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Hi,

I have a question. First semester, I was clearly within the top 10 at a T2 school. Last semester, from the day all finals finished at the school to the day that my final grades showed up, 4 weeks passed. All final grades and thus presumably, my class rank, will all be finalized on or near June 11. Contingent on my grades, I do desire to transfer to a T14 school. However, I do have an uneasy feeling about grades. I have already spoken to one professor about the idea of transferring and the professor agreed that the professor would write me one (however, I don't know how well I did in the class yet). Schools like Berkeley must have the application in on June 15, but there is a high chance that I will get my class rank, grades, etc. near June 11.

How do I go about talking to professors about transferring and getting a LOR when I have no idea if I'll even be within the top 10%?


Note: I would only transfer to a T14 (preferably top 10) because I want to work for a Big Law Firm. I don't want to waste their time having them write me a LOR when I am not even within the top 10% (especially since I am working for one of them over the summer).

doodledoctor wrote:How do I go about talking to professors about transferring and getting a LOR when I have no idea if I'll even be within the top 10%?

You could only get LORs from your 1st semester teachers (classes that you already know you did well in). This won't let you or them know that you are in the top 10 percent of your class for all of 1L but most teachers only care about their own class and how well you did when writing LORs.

doodledoctor wrote:Note: I would only transfer to a T14 (preferably top 10) because I want to work for a Big Law Firm. I don't want to waste their time having them write me a LOR when I am not even within the top 10% (especially since I am working for one of them over the summer).

Well, your competing desires to transfer and also not wanting to potentially waste your time or any of your professors' time might be incompatible. Just get the LORs and send off the apps. If your grades drop, then your apps will be rejected. If your grades stay the same or improve, then the apps will definitely be on time and your transfer application will be considered.

Note: I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure your grades need to be closer to top 5% to transfer into the T14 so you better hope for some improvement.

lawyerwannabe wrote:

doodledoctor wrote:How do I go about talking to professors about transferring and getting a LOR when I have no idea if I'll even be within the top 10%?

You could only get LORs from your 1st semester teachers (classes that you already know you did well in). This won't let you or them know that you are in the top 10 percent of your class for all of 1L but most teachers only care about their own class and how well you did when writing LORs.

doodledoctor wrote:Note: I would only transfer to a T14 (preferably top 10) because I want to work for a Big Law Firm. I don't want to waste their time having them write me a LOR when I am not even within the top 10% (especially since I am working for one of them over the summer).

Well, your competing desires to transfer and also not wanting to potentially waste your time or any of your professors' time might be incompatible. Just get the LORs and send off the apps. If your grades drop, then your apps will be rejected. If your grades stay the same or improve, then the apps will definitely be on time and your transfer application will be considered.

Note: I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure your grades need to be closer to top 5% to transfer into the T14 so you better hope for some improvement.

You would advise this even if my law school has anti-transferring policies? I am pretty confident that If I do speak with my dean and ask the school to release my grades to LSAC, I will no longer be eligible for phase 1 of OCI at my current school.

doodledoctor wrote:

lawyerwannabe wrote:

doodledoctor wrote:How do I go about talking to professors about transferring and getting a LOR when I have no idea if I'll even be within the top 10%?

You could only get LORs from your 1st semester teachers (classes that you already know you did well in). This won't let you or them know that you are in the top 10 percent of your class for all of 1L but most teachers only care about their own class and how well you did when writing LORs.

doodledoctor wrote:Note: I would only transfer to a T14 (preferably top 10) because I want to work for a Big Law Firm. I don't want to waste their time having them write me a LOR when I am not even within the top 10% (especially since I am working for one of them over the summer).

Well, your competing desires to transfer and also not wanting to potentially waste your time or any of your professors' time might be incompatible. Just get the LORs and send off the apps. If your grades drop, then your apps will be rejected. If your grades stay the same or improve, then the apps will definitely be on time and your transfer application will be considered.

Note: I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure your grades need to be closer to top 5% to transfer into the T14 so you better hope for some improvement.

You would advise this even if my law school has anti-transferring policies? I am pretty confident that If I do speak with my dean and ask the school to release my grades to LSAC, I will no longer be eligible for phase 1 of OCI at my current school.

what the fuck.

doodledoctor wrote:

lawyerwannabe wrote:

doodledoctor wrote:How do I go about talking to professors about transferring and getting a LOR when I have no idea if I'll even be within the top 10%?

You could only get LORs from your 1st semester teachers (classes that you already know you did well in). This won't let you or them know that you are in the top 10 percent of your class for all of 1L but most teachers only care about their own class and how well you did when writing LORs.

doodledoctor wrote:Note: I would only transfer to a T14 (preferably top 10) because I want to work for a Big Law Firm. I don't want to waste their time having them write me a LOR when I am not even within the top 10% (especially since I am working for one of them over the summer).

Well, your competing desires to transfer and also not wanting to potentially waste your time or any of your professors' time might be incompatible. Just get the LORs and send off the apps. If your grades drop, then your apps will be rejected. If your grades stay the same or improve, then the apps will definitely be on time and your transfer application will be considered.

Note: I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure your grades need to be closer to top 5% to transfer into the T14 so you better hope for some improvement.

You would advise this even if my law school has anti-transferring policies? I am pretty confident that If I do speak with my dean and ask the school to release my grades to LSAC, I will no longer be eligible for phase 1 of OCI at my current school.

Where in my post did I say ask for your second semester grades? I said apply to transfer without knowing your second semester grades so that your applications are on time.