law review. I receive about $15K in scholarships, but pay out of state tuition of about $43K.

I recently found out that I got accepted to Michigan as a transfer (i also applied to Penn and am waiting to hear back). Does it make sense to transfer from where I'm at, where I have good relationships with professors and other students, as well as the benefit of law review, to a T10 school just to increase my employment prospects? The OCI list at my current school this year is pitiful, and even with my strong credentials I'm worried that it may not be enough to get me a decent firm job.

Am I overvaluing the effect going to Michigan will have on my employment prospects, especially if I exchange certain law review membership for a 2 in 35 shot at Michigan and top 10% for no rank at all?

Any advice would be helpful.

Do it. TOP 25 schools are absolutely fucked right now. At last you have a chance at legal employement from a t10.

LOL.

Haven't you heard? 0% CHANCE OF LEGAL EMPLOYMENT FROM TOP 10% AT ILLINOIS/ND/WUSTL, ERBODY PANIC



If it's IUB though... I'd probably a) transfer and b) not call it top 25 so people can give proper advice

RMstratosphere wrote:What is your total cost of attendance at your current school and what would your total cost of attendance be at Michigan? Do you know what you'd like to do after graduation?

about $28,500 plus cost of living at my current school. michigan would eb about $48,000 plus COL.

crazyblink653 wrote:

RMstratosphere wrote:What is your total cost of attendance at your current school and what would your total cost of attendance be at Michigan? Do you know what you'd like to do after graduation?

about $28,500 plus cost of living at my current school. michigan would eb about $48,000 plus COL.

I imagine that your total repayment (assuming that you're borrowing) will eventually total more than $70,000. Depending on your career aspirations that could be a wise investment. Where do you want to live: Chicago or South Bend? Do you want to make partner? Do you want to work for the government? Teach? Clerk?

RMstratosphere wrote:

crazyblink653 wrote:

RMstratosphere wrote:What is your total cost of attendance at your current school and what would your total cost of attendance be at Michigan? Do you know what you'd like to do after graduation?

about $28,500 plus cost of living at my current school. michigan would eb about $48,000 plus COL.

I imagine that your total repayment (assuming that you're borrowing) will eventually total more than $70,000. Depending on your career aspirations that could be a wise investment. Where do you want to live: Chicago or South Bend? Do you want to make partner? Do you want to work for the government? Teach? Clerk?

OP is not at NDLS, we haven't found out about journals.

Haven't you heard? 0% CHANCE OF LEGAL EMPLOYMENT FROM TOP 10% AT ILLINOIS/ND/WUSTL, ERBODY PANIC


If it's IUB though... I'd probably a) transfer and b) not call it top 25 so people can give proper advice

Hahaha. Clearly, we have no chance. Maybe I should get that Michigan app in after all...

If OP is at IUB, transfer ASAP.

If OP is at UIUC, don't.

Come on people, the original post said "out of state tuition." No private schools.

ndirish2010 wrote:

RMstratosphere wrote:

crazyblink653 wrote:

RMstratosphere wrote:What is your total cost of attendance at your current school and what would your total cost of attendance be at Michigan? Do you know what you'd like to do after graduation?

about $28,500 plus cost of living at my current school. michigan would eb about $48,000 plus COL.

I imagine that your total repayment (assuming that you're borrowing) will eventually total more than $70,000. Depending on your career aspirations that could be a wise investment. Where do you want to live: Chicago or South Bend? Do you want to make partner? Do you want to work for the government? Teach? Clerk?

OP is not at NDLS, we haven't found out about journals.

I didn't mean to imply that OP was a NDLS student. I only meant to contrast the potential earning power and attendant cost of living in two distinct Midwestern communities. Chicago and Champagne, Chicago and Bloomington, or Chicago and Gran Rapids would have suited my purposes. With a close transfer call like this, OP should be seriously considering his own values.

He's going to get a job: The relevant questions are what kind, where, at what salary, and at what cost.

Aberzombie1892 wrote:If OP is at IUB, transfer ASAP.

If OP is at UIUC, don't.

