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I managed to land in the top 12%(ish) of my class after 1L in 2013. (((I took this year off to pursue another degree program))). Oddities of taking a year off aside (not all that concerned about it), what do you guys think about the odds of me getting into HLS as a transfer?

Thanks.

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I hadn't considered an application to Yale... Is it even worth the application fee?

probably in at Harvard.

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not to be bearer of bad news, but i have known several people in top 10% at MVPCCN to get rejected from HLS, so while I think chances aren't bad I don't know if they can be considered good...

Are you willing to share info. about the other degree program ? MBA ?

Sure... MBA.

If I transferred, I'd scrap the MBA (to be completed later via pt time (wkend) program (working it out with registrar)).

I get that I have a lot of questions to ask myself concerning the sunk 1-yr, but I'm trying to gauge if I even have to answer those questions. Because, if I don't get in, it doesn't matter what the answer is.


EDIT: guess the MBA remark makes it obvious I don't go to Penn... I'm at UVA

What's the point of this transfer? You lose law review and don't really gain anything job wise. Unless you have compelling personal reasons to be in Boston, I think this is a waste of your app fee money.

Nelson wrote:What's the point of this transfer? You lose law review and don't really gain anything job wise. Unless you have compelling personal reasons to be in Boston, I think this is a waste of your app fee money.

yea pretty much. although even if you just want to work in bos it might be worth it, depending on what your school's oci looks like

Doesn't UVA have a pretty strong alumni base in Boston? Even if you're gunning for Boston (or any other secondary you have ties to), you should be in good shape.

OP, what are your career goals? Academia? Clerking? Biglawl?

Try to contact vanwinkle via PM. He transferred from UVa to Harvard and, therefore, should be a great resource for you. And, yes, the MBA response revealed that you were not at Penn.

Not going to grade onto LR with 3.6. In fact, this may be the one time when trying to transfer is a good idea (i.e. Close to LR, but no cigar) because you could potentially try for LR at HYS.

Yea... Not on LR

Though, I could try to write on both here and at HLS.

OCI is not a concern ... more concerned with short-term clerking implications and longterm career impact (and possibly academia several years down the road).

Anonymous User wrote:Yea... Not on LR

Though, I could try to write on both here and at HLS.

OCI is not a concern ... more concerned with short-term clerking implications and longterm career impact (and possibly academia several years down the road).

Remember that to write on at H as a transfer means participating in their actual competition in mid-May, before you've even submitted your spring grades to H.

See above... I already have my spring grades

BVest wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Yea... Not on LR

Though, I could try to write on both here and at HLS.

OCI is not a concern ... more concerned with short-term clerking implications and longterm career impact (and possibly academia several years down the road).

Remember that to write on at H as a transfer means participating in their actual competition in mid-May, before you've even submitted your spring grades to H.

wiz wrote:Doesn't UVA have a pretty strong alumni base in Boston? Even if you're gunning for Boston (or any other secondary you have ties to), you should be in good shape.

OP, what are your career goals? Academia? Clerking? Biglawl?

I don't think it's an objectively bad decision

Anonymous User wrote:See above... I already have my spring grades

BVest wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Yea... Not on LR

Though, I could try to write on both here and at HLS.

OCI is not a concern ... more concerned with short-term clerking implications and longterm career impact (and possibly academia several years down the road).

Remember that to write on at H as a transfer means participating in their actual competition in mid-May, before you've even submitted your spring grades to H.

Oh yeah... read that yesterday. Still might be before you know if you're in at H. GL.

Anonymous User wrote:Yea... Not on LR

Though, I could try to write on both here and at HLS.

OCI is not a concern ... more concerned with short-term clerking implications and longterm career impact (and possibly academia several years down the road).

You hurt yourself for clerking by transferring because you need recs and calls (unless you have no relationships with profs at your current school, in which case you're probably screwed already). The academia ship has in all likelihood sailed at this point unless you've got a line in on a really publishable line of research and good mentors. Nobody cares whether your degree is from Harvard or UVA five years from now.

Nelson wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Yea... Not on LR

Though, I could try to write on both here and at HLS.

OCI is not a concern ... more concerned with short-term clerking implications and longterm career impact (and possibly academia several years down the road).

You hurt yourself for clerking by transferring because you need recs and calls (unless you have no relationships with profs at your current school, in which case you're probably screwed already). The academia ship has in all likelihood sailed at this point unless you've got a line in on a really publishable line of research and good mentors. Nobody cares whether your degree is from Harvard or UVA five years from now.

I agree with this. You'd also be giving up your shiny extra degree from UVA, although I guess you might already view that as a sunk cost?

Going from UVA JD/MBA -> Harvard JD while possibly hurting yourself for clerking seems like an odd decision (though probs still defensible). Since you're just interested in chances, you likely have a good shot. Not a lock but better than 50/50.

I think if you're top 12% then you have a good chance. But I'm curious as to how a 3.6 is top 12%. Isn't UVA's median a 3.3?

yeah i think 3.6 is more like top 14%, but that's just splitting hairs

i know 3.3 is median and 3.7-3.73 is often the law review cut off, which would be top 6-7%. running 3.6 with this in mylsn gives top 13-14%