I'm back. With grades this time. Forum

[Curiosity Bevo]

Vanwinkle locked my last post, saying that first semester 1Ls should be blocked from the transfers forum. Fair 'nuf, I have grades now.

I am at the University of Texas Law, at exactly median (3.3) as a Black male. I'm from the PNW and I want to be back around my family, but transferring to UW from UT is foolish talk. How about Berkeley or Stanford? NYU just for the goshdarn heck of it? Would getting a really interesting summer job in the field I have WE help my application? I know it helps in 0L applications, even if just a little, to form a coherent narrative with your initial application material to show that you're pointed in a single direction.

Again, I'm very happy in Austin. It's a great city, I just get curious from time to time.

[lawyerwannabe]

You are exactly median at a school currently ranked 14 and are asking if that will allow you to transfer into a higher ranked school? This post cannot be serious.

[20121109]

Um, bro?

I don't think a 3.3 is gonna cut it.

[traehekat]

In case you are wondering whether URMs receive a similar bump with transfer applications as with initial law school applications, there is no evidence out there to suggest that they do. So your application will be judged almost entirely on your class rank and the school you are currently at, and like others have said median at Texas isn't even going to be close to competitive for Berkeley or Stanford, and no summer job is going to help that.

I thought for sure when I saw median but wanted to head back to PNW that you were going to ask about UW, but I guess I was wrong. Oddly, you mention having a coherent narrative and being pointed in a single direction, but here you are a native of the PNW at Texas asking about transferring to both the west coast and the east coast. I feel like I'm missing something!

[bceagles182]

Vanwinkle locked my last post, saying that first semester 1Ls should be blocked from the transfers forum. Fair 'nuf, I have grades now.

I am at the University of Texas Law, at exactly median (3.3) as a Black male. I'm from the PNW and I want to be back around my family, but transferring to UW from UT is foolish talk. How about Berkeley or Stanford? NYU just for the goshdarn heck of it? Would getting a really interesting summer job in the field I have WE help my application? I know it helps in 0L applications, even if just a little, to form a coherent narrative with your initial application material to show that you're pointed in a single direction.

Again, I'm very happy in Austin. It's a great city, I just get curious from time to time.

With the exception of in state residency for certain schools (i.e. UVA), nothing matters for transfer applications except your 1L grades and your current law school. Your grades are not good enough to transfer up.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but 3.3 is most likely below median for your class. (For class of 2013, top 50% was 3.36.)

[zarathustra]

Sorry dude, but there is no reason why they should take you at Berkeley or any of the other schools you listed. The idea behind transfer admissions is to steal talent from other schools -- people who have proven themselves to be a cut above the rest. I don't think there is any reason why NYU, etc, would want to steal you. That's not to say that you are not smart, of course. Texas is in the T14 and, if what everyone says about the T14 is true, you should be fine at median. Good luck!

[Curiosity Bevo]

I have a grocery list of reasons why I want to stay here. I was just curious.

So am I in the "don't waste your time, kid" territory or the "it never hurts to try, but you're probably dead in the water" territory?

[Transferthrowaway]

Don't waste your time, kid.

[Curiosity Bevo]

Don't waste your time, kid.

Sweet. I guess it never hurts to try.

[bceagles182]

Don't waste your time, kid.

Sweet. I guess it never hurts to try.

It does hurt to try. You're going to end up dropping $100 a pop on applications (there are no transfer fee waivers). You're also going to annoy your professors when you ask them for recommendations to leave their school (even more so if they know you don't have a chance of getting in).

[romothesavior]

Is this for real? Below median looking to transfer to Stanford?

[lawyerwannabe]

I am beyond confused. You are an average student at a school and expect to parlay that into a transfer acceptance at a school that you couldn't get into during the original admissions process?

[kaiser]

Yes, it does hurt to try. As another post mentioned, it is wasted money, you harm relationships with professors (so if you stay, you think they will want to help you in the future?), wastes time toward the end of spring semester when you should be focusing on finals, etc.

