Top Law Schools

4.04 gpa on a B curve. I don't know where that puts me exactly, but I'm hoping it's close to #1. If my grades are consistent next semester, what schools would consider me as a transfer applicant from a T4 school in Texas?

Do you want to stay in Texas? I think you'd be set at Baylor or SMU if that were true, but it all depends on where you want to be location wise.

Definitely apply to UT

VTOrange19 wrote:Do you want to stay in Texas? I think you'd be set at Baylor or SMU if that were true, but it all depends on where you want to be location wise.

Yeah, staying in Texas would probably be best for my family. I have pretty much a full ride right now so I don't want to take on the tuition rates at Baylor or SMU as a transfer student (likely with zero scholarship money). I think I could handle tuition at Texas/U of H which is likely where I will be applying. I just don't know how likely it is that I'll be accepted.

UT isn't an option. From their website:

"To be eligible for transfer to the School of Law:

your undergraduate performance and Law School Admission Test scores must meet the standard currently applicable for admission to the Law School as a first-year student;"

Basically, UT only accepts transfers that could have possibly gone to UT in the first place. Since you are at T4, I doubt you have the numbers to go to UT. It sucks; they're the only school I have noticed while looking up transfer policies that says (basically) "if you couldn't get in from undergrad, no amount of law school success will get you in." Shitty. Cracking T14 went to their head.

VTOrange19 wrote:UT isn't an option. From their website:

"To be eligible for transfer to the School of Law:

your undergraduate performance and Law School Admission Test scores must meet the standard currently applicable for admission to the Law School as a first-year student;"

Basically, UT only accepts transfers that could have possibly gone to UT in the first place. Since you are at T4, I doubt you have the numbers to go to UT. It sucks; they're the only school I have noticed while looking up transfer policies that says (basically) "if you couldn't get in from undergrad, no amount of law school success will get you in." Shitty. Cracking T14 went to their head.

Yeah, I saw that. Oh well.

Harvard, if I recall, says very much the same thing but I am almost certain they don't follow it, as a friend of mine was admitted with shitty college grades.

Mce252 wrote:

VTOrange19 wrote:UT isn't an option. From their website:

"To be eligible for transfer to the School of Law:

your undergraduate performance and Law School Admission Test scores must meet the standard currently applicable for admission to the Law School as a first-year student;"

Basically, UT only accepts transfers that could have possibly gone to UT in the first place. Since you are at T4, I doubt you have the numbers to go to UT. It sucks; they're the only school I have noticed while looking up transfer policies that says (basically) "if you couldn't get in from undergrad, no amount of law school success will get you in." Shitty. Cracking T14 went to their head.

Yeah, I saw that. Oh well.

throw them an app.

a 4.04 gpa is pretty awesome. maybe youll get lucky

YourCaptain wrote:

Mce252 wrote:

VTOrange19 wrote:UT isn't an option. From their website:

"To be eligible for transfer to the School of Law:

your undergraduate performance and Law School Admission Test scores must meet the standard currently applicable for admission to the Law School as a first-year student;"

Basically, UT only accepts transfers that could have possibly gone to UT in the first place. Since you are at T4, I doubt you have the numbers to go to UT. It sucks; they're the only school I have noticed while looking up transfer policies that says (basically) "if you couldn't get in from undergrad, no amount of law school success will get you in." Shitty. Cracking T14 went to their head.