Come on people, the original post said "out of state tuition." No private schools.

+1

RMstratosphere wrote:

ndirish2010 wrote:

RMstratosphere wrote:

crazyblink653 wrote:
about $28,500 plus cost of living at my current school. michigan would eb about $48,000 plus COL.

I imagine that your total repayment (assuming that you're borrowing) will eventually total more than $70,000. Depending on your career aspirations that could be a wise investment. Where do you want to live: Chicago or South Bend? Do you want to make partner? Do you want to work for the government? Teach? Clerk?

OP is not at NDLS, we haven't found out about journals.

I didn't mean to imply that OP was a NDLS student. I only meant to contrast the potential earning power and attendant cost of living in two distinct Midwestern communities. Chicago and Champagne, Chicago and Bloomington, or Chicago and Gran Rapids would have suited my purposes. With a close transfer call like this, OP should be seriously considering his own values.

He's going to get a job: The relevant questions are what kind, where, at what salary, and at what cost.

If OP can't get biglaw from top 10% and LR at UIUC, transferring to Michigan will not solve his problem.

The dudes over at autoadmit told me that top 10% isn't going to cut it for biglaw at the Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois line of schools. So transfer might be worthwhile? Those autoadmit dudes seem pretty knowledgeable.

Also, I think OP goes to Indiana.

dusk2k2 wrote:The dudes over at autoadmit told me that top 10% isn't going to cut it for biglaw at the Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois line of schools. So transfer might be worthwhile? Those autoadmit dudes seem pretty knowledgeable.

Also, I think OP goes to Indiana.

They're overly pessimistic. Not by a ton, but UIUC is at least a half-step above those two schools. I wouldn't take on an extra 30,000+ in debt in that position at UIUC. You'll get pretty much every OCI interview you want in that situation, no such guarantee at Michigan.

I think OP goes to IUB as well, and I'd run, not walk, to Michigan if that's the case. I think IUB is a tiny bit worse than Iowa and Minnesota.

stratocophic wrote:

dusk2k2 wrote:The dudes over at autoadmit told me that top 10% isn't going to cut it for biglaw at the Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois line of schools. So transfer might be worthwhile? Those autoadmit dudes seem pretty knowledgeable.

Also, I think OP goes to Indiana.

They're overly pessimistic. Not by a ton, but UIUC is at least a half-step above those two schools. I wouldn't take on an extra 30,000+ in debt in that position at UIUC. You'll get pretty much every OCI interview you want in that situation, no such guarantee at Michigan.

I think OP goes to IUB as well, and I'd run, not walk, to Michigan if that's the case. I think IUB is a tiny bit worse than Iowa and Minnesota.

UIUC/WUSTL/NDLS >> Minnesota/Iowa > IU

Also, agreed with poster who said that transferring to Michigan will not improve situation if at UIUC- top 10% at UIUC is pretty good and if you can't get biglaw then, you won't at Michigan either.

ndirish2010 wrote:

stratocophic wrote:

dusk2k2 wrote:The dudes over at autoadmit told me that top 10% isn't going to cut it for biglaw at the Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois line of schools. So transfer might be worthwhile? Those autoadmit dudes seem pretty knowledgeable.

Also, I think OP goes to Indiana.

They're overly pessimistic. Not by a ton, but UIUC is at least a half-step above those two schools. I wouldn't take on an extra 30,000+ in debt in that position at UIUC. You'll get pretty much every OCI interview you want in that situation, no such guarantee at Michigan.

I think OP goes to IUB as well, and I'd run, not walk, to Michigan if that's the case. I think IUB is a tiny bit worse than Iowa and Minnesota.

UIUC/WUSTL/NDLS >> Minnesota/Iowa > IU

Also, agreed with poster who said that transferring to Michigan will not improve situation if at UIUC- top 10% at UIUC is pretty good and if you can't get biglaw then, you won't at Michigan either.

Exactly. If you're a poor interviewer, going to Michigan isn't going to be enough to make up for that deficiency. Top 10% at a legit T25 is good to go if you're competent in an interview room.