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I am having some ambivalence about transfering . . .

I like my current school and have developed some relationships there (with fellow students and professors), and I am on LR / at the top of my class. I am at T30 school in a city that I really like and could see myself living. I have a decent scholarship (~$15K/year).

NYU / Columbia is obviously a better school, but I doubt that I'd be able to make LR or do as well at either of these schools. Grades and relationships do not transfer, so I'd have to start over.

In terms of job prospects (and prestige), is it really that much better to be another schmuck at a T10 school or to be near the top of the class at my current school? Is the extra debt / pain in the ass of moving really worth it?

If you are already the top of your class at a T1 school in your target market. I think staying might make sense. Going to NYU/Columbia will probably give you better shot at NYC, but if you dont want NYC, then the point is moot.

Anonymous User wrote:I am having some ambivalence about transfering . . .

I like my current school and have developed some relationships there (with fellow students and professors), and I am on LR / at the top of my class. I am at T30 school in a city that I really like and could see myself living. I have a decent scholarship (~$15K/year).

NYU / Columbia is obviously a better school, but I doubt that I'd be able to make LR or do as well at either of these schools. Grades and relationships do not transfer, so I'd have to start over.

In terms of job prospects (and prestige), is it really that much better to be another schmuck at a T10 school or to be near the top of the class at my current school? Is the extra debt / pain in the ass of moving really worth it?

being that your school is in the top30 makes this a harder decision in my eyes. What are your long-term goals? if you are in a city you would be happy living in and are at the top of your class with law review and a 15k scholarship, I don't see a reason to leave. However, NYU is NYU and Columbia is Columbia, so there is that.

I don't see why you would really want to leave other than for prestige, and possibly better overall opportunities in case you decide you don't want to live where you are. You're already top of your class at a school that conceivably places well into the market you like. Why transfer?

What's top of your class, #1 or like top 10% or something? At a T30 it makes a huge difference because biglaw doesn't go into the class as far down as it does at T14s. How well does your school place in markets other than where it's located. Do you have ties to that city?

Anonymous User wrote:I am having some ambivalence about transfering . . .

I like my current school and have developed some relationships there (with fellow students and professors), and I am on LR / at the top of my class. I am at T30 school in a city that I really like and could see myself living. I have a decent scholarship (~$15K/year).

NYU / Columbia is obviously a better school, but I doubt that I'd be able to make LR or do as well at either of these schools. Grades and relationships do not transfer, so I'd have to start over.

In terms of job prospects (and prestige), is it really that much better to be another schmuck at a T10 school or to be near the top of the class at my current school? Is the extra debt / pain in the ass of moving really worth it?

If let's say you're at Fordham, you're probably better off staying there than making the move to NYU or Columbia. Provided you're aiming for NYC, you'd probably end up with roughly the same job opportunities, except with $30k more in debt, which is objectively a lot of money. If you're at a T30 school in a city that you really like, then I wouldn't move.

The big wildcard would be alumni-network access at a more prestigious school. I think this is really hard to quantify.

I can understand your hesitation. However, I believe you are allowing emotions to cloud your judgment. You should definitely go.

Cons:

• Increased cost.

Pros:

• Big law;
  Exit options after big law;
  Clerkships;
  Academia.

You have to fly this banner your entire life. I know you don't want to move. I didn't want to go to work today. But I did, because it was the right choice.

Benjamin1987 wrote:You have to fly this banner your entire life. I know you don't want to move. I didn't want to go to work today. But I did, because it was the right choice.

Going to work and moving aren't exactly comparable...it's a big choice.

I think the key is OP is already going to a T30 school in his target market. And since he distinguished target market from NYU/Columbia, I am assuming his target market is not NYC.

If you're in the top 5% at a T1 in your target market, absent some compelling personal reason, I don't see a need to transfer. GL whatever you decide.

kyle010723 wrote:I think the key is OP is already going to a T30 school in his target market. And since he distinguished target market from NYU/Columbia, I am assuming his target market is not NYC.

Thanks for all of the advice.

Although I don't have a "target" market (NYC would be nice), my school is not in NYC, and I could see myself living here for a while (my wife likes it here). The city has a sizable biglaw landscape, and my school places fairly well here. I don't want to reveal to much, but I will say that my school is BU/BC . . . in Boston.

Clerking is something I would like to consider.

Anonymous User wrote:

kyle010723 wrote:I think the key is OP is already going to a T30 school in his target market. And since he distinguished target market from NYU/Columbia, I am assuming his target market is not NYC.

Thanks for all of the advice.

Although I don't have a "target" market (NYC would be nice), my school is not in NYC, and I could see myself living here for a while (my wife likes it here). The city has a sizable biglaw landscape, and my school places fairly well here. I don't want to reveal to much, but I will say that my school is BU/BC . . . in Boston.

Clerking is something I would like to consider.

Columbia and NYU are not huge powerhouses when it comes to clerking (nobody really is except HYS, to some degree). In fact, Law Review at your current school probably trumps the extra CLS/NYU prestige without LR there.

If you really like Boston, it's really hard to beat being a top student from BU/BC (with the obvious exception of Harvard). If you transferred from BU/BC to CLS/NYU, I think you might even end up closing off the Boston market. While if you stay at BC/BU, the same cannot be said for the NYC market.

My vote is to stay.