Yeah, I saw that. Oh well.

throw them an app.

a 4.04 gpa is pretty awesome. maybe youll get lucky

Thanks. I guess it can't hurt.

luthersloan wrote:Harvard, if I recall, says very much the same thing but I am almost certain they don't follow it, as a friend of mine was admitted with shitty college grades.

this. a lot of schools say that about transfer students, but in the end they don't really care as log as your 1L grades are impressive, because your pre-LS stats don't count against their USNWR numbers. i bet they just put that on to weed out students who aren't seriously interested in transferring there. with a 4.0 from another LS in Texas, one or two good recommendations, and you should have a pretty good shot at UT.

you can go to any texas school you want. i would be very, very surprised if that nonsense on UT's website about requiring similar LSAT/UG GPA is actually followed. the only school you should even consider should be UT. even then you should think long and hard. what is your current school's reputation in texas? you are already in the market you presumably want to work in, so i would think long and hard about taking on the extra debt. it would be a different story if you wanted to work in a major market outside of texas, but if you are looking for biglaw in texas i would wager that most firms are going to be familiar with your school and have probably recruited students from there in the past.

traehekat wrote:you can go to any texas school you want. i would be very, very surprised if that nonsense on UT's website about requiring similar LSAT/UG GPA is actually followed. the only school you should even consider should be UT. even then you should think long and hard. what is your current school's reputation in texas? you are already in the market you presumably want to work in, so i would think long and hard about taking on the extra debt. it would be a different story if you wanted to work in a major market outside of texas, but if you are looking for biglaw in texas i would wager that most firms are going to be familiar with your school and have probably recruited students from there in the past.

My school is South Texas. It is respected in Texas -- especially in Houston. Many that graduate in the top 25 percent land big law jobs and it's a top ten school for advocacy. My only reason for considering a transfer to the University of Houston is because I plan to work in the city and UT only has a marginal advantage over U of H, depending on class rank. Law review also plays a role here. If I do transfer, I will probably have to write on at two schools, assuming I'm accepted; once as a backup at South Texas before I got into the new school, and once at the new school.


I know that a degree from UT or U of H over South Texas is much more valuable but you make a good point.

Mce252 wrote:I know that a degree from UT or U of H over South Texas is much more valuable but you make a good point.

Most degrees from UT/UH are much more valuable than South Texas. But if you a) want to work in Houston and b) are at or near number one in your class, STCL is going to be much more valuable than the vast majority of UT/UofH degrees.

patrickd139 wrote:

Mce252 wrote:I know that a degree from UT or U of H over South Texas is much more valuable but you make a good point.

Most degrees from UT/UH are much more valuable than South Texas. But if you a) want to work in Houston and b) are at or near number one in your class, STCL is going to be much more valuable than the vast majority of UT/UofH degrees.

Interesting perspective. My choices, if I continue to do well in school, will probably look like:

1.) Nearly free education at South Texas w/ high probability of law review and top 1% ranking

2.) Full cost at U of H w/ a chance at law review and unknown ranking depending on success in 2nd year. I am confident that I would be accepted, especially because I have a personal note from the admissions dean encouraging me to transfer after being on the waitlist through last summer.

3.) And a small chance at UT at full cost w/ probably lower chance at law review and lower ranking upon graduation.

traehekat wrote:you can go to any texas school you want. i would be very, very surprised if that nonsense on UT's website about requiring similar LSAT/UG GPA is actually followed.

This seems to be the general TLS consensus. A lot of school websites say that transfers should have been competitive for regular admission (UT, Harvard, etc) but in reality it is a crock of shit since they don't actually put it in to practice.

Mce252 wrote:

patrickd139 wrote:

Mce252 wrote:I know that a degree from UT or U of H over South Texas is much more valuable but you make a good point.

Most degrees from UT/UH are much more valuable than South Texas. But if you a) want to work in Houston and b) are at or near number one in your class, STCL is going to be much more valuable than the vast majority of UT/UofH degrees.

Interesting perspective. My choices, if I continue to do well in school, will probably look like:

1.) Nearly free education at South Texas w/ high probability of law review and top 1% ranking

2.) Full cost at U of H w/ a chance at law review and unknown ranking depending on success in 2nd year. I am confident that I would be accepted, especially because I have a personal note from the admissions dean encouraging me to transfer after being on the waitlist through last summer.

