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I've tried searching all over the internet for info regarding lateral transfers in the CCN bracket and have come up empty handed. I don't have grades yet, I know that's bad, but I am looking to go from NYU to UChicago for family/personal reasons. Can anyone give me any sort of ball park? I'm just trying to get a basic idea of how feasible this might be. Thanks for any help.

I have no past information to provide. I merely suggest thinking of the incentives of why UChicago would accept you as a transfer. Transfers are generally a boon to employment prospects since they routinely do well in law school (hence the transfer). If your grades are going to be problematic in terms of employment (assuming pursuit of firm positions), then UChicago will have little incentive to accept you. So even though you're within the same bracket, UChicago likely would reject an opportunity to take a risky employment transfer, especially since it is shifting the risk from one of its competitors.

Thanks, that certainly makes sense. I figured that below 50% would be a no go, but I was wondering just how narrow that window was, I guess. Does being from Chicago do anything to bolster my chances?

Probably top third to have a shot. I would think that top quarter would be a sure thing.

landpirate wrote:Does being from Chicago do anything to bolster my chances?

Eh, probably not much, if at all.

Look, I'm a OL, but...

(Rereads what has just typed.)

Never mind.

landpirate wrote:I've tried searching all over the internet for info regarding lateral transfers in the CCN bracket and have come up empty handed. I don't have grades yet, I know that's bad, but I am looking to go from NYU to UChicago for family/personal reasons. Can anyone give me any sort of ball park? I'm just trying to get a basic idea of how feasible this might be. Thanks for any help.

Now I'm just trying to figure out who you are........

Helmholtz wrote:Probably top third to have a shot. I would think that top quarter would be a sure thing.

If you have very compelling family reasons I could see you getting accepted with top third, maybe top 40%. Otherwise, Helmholtz is probably right.

Agree with the post above. Top third, maybe a bit more with compelling reasons for the transfer. However, Chicago is a much smaller law school so an application to Northwestern might be wise if your reasons for transferring are compelling.

krasniansky wrote:

landpirate wrote:I've tried searching all over the internet for info regarding lateral transfers in the CCN bracket and have come up empty handed. I don't have grades yet, I know that's bad, but I am looking to go from NYU to UChicago for family/personal reasons. Can anyone give me any sort of ball park? I'm just trying to get a basic idea of how feasible this might be. Thanks for any help.

Now I'm just trying to figure out who you are........

my experience of numbers of CCN to HYS transfers suggests that 40% is probably closer to right. that said, chicago took a smaller than usual transfer class last year, so applying ED along with a compelling reason may make things substantially easier for you.

Most conventional wisdom on transfers concerns the upward variety. For true lateral moves, what matters most are your reasons for needing to. Do they show a genuine need? How new (or recently made worse) are they? Schools have limited transfer spots, so for laterals they're going to be paying attention to your motives. If your reasons are solid, grades in the top half are worth at least the app fee, though top third or better will mean much better odds.

Keep in mind that if this is something you should've seen coming, it could backfire. You don't want employers asking why you transferred (and they will), and then wondering why you didn't just go to a Chicago-area school in the first place.

vanwinkle wrote:Keep in mind that if this is something you should've seen coming, it could backfire. You don't want employers asking why you transferred (and they will), and then wondering why you didn't just go to a Chicago-area school in the first place.

A very good point and worth keeping in mind, IMO. One legit reason I could see is that you were rejected from Chicago, admitted to NYU, but dinged from NU because of a lack of work experience. Almost no one is going to raise an eyebrow to choosing NYU over Illinois/ND/Loyola/Depaul/Kent/whatever (but I guess you could make an argument for Michigan if you were admitted). But if you were in at NU, choose NYU, and now want to transfer back to a Chicago school, then you look a bit flaky and employers are going to sense it in a heartbeat.