Conflicted -- advice? Forum

vissidarte27 · Post by **vissidarte27** » Thu May 23, 2013 10:53 pm

After first semester, I didn't really think transferring would be an option (not that I did badly, just not exceptionally well), but I somehow managed to blow it out of the water this semester. I'm waiting for one final grade, but currently sitting on a 3.875 GPA for the semester. Even if I get median owned by this final exam, I should still wind up within the top 10%. If I get an A, I could be looking at top 5%. I'm currently at a school ranked in the top 25.

I'm not really sure what my options might be or how far up I could go (or if I could even go up at all) or how advisable that would be, given that I've made some really solid faculty and employment connections here. I want to work in academia so the jump up in rankings would be a huge plus, but I know that faculty relationships and having people who will go to bat for you is also really important. Is the potential jump in rankings worth sacrificing my really solid relationships with the faculty?

(Also, hesitant to transfer because my fiance has a job here, we're planning a wedding here, her family is here, etc. If I don't actually transfer, I think I'd still like to try to squeeze more scholarship out of my current school.)

Any ideas on how far up the ladder I might be able to climb?

Super conflicted -- didn't think I'd have the opportunity to be able to seriously consider this.

paintbynumbers · Post by **paintbynumbers** » Thu May 23, 2013 11:27 pm

might be worth the couple of hundred of dollars to send out apps, in return for even just a couple of thousand for the next 2 years in scholly increase.

I wonder how people managed to try and negotiate more scholly with your kind of grades but did not send out apps yet, just said they were thinking about it to the school and see what happens.

either way, i wouldnt transfer in your situation based on everything you stated. but sending out apps for leverage in negotiations could be worth it, if your school has increased schollys in the past

keg411 · Post by **keg411** » Fri May 24, 2013 10:55 am

I would talk to your fiancee and see where she'd be willing to go, send out apps to those schools, and see what happens. You might also want to talk to some of the faculty connections you've made and ask their advice. (If you do end up top 5%, HYS are probably worth the application).

Also, are you guaranteed to be on LR with your grades? What does your scholarship look like? What do you want to do if you can't get academia -- BigLaw or PI (and if public interest, what types of jobs)?

vissidarte27 · Post by **vissidarte27** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:15 am

Don't know about LR, but it's a definite possibility. Grade-on is reserved for the top 14 people in the class and I imagine I'd probably be somewhere on the border if I do well on this last exam. Even if I don't, grades are factored in (either 1/3 or 1/4 weight for grades, 2/3 or 3/4 for casenote -- can't remember which) which will help me, and I believe my casenote was strong (although who the hell knows).

Re: scholarship -- I have just under half-tuition at the moment. Still taking on a good amount of debt and would love to knock that down some.

Re: if academia doesn't pan out -- I'd want to do PI and work at either a DAs office or some kind of civil rights non-profit (think HRC, ACLU, etc). Or gov't.

Fiance is willing to move. It's not her favorite idea in the world, but she'd be willing to do it because she knows it would be beneficial in the long run and because she (foolishly) loves me.

Does that change anything?

keg411 · Post by **keg411** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:37 am

1) If LR is not guaranteed and you want academia, you need to at least apply to transfer. If you make LR, you can always stay.

2) Transfer admissions can possibly (but not always) be used to bump up a scholarship. Probably a good reason to apply to schools where you are more likely to get in (think the CCN/MVP range as opposed to just HYS).

3) If you want to be a DA, then no reason to transfer. If you want prestigious PI-type stuff, then transferring somewhere like HYS (or NYU) would be very helpful. But these are both really about making connections, actively working in the offices, and hoping there is a hiring need. For gov't: fed gov = transfer (unless you're at GW), state gov = stay put.

I think if I were you, I'd focus on HYS (and possibly NYU if you're willing to go all-in on debt for their PI connections). If you want to apply somewhere just for scholarship negotiation, apply to GULC. Otherwise, I think you and your fiance have to consider where you want to live long-term (big city? Northeast? Midwest? South? West Coast? etc.) in terms of looking at the rest of the T10.

vissidarte27 · Post by **vissidarte27** » Fri May 24, 2013 12:27 pm

So it might be advisable to stay if I make LR? Rather than transfer somewhere else and possibly not do LR?

keg411 · Post by **keg411** » Fri May 24, 2013 12:33 pm

vissidarte27 wrote:So it might be advisable to stay if I make LR? Rather than transfer somewhere else and possibly not do LR?

I don't know about "advisable" because it really depends on what you want. But I think there's a much stronger case for staying with your goals if you make LR, are able to negotiate a better scholarship, etc. (I personally probably would've stayed at my 1L school if I made LR).

It obviously depends on where you get in as a transfer too (I can see why HYS could be super hard to turn down, especially if you were eligible for need-based aid). I feel like you're in the space where you could get into one of those schools if you make top 5%, but I'm not really sure as I didn't have those numbers.

Danger Zone · Post by **Danger Zone** » Fri May 24, 2013 12:36 pm

keg411 wrote:I personally probably would've stayed at my 1L school if I made LR

Why do you do this to me?

keg411 · Post by **keg411** » Fri May 24, 2013 2:34 pm

Danger Zone wrote:
keg411 wrote:I personally probably would've stayed at my 1L school if I made LR
Why do you do this to me?

(Okay, it wasn't just journal; although that was a big part since my grades were borderline for BigLaw. I also didn't get the LRW TA I really wanted and was rejected from M-B after the interview)

But to OP: if you have really great opportunities at your 1L school besides just high grades, it's not always a bad idea to stay -- especially if you can get more $$$$.

Anonnn · Post by **Anonnn** » Mon May 27, 2013 2:30 pm

I was in your position last year. T30, top 10% and I transferred to CCN. I didn't make LR so it definitely made sense to transfer.

If you're getting $$$ at your T25 and you're not absolutely dying for biglaw then I'd say stay at your old school. If you're like I was (no $$$, no LR at old school) then it makes a lot of sense to transfer. With your stats you should have at least a shot at CCN, definitely a good chance at MVP.

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