There are no stats indicating that URM boost are given during transfer admissions. Remember that schools like to report with pride the diversity of their incoming classes. But they don't report anything about transfer students. There is no incentive to go for diversity. The only incentive is to actually get the most qualified students possible based on GPA, prior school rank, etc. Put yourself in the shoes of a Stanford admissions person. Why would they want to admit as a transfer a median student from anywhere?

[Curiosity Bevo]

Is this for real? Below median looking to transfer to Stanford?

First of all, I'm not denying the point you're making. But below median summons the concept of bottom 25%. Something like that. .06 of a GPA is not bottom 25%. With that small of a differentiation, don't you think saying at median is more definitive.

Also, yeah, I was looking at it. It's more shocking that you're surprised I would want to go to Stanford. And Stanford is obviously a reach. But I've heard that sometimes if you are at median in the T14/5 it's a crap shoot to move up 5 or so places, which is where Cal came into the conversation.

[DCDuck]

"But below median summons the concept of bottom 25%."

No, Median is "the middle." It summons the concept of below 50%.

[johansantana21]

Is this for real? Below median looking to transfer to Stanford?

First of all, I'm not denying the point you're making. But below median summons the concept of bottom 25%. Something like that. .06 of a GPA is not bottom 25%. With that small of a differentiation, don't you think saying at median is more definitive.

Also, yeah, I was looking at it. It's more shocking that you're surprised I would want to go to Stanford. And Stanford is obviously a reach. But I've heard that sometimes if you are at median in the T14/5 it's a crap shoot to move up 5 or so places, which is where Cal came into the conversation.

No wonder you got below median with this kind of thinking. Surprised you didn't end up bottom 5%.

And you have no shot. Don't waste your time or your professors time by trying to transfer without significantly improving your below median grades.

[YourCaptain]

outlook not good

[Curiosity Bevo]

Is this for real? Below median looking to transfer to Stanford?

First of all, I'm not denying the point you're making. But below median summons the concept of bottom 25%. Something like that. .06 of a GPA is not bottom 25%. With that small of a differentiation, don't you think saying at median is more definitive.

Also, yeah, I was looking at it. It's more shocking that you're surprised I would want to go to Stanford. And Stanford is obviously a reach. But I've heard that sometimes if you are at median in the T14/5 it's a crap shoot to move up 5 or so places, which is where Cal came into the conversation.

No wonder you got below median with this kind of thinking. Surprised you didn't end up bottom 5%.

You are an asshole. You are the turd in the punch bowl. Everybody on here is giving me honest advice and you're trying to ruin my day. You are the kind of poster that make people hate TLS.

[Mce252]

Now, now....you can't be the turd and the asshole at the same time. Pick one.

[lawyerwannabe]

Also, yeah, I was looking at it. It's more shocking that you're surprised I would want to go to Stanford. And Stanford is obviously a reach. But I've heard that sometimes if you are at median in the T14/5 it's a crap shoot to move up 5 or so places, which is where Cal came into the conversation.

The naivety in this post (and really this entire thread) is astounding.

[Curiosity Bevo]

Now, now....you can't be the turd and the asshole at the same time. Pick one.

This shows an utter failure of logic. This is obviously why I'm below median.

[nonprofit-prophet]

Curiosity, I'm pretty sure you're in my section.

Is this for real? Below median looking to transfer to Stanford?

First of all, I'm not denying the point you're making. But below median summons the concept of bottom 25%. Something like that. .06 of a GPA is not bottom 25%. With that small of a differentiation, don't you think saying at median is more definitive.

Also, yeah, I was looking at it. It's more shocking that you're surprised I would want to go to Stanford. And Stanford is obviously a reach. But I've heard that sometimes if you are at median in the T14/5 it's a crap shoot to move up 5 or so places, which is where Cal came into the conversation.

No wonder you got below median with this kind of thinking. Surprised you didn't end up bottom 5%.

You are an asshole. You are the turd in the punch bowl. Everybody on here is giving me honest advice and you're trying to ruin my day. You are the kind of poster that make people hate TLS.

[MrKappus]

OP: the goods news is if you can bring up the grades a little closer to top third or quarter, your diversity boost might give you a shot at PNW anyway.

[Curiosity Bevo]

Curiosity, I'm pretty sure you're in my section.

There is a 25% chance that that is the case.