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Hi guys. I'm looking for some advice here. I'll be as detailed as I can without betraying anonymity.

I have a 3.75-3.80 GPA at a NYC metro T2. I'd rather not discuss my exact ranking, but I'm in the top 5-7% of the class. I have a scholarship at my current school which reduces my tuition and fees to appx. $15k/year. Unfortunately, I have a significant debt load from undergrad, and am already over $100k total after 1L. Obviously, this is a sunk cost. I am unable to move outside of the metro area, so other T14 are out, though I'm not against applying to others to leverage more money from my current school should I choose to stay. It's Columbia, NYU, or stay where I am. Finally, I currently have connections with professors with strong connections to both schools who would write a strong recommendation.

I have a number of questions:

1. The obvious first is do I really have a shot? I feel like I'm borderline but competitive, but I'd like to hear what others have to say.

2. If I do, can anyone with experience transferring into either school (or have friends who have) that can speak to how well they incorporate incoming transfers into Fall OCI?

3. Should I get in, what is the marginal value of a NYU/Columbia J.D. over a T2 J.D. in the NYC metro area? Would it be worth the $80-90k in additional debt I would be taking on?

Thanks in advance for all responses. Should you need more details, feel free request a PM.

NYU and Columbia are definitely possible, so it's worth the app fee. If nothing else, you can use an acceptance to leverage scholarship from your current school.

Anonymous User wrote:Hi guys. I'm looking for some advice here. I'll be as detailed as I can without betraying anonymity.

I have a 3.75-3.80 GPA at a NYC metro T2. I'd rather not discuss my exact ranking, but I'm in the top 5-7% of the class. I have a scholarship at my current school which reduces my tuition and fees to appx. $15k/year. Unfortunately, I have a significant debt load from undergrad, and am already over $100k total after 1L. Obviously, this is a sunk cost. I am unable to move outside of the metro area, so other T14 are out, though I'm not against applying to others to leverage more money from my current school should I choose to stay. It's Columbia, NYU, or stay where I am. Finally, I currently have connections with professors with strong connections to both schools who would write a strong recommendation.

I have a number of questions:

1. The obvious first is do I really have a shot? I feel like I'm borderline but competitive, but I'd like to hear what others have to say.

2. If I do, can anyone with experience transferring into either school (or have friends who have) that can speak to how well they incorporate incoming transfers into Fall OCI?

3. Should I get in, what is the marginal value of a NYU/Columbia J.D. over a T2 J.D. in the NYC metro area? Would it be worth the $80-90k in additional debt I would be taking on?

Thanks in advance for all responses. Should you need more details, feel free request a PM.

