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Should I transfer from a T3 to a Top 25?? I currently have a $5,000 scholarship, which is not much compared to my tuition and going to the Top 25 will cost me 20k more per year. Is it worth it??

EDIT:

Sorry for the lack of info. I'm currently at Mercer and was just accepted to Emory. I want to practice in SC/ GA. I have an international background, and wish to dabble into international law in the future. I think an Emory degree would further that goal in the long run because of the name recognition. If I leave Mercer, I will have to return this nice laptop they gave me and I will also have to return my scholarship. Thoughts? Oh plus, pay sticker price at Emory. Which is about 20K more per year.

How can anyone help you when you don't name what markets you want, where you currently attend, and what school you plan on attending? T25 is not national so you need to be specific to get help.

i think its a no brainer. congrats on getting accepted

Have fun at Emory. Congrats.

Definitely go to Emory.

I graduated from Mercer. I would talk to the financial aid / dean's office about upping your scholarship. Usually if you have the grades to transfer, you can get additional scholarship money. This info will paint a better picture of the cost difference. Right now, it's about $45,000 cost difference if I understand your post correctly. I suspect they'll give you another $10-15K per year. I think that was typical for top-of-the-class students when I attended.

What's your class rank at Mercer? Were you accepted to law review? If, for example, you are top 5% with law review, I'd say stay. I think you wouldn't gain much by transferring, except the opportunity to perform well again your 2L year and be in contention for more prestigious clerkships. If you're top 20% without law review, on the other hand, transferring is probably a better option because you have virtually no shot at biglaw if you stay at Mercer.

Good luck regardless.

EDIT: er, looks like you may have already transferred?

ggocat wrote:I graduated from Mercer. I would talk to the financial aid / dean's office about upping your scholarship. Usually if you have the grades to transfer, you can get additional scholarship money. This info will paint a better picture of the cost difference. Right now, it's about $45,000 cost difference if I understand your post correctly. I suspect they'll give you another $10-15K per year. I think that was typical for top-of-the-class students when I attended.

What's your class rank at Mercer? Were you accepted to law review? If, for example, you are top 5% with law review, I'd say stay. I think you wouldn't gain much by transferring, except the opportunity to perform well again your 2L year and be in contention for more prestigious clerkships. If you're top 20% without law review, on the other hand, transferring is probably a better option because you have virtually no shot at biglaw if you stay at Mercer.

Good luck regardless.

Definitely transfer.

"Definitely do X" is usually bad advice when you don't have all the info. I note the first three posters suggesting transfer are all (apparently) rising 2Ls in the process of transferring. Not sure about bigvinny.

Potentially $45-70K (plus interest) is a lot of money. If you don't gain something worth that cost to you, then its a bad decision to pay the money (obviously).

As an anecdote, I chose to attend Mercer over some t25 and t50 options. I did well 1L and did not transfer. Ended up getting a competitive state government job (working in same position alongside grads from Stanford, Virginia, GULC, and plenty of first tier schools).

I'm not a shill telling op to not transfer. I'm just saying get all the facts first and make sure it's worth it before committing a lot of money.

When I read Mercer, I think Hacksaw

I'd like to see how OP calculated that Mercer with a 5k per year schooly results in 20k per year difference with Emory. I'm not doubting it - I'd just like to see the numbers. Because when I read Mercer with 5k per year vs Emory sticker, I'm going with Emory sticker.