Transferring from DC to CA Question? Forum

[lalab06]

Hello,
I was hoping to get some advice from either current transfer students or anyone with any information.

I have emailed a few schools, however was wondering if I could get some advice.

I currently go to American in Washington DC, I did really well in all my classes except 1 and ended up with a 3.4 GPA. My school doesn't do rankings till after 1L year.
I have had a personal family situation come up back home in California and it has put some things in perspective and I am going to have to transfer back to CA to be closer to home. I know that I want to practice in California and was going to sit for the CA bar anyways.

I know that most schools allow for transfers to write-on for Law Review, however I was wondering if anyone knew about other opportunities, like Moot Court, Alternative Dispute Resolution and everything.

I am looking at USD, UC Irvine, possible UC Hastings (if my next semester GPA is better), USF, and Loyola. I don't necessarily want to transfer down. Was hoping for a lateral or jump up.

Let me know if you have any advice or knowledge on transferring.
Thanks!

[UnfrozenCaveman]

It's so school specific. I'd think that if it doesn't take place over the summer, you'd be just fine with trying to get involved in any of those. You can do better this semester. One bad grade means you probably understand how to take a law school exam and probably just had a bad exam/day or weird question or something. What do you think your class rank is?

[BVest]

It's so school specific. I'd think that if it doesn't take place over the summer, you'd be just fine with trying to get involved in any of those. You can do better this semester. One bad grade means you probably understand how to take a law school exam and probably just had a bad exam/day or weird question or something. What do you think your class rank is?

~37% according to this.

[UnfrozenCaveman]

It's so school specific. I'd think that if it doesn't take place over the summer, you'd be just fine with trying to get involved in any of those. You can do better this semester. One bad grade means you probably understand how to take a law school exam and probably just had a bad exam/day or weird question or something. What do you think your class rank is?

~37% according to this.

That is graduating GPAs. I bet that first year GPAs are significantly lower.

[BVest]

It's so school specific. I'd think that if it doesn't take place over the summer, you'd be just fine with trying to get involved in any of those. You can do better this semester. One bad grade means you probably understand how to take a law school exam and probably just had a bad exam/day or weird question or something. What do you think your class rank is?

~37% according to this.

That is graduating GPAs. I bet that first year GPAs are significantly lower.

Scroll down (current 2Ls at end of their 1L year).

[UnfrozenCaveman]

Ahh good call. Reading is good.

OP, I dont really know what advice you are looking for, but you can ace this semester and get into top 15%. From American, you might have some decent options for Cali schools at that point.

[lalab06]

Thanks for your help!

I am not really sure what the rankings are since, I never had them in undergrad. I feel that this semester I can definitely do better than a 3.4.

If i am 37% (3.4) what would you say my chances are on a school like USD? Obviously not good enough for Hastings.

I guess I am wondering if by transferring I will still have opportunities to do extracurriculars?

[UnfrozenCaveman]

Generally, most extracurriculars are available to transfer students. Only issue, for example, could be something like ridiculous law review write-on requirements that effectively foreclose the option.

I wouldn't transfer down though. I don't know much about Cali schools, so someone with more specific knowledge correct me if I am wrong. But even at top third, you'd be competitive to transfer a few spots up to Hastings, maybe Davis. These schools probably have a decent sized hole to fill from students transferring out. If you get your grades up this semester, I would think you could have an outside shot at UCLA, USC. Take a look at the stats in these forums and the yahoo group.

Bottom line: kill it this semester and get into top 10-15%

[lalab06]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if I could ask for your advice? I am planning on transferring after this year. My question is whether I should go forward with the write-on competition for law review at the school I am in currently, I have no plans to stay. I am wondering how important it is to have an invitation from a law review on my resume for transferring, because at this point that would be only reason to do it. I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of attempting to finish it when I only have a few days left. I appreciate any advice you can lend to me.

[sap]

You should do the write-on. Something could happen that would blow your transfer shots, and you would be way better off staying at whatever school you're at WITH LR rather than without. Don't bank on transferring, you don't have your sem2 grades.

It's also quite valuable for OCI at your new school. Many schools won't notify you of LR before OCI if you're a transfer (I literally got the cal Sunday afternoon before my Monday OCI interviews... had to reprint all my resumes, but totally worth it), others don't even allow write-on. It's something, where otherwise you might have nothing.