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Basically would getting into either Cornell or GW be possible as a transfer. I was waitlisted from Cornell but it has always been my dream school. I got into GW but ultimately choose BC because of the money.

Do you have a really compelling reason to be in DC? Why transfer to GW which is pretty much the same as BC, but will cost you more as a transfer?

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I'm from around Rochester, NY. I really would like to practice in DC, but NY or Boston has always been my second choice. I've come to not really like Boston much. But maybe I would like Boston more after I finished school.

I remember visiting both Cornell and GW and loving everything about both. I remember visiting BC and not caring for it. Yet I came here and I still did not care for it. Thus, my main reason for transferring. I really feel like I could have gone from top 25% to at least top 15% had I been happier this semester.

Are you currently paying sticker at BC?

Why not Georgetown? Also, you are risking giving up a good position by transferring, even to Gtown.

Aberzombie1892 wrote:Why not Georgetown? Also, you are risking giving up a good position by transferring, even to Gtown.

As a transfer, I found the whole "giving up a position" thing to be nonsense (at least a 2L OCI). You still leave your class rank and GPA from your former school on your resume. So when you transfer, most firms look at you as they would if you didn't transfer and remained in that position at your former school. The only real differences are (1) you've shown an interest in the geographic area of the second school and a disinterest in the area of the first school, (2) you'll be submitting your resume to firms at the second school's OCI and not the first's (usually a good thing), and (3) you have to give up LR at the old school.

For example, I was top 8% at a t2 outside of Boston. I transferred to BU. So when I went to OCI at BU, firms looked at me as if I was top 8% at my old school, except that my transferring had shown interest in coming to Boston. Also, firms that didn't do OCI at my t2 were actually looking at my resume, and I had to give up LR. I can't imagine that I would've gotten any additional interviews if I had stayed at the first school that I didn't get at the second school, with the exception of firms in the first school's market.

So if OP transfers from BC to a school outside of Boston, he's probably only giving up his interviews in Boston (where he doesn't want to work anyway).

Beyond that, the only way I could see "giving up your position" as actually mattering would be if you struck out at OCI and you were applying after you had grades at your second school. Then firms would be less likely to care about your 1L class position.

quiver wrote:Are you currently paying sticker at BC?

I'm currently receiving a little under 30K a year from BC.

And Georgetown didn't even consider me when I first applied. Would they be more likely to consider me as a transfer? It's not like I would be in the top 10%. I'm honestly probably closer to the top 25% than top 20%, but probably somewhere in that area.

UG gpa and lsat don't matter anymore. It's a completely new cycle with only your LS gpa. If you think you have a shot at Cornell then you def. have a shot at GULC. Not sure on the cut offs for top whatever and the diff. teir schools, but you should DEF NOT transfer to GW...or even GULC if you're in the position to. That's a lot of money you have from BC.

XFers to Cornell can't participate in OCI, which sort of defeats the whole point of transferring.

f0bolous wrote:XFers to Cornell can't participate in OCI, which sort of defeats the whole point of transferring.

My whole point for transferring would be to get out of the hellhole that is BC.

Objectively, it doesn't make sense to transfer to either of these schools (no OCI at Cornell and GW is peer). What's wrong with GULC? It's a long shot but worth the app.

concurrent fork wrote:Objectively, it doesn't make sense to transfer to either of these schools (no OCI at Cornell and GW is peer). What's wrong with GULC? It's a long shot but worth the app.

Nothings wrong with GULC. Just thought I didn't have a chance. Sounds like its worth the app now though and I'll probably apply there now.

On another note, is it really a really bad idea to transfer to peer schools?

Sandstorm wrote:On another note, is it really a really bad idea to transfer to peer schools?

The bad part is giving up >$50,000 in scholarship money, plus transfer stigma, difficulty of moving, fitting in, starting over. This is more of a factor for some people, obviously. Usually the money is outweighed in the cost-benefit analysis for transferring up to, say, the T14 due to increased job prospects/portability and the like. It's just that the cost-benefit analysis with respect to peer schools, if you're getting any substantial money from your current school, however, will usually come down on the side of staying. That being said, how much you want to work in a different market from the school you're at, how much you want to leave your current school, how much you mind paying $60k extra... well, these are things you (and I, in a fairly similar situation) will have to weigh in the next month or two.