Top Law Schools

Currently a 1L at Roger Williams in RI. Graduated top of my class in undergrad 3.96 GPA from the top business school in the state but never was a good standardized test taker and bombed the LSATs. Ended up with a half scholarship and decided to go to school in state.

Currently in the top 10% of the class and thinking of applying to transfer to at least get the scholarship bumped up. Does anyone have advice/experience in this department? Similarly, what is the highest move someone in my situation could muster? Was thinking of applying to Villanova, BC, Suffolk, and Quinnipiac.

Probably will stay in state because I came here for the networking in the first place (got a call from a serious candidate for Governor to work on the upcoming campaign last week). Plus, I should make law review.

1. Will the school dish out money to keep me?
2. What is the best jump I could make?

Thanks in advance all

Most schools will dish out money to keep you. But you should be looking to transfer to schools way better than those you listed except BC. Think Gtown (long shot) all the way up through the T1

Any tips on dealing with the old school for increased aid? What's the best way to approach it in terms of what to say to them?

Also, what schools would you look towards for someone in my position? After reevaluating, thinking Notre Dame, BC, Villanova, and Suffolk.

redsox24 wrote:Any tips on dealing with the old school for increased aid? What's the best way to approach it in terms of what to say to them?

"Here is my acceptance to X school. Is there a chance my scholarship would be increased if I decide to stay here?"

Also, what schools would you look towards for someone in my position? After reevaluating, thinking Notre Dame, BC, Villanova, and Suffolk.

IMHO there are very few situations where it makes sense to give up a scholarship and transfer to a school outside the T14. Transfers into the schools you listed generally don't get biglaw or Art III clerkships, so you're talking about doubling your debt load in exchange for a better name on your resume and somewhat better 3L job postings on Symplicity, etc. Maybe this is worth it, maybe not. I don't know what the job market looks like for top 10% students at your current school.

concurrent fork wrote:

Also, what schools would you look towards for someone in my position? After reevaluating, thinking Notre Dame, BC, Villanova, and Suffolk.

IMHO there are very few situations where it makes sense to give up a scholarship and transfer to a school outside the T14. Transfers into the schools you listed generally don't get biglaw or Art III clerkships, so you're talking about doubling your debt load in exchange for a better name on your resume and somewhat better 3L job postings on Symplicity, etc. Maybe this is worth it, maybe not. I don't know what the job market looks like for top 10% students at your current school.

Top 10% at T4 schools won't get you the same opportunities as a transfer at T1 schools. For example, I did both OCIs at NYLS and BU. There were firms who came to BU that had a top 20% cut-off while the SAME firms required top 5 or 10 students (not %) at NYLS - a school with a class size of over 500. That's about top 1-2%.

Coolgrnmen wrote:

concurrent fork wrote:

Also, what schools would you look towards for someone in my position? After reevaluating, thinking Notre Dame, BC, Villanova, and Suffolk.

IMHO there are very few situations where it makes sense to give up a scholarship and transfer to a school outside the T14. Transfers into the schools you listed generally don't get biglaw or Art III clerkships, so you're talking about doubling your debt load in exchange for a better name on your resume and somewhat better 3L job postings on Symplicity, etc. Maybe this is worth it, maybe not. I don't know what the job market looks like for top 10% students at your current school.

Top 10% at T4 schools won't get you the same opportunities as a transfer at T1 schools. For example, I did both OCIs at NYLS and BU. There were firms who came to BU that had a top 20% cut-off while the SAME firms required top 5 or 10 students (not %) at NYLS - a school with a class size of over 500. That's about top 1-2%.

I expect that the BU transfer would get more screeners, but I'm curious whether this would actually increase biglaw chances (firms might "preselect" for screeners based on 1L grades without taking into account your transfer status until later in the process). If you don't mind me asking, did you get an offer at BU's OCI?

Regardless of the answer, I think your situation is a good example of where a transfer into T1 makes sense if you didn't leave behind $$$. You didn't really lose anything (assuming top 10% at T4 =/= biglaw) and you have much better 3L job prospects being at BU: it opens up a new market while still allowing possibility of returning to your "home" market.

Apply to BC & BU.

P.S. Does your current law school have a pattern & practice of delaying transcripts for transfer attempts ?

concurrent fork wrote:

Coolgrnmen wrote:

concurrent fork wrote:

Also, what schools would you look towards for someone in my position? After reevaluating, thinking Notre Dame, BC, Villanova, and Suffolk.

IMHO there are very few situations where it makes sense to give up a scholarship and transfer to a school outside the T14. Transfers into the schools you listed generally don't get biglaw or Art III clerkships, so you're talking about doubling your debt load in exchange for a better name on your resume and somewhat better 3L job postings on Symplicity, etc. Maybe this is worth it, maybe not. I don't know what the job market looks like for top 10% students at your current school.

Top 10% at T4 schools won't get you the same opportunities as a transfer at T1 schools. For example, I did both OCIs at NYLS and BU. There were firms who came to BU that had a top 20% cut-off while the SAME firms required top 5 or 10 students (not %) at NYLS - a school with a class size of over 500. That's about top 1-2%.

I expect that the BU transfer would get more screeners, but I'm curious whether this would actually increase biglaw chances (firms might "preselect" for screeners based on 1L grades without taking into account your transfer status until later in the process). If you don't mind me asking, did you get an offer at BU's OCI?

Regardless of the answer, I think your situation is a good example of where a transfer into T1 makes sense if you didn't leave behind $$$. You didn't really lose anything (assuming top 10% at T4 =/= biglaw) and you have much better 3L job prospects being at BU: it opens up a new market while still allowing possibility of returning to your "home" market.

I don't mind you asking -
I had 6 screeners, 2 call-backs, and would have gotten one offer (according to the hiring partner) had I responded to their callback a week earlier (all offers were out by the time I did my call back). I keep kicking myself, but it really wasn't my fault - stupid USPS forwarding mail...

Nevertheless, I have a paid summer job.

CanadianWolf wrote:Apply to BC & BU.

P.S. Does your current law school have a pattern & practice of delaying transcripts for transfer attempts ?

Will apply to both plus Notre Dame. Would prefer BC as the place I'm at now is full of anti-Catholic bigots.

RWU does delay, a friend of mine has had problems and she applied over a month ago. The Dean made a "don't leave us for Notre Dame" comment to me the other day and I suspect I'll be called down shortly for a meeting where they try and talk me out of it by flashing extra $$$. Her GPA was lower than mine and they offered her 75% scholarship.

Still wondering my chances at BC/BU/ND. I know top 5% for a T4 is generally the standard but does anyone want to provide some insight as to whether top 10% would cut it?