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I'm from Michigan, went to undergrad in Michigan and bought a home in A2. It isn't very likely that I'm leaving. But, I do have a 4.0 in my first semester and after getting in off the waitlist, I don't have much of a scholarship. If I keep up the grades, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get into HYS as a transfer. Though, I'm not sure whether I want to pay sticker or if it is even worth leaving Michigan. I think maybe my best bet is leverage for a better scholarship at UM? Does anyone know what kind of increases are typical?

I was about to go to a top 30 school until EVERYONE jumped down my throat, told me to take the year off, improve my LSAT score and get a job, and go to a T14 school. Now, I'm doing well at Michigan so it was obviously great advice. So, I'm back for more. What do you guys think?

I think you should stick around and go for a scholarship increase.

M transfer here, with your grades you should have similar opportunities as someone at HYS would. I would try to negotiate a scholly, but apply just to have some acceptances in your back pocket as bargaining leverage. Not sure how willing they are to negotiate though.

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Sounds like a lot of work to go from cream of the crop, to cream of the crop with a little extra. I'd rather have the clean record than transfer in those circumstances. The extra life stuff, selling a house, moving, etc can be messy, and I don't know how significant a transfer would help.

If you don't have a scholarship, I would absolutely apply to HYS.

Exactly. You never know what kind of need-based aid you might be eligible for. There is little chance that Dean Z wants to lose her top students (over money).

If you want to stay at Michigan or in the midwest more generally you shouldn't even be considering a transfer. Even if you are open to other places you probably shouldn't transfer. It will do absolutely nothing for you other than make things inconvenient. In addition to whatever you have in scholarship, UM has lower COA (especially elevated with in-state plus owning a home) and ownership of a home can be pretty rough in the need-based aid calculation. Need-based aid isn't as good as people think it is to begin with but factor in that you have a major asset plus your aid will be reduced when/if you do a Biglaw SA and you are unlikely to come out ahead.

The only possible way HYS can help you is if you are dead set on a supreme court clerkship and even then being a transfer puts you at a major disadvantage.

Also, all of HYS has their Finaid formula posted somewhere and its pretty easy to get a ballpark idea of what your aid is as long as you don't have complex circumstances.

brotherdarkness wrote:If you don't have a scholarship, I would absolutely apply to HYS. If you're at the top of your class at Michigan, you're as close to a "lock" at H as anyone can be, and you have a good shot at Y and S. Then use the acceptance(s) to bargain for a scholarship increase. The fact that you own a home makes things a little more complex because, though if Michigan refuses to increase your scholarship I'd normally urge you to GTFO for HYS, that might not be the most appropriate advice given your circumstances.

The top schools aren't going to bargain for scholarship.

OP transferring doesn't really get you much unless you get a massive aid package from Harvard (or I guess S/Y). Transferring from Mich might mean you lose law review (a very bad thing) and it will probably have some negative effect on midwestern firms at OCI if that's a goal of yours.

Big Dog wrote: There is little chance that Dean Z wants to lose her top students (over money).

LOL at an adcomm knowing or giving a crap about what happens to a student once they're enrolled.