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This is a discussion for what we think the "holistic approach" taken by adcomms really means for transfer applicants because I feel like this is an area where an abundance of information exists, but it is poorly put together.

I would think it means your 1L school and grades get you into the discussion (cut out half of the applicants) and then the focus turns on your reasons for transferring, ties to the law school itself, and any softs you may have that add diversity to the class.

I kind of wonder if they look for certain buzzwords or topics. Does the applicant "talk the talk" of the kind of student we want? I can imagine a place like Columbia, for example, looking for some kind of interest in low-income or underrepresented communities, or a place like Chicago might value a grasp or interest in law and economics.

It might also just mean that they use this for their affirmative action picks. Since a purely numbers-based selection process could produce a monolithic group of all white women (or something) they may use the "holistic" approach to make sure they have some Tunisian transgenders and handicapped Guatemalans.