3.) And a small chance at UT at full cost w/ probably lower chance at law review and lower ranking upon graduation.

Anyone have advice on which of the three options above you would choose? I think it's important to consider that any biglaw 2L SA opportunity would be based upon my South Texas 1L records regardless of where I'm attending in the fall during OCI.

Final 1L results:

4.067 gpa. Top 1 or 2 in my class. TTTT in Texas. Applied EA to USC, GW, and GULC. Admitted to USC and deferred at the others.

Where should I realistically be looking?

Did you apply to any other Texas law schools ?

Mce252 wrote:Final 1L results:

4.067 gpa. Top 1 or 2 in my class. TTTT in Texas. Applied EA to USC, GW, and GULC. Admitted to USC and deferred at the others.

Where should I realistically be looking?

If I were you I would hit up everything ranked hire than USC. Vanderbilt, Texas, the top 14. Transfer cycles are super unpredictable. Well there is some predictability, but to a certain degree it is a holistic assessment.

CanadianWolf wrote:Did you apply to any other Texas law schools ?

U of H and UT but I'm really doubting UT based on all the information I've gathered. I know they don't accept but a few students as transfers and really expect you to have a compelling reason for transferring to Austin.

I'm considering scattering applications to Vanderbilt, UVA, UCLA, Michigan, and Penn, in addition to my EA app still at GULC.

One of my primary objectives in transferring would be to increase my chances of obtaining a valuable clerkship. While circuit courts may be out of my reach regardless, I'm hoping that, if I do transfer, it will make me more marketable for a district court or state appellate clerkship.

jarofsoup wrote:

Mce252 wrote:Final 1L results:

4.067 gpa. Top 1 or 2 in my class. TTTT in Texas. Applied EA to USC, GW, and GULC. Admitted to USC and deferred at the others.

Where should I realistically be looking?

If I were you I would hit up everything ranked hire than USC. Vanderbilt, Texas, the top 14. Transfer cycles are super unpredictable. Well there is some predictability, but to a certain degree it is a holistic assessment.

This. You should blanket the entire T14. If anyone is going to get into YHS, it's going to be the number one guy in your class with a 4+ GPA. I haven't checked the transferapps database in a while, but guys/girls with your stats have had some success at schools much higher ranked than UofH and UT.

That said, it would be a small miracle if you got in to any of YHS. If you're a poor like most of us law students, I wouldn't waste my money on those.

patrickd139 wrote:

jarofsoup wrote:

Mce252 wrote:Final 1L results:

4.067 gpa. Top 1 or 2 in my class. TTTT in Texas. Applied EA to USC, GW, and GULC. Admitted to USC and deferred at the others.

Where should I realistically be looking?

If I were you I would hit up everything ranked hire than USC. Vanderbilt, Texas, the top 14. Transfer cycles are super unpredictable. Well there is some predictability, but to a certain degree it is a holistic assessment.

This. You should blanket the entire T14. If anyone is going to get into YHS, it's going to be the number one guy in your class with a 4+ GPA. I haven't checked the transferapps database in a while, but guys/girls with your stats have had some success at schools much higher ranked than UofH and UT.

Yeah, I'm going to stick to the transfer friendly t14. I now have apps at the schools I mentioned above. I think Penn is lofty enough already.

Mce252 wrote:

patrickd139 wrote:

jarofsoup wrote:

Mce252 wrote:Final 1L results:

4.067 gpa. Top 1 or 2 in my class. TTTT in Texas. Applied EA to USC, GW, and GULC. Admitted to USC and deferred at the others.

Where should I realistically be looking?

Yeah, I'm going to stick to the transfer friendly t14. I now have apps at the schools I mentioned above. I think Penn is lofty enough already.

Now that you indicate you are willing to move out of Texas, why are Columbia and NYU not on this list?

I guess I just figured they were a waste of application fees.

Mce252 wrote:I guess I just figured they were a waste of application fees.

They're not.