Top Law Schools

Hi all,

I'm currently at a T2 (75-85) and considering an attempted transfer to UPenn.

My stats are as follows: 166 LSAT, 3.7ish undergrad GPA at a large state school, graduate degree and about five years of PI work experience; my school does not rank but right now I have about a 3.49 first semester GPA on a 3.0 curve and I think I can bang out high grades this semester and possibly bring that up to 3.7ish.

Interests: Zero interest in BigLaw, strictly PI

I think my chances at Penn are very slim and I'm not sure I should bother. I have a full ride at my school but am not particularly happy with the faculty (basically one person) dedicated to the field that interests me. My school is pretty small so I'm afraid of rocking the boat only to get rejected at Penn. Also my scholarship is an endowment and I have regular contact with the dude that pays for the scholarship and the faculty that know I got it... could be incredibly awkward/backstabby to try and then not get it.

Thoughts?

Taking on ~140-160k in debt because you want to take classes with different professors seems extreme to me.
Even with LARP and IBR, I would say it's a bad idea.

But, if you're really interested in the faculty at Penn, have you considered applying to be a visiting student instead? Seems like you could get the exposure you want without taking on the full debt / rocking the boat.

spinks wrote:I have about a 3.49 first semester GPA on a 3.0 curve and I think I can bang out high grades this semester and possibly bring that up to 3.7ish.

So you think you can bang out a 3.9 this semester? Do you know how silly that sounds, especially considering you got a 3.5 last semester?

I wouldn't rock the boat and ask for letters of rec, considering your goals and considering that the most likely scenario is that you repeat somewhere around 3.5, which I suspect is somewhere around top 25-33% and does not give you a chance at a T14 transfer.

@KidStuddi: Thanks for the advice; I never considered trying to be visiting student at a school with a better department. I did not go into great detail but my reasons for wanting to transfer go beyond just wanting exposure to different professors. What I'm afraid of is that, by staying where I am, I entirely foreclose the possibility of working in the field that interests me.

@Wholigan: Obviously, I don't think it's silly or I would not have said it. I had some personal/medical issues my first semester and did not perform nearly as well as I think I could have. Given my circumstances getting any A's at all was kind of miraculous. Now that my situation has improved, I feel confident that straight A's are within reach. Plus the distribution of credits works in my favor this semester (i.e. good grades this semester has more impact than good grades last semester because of the way credits are distributed) BUT, your point is still well taken... I wouldn't know until it's too late that I'm really just a pompous ass who still gets B's. Also, what I was really asking and what nobody is bothering to answer, is what my chances would be if I do get the grades I anticipate? I was reading the UPenn Transfer thread from last year and, even with better grades, I don't think I have a very good shot.

Just so you know upfront, I am biased against attending schools outside of T14 (or at worse T25) because your odds of success are marginalized. FYI - the students you will compete against are smart (at least compared to my UG cohorts). But yes, if you can pull it off, DO IT. IMO: It is unlikely that anyone on TLS can provide you stellar advice on your odds.

Where is your school located? Penn really only takes Tier 2 transfers from local Tier 2 schools.

Younger Abstention wrote:Where is your school located? Penn really only takes Tier 2 transfers from local Tier 2 schools.

This is not true at all.

OP - If your original question is whether a 3.7 on a 3.0 curve gets you into Penn, do you know what percent that would put you at? I think you would need to be around top 5%, and I suspect the 3.7 might be a little shy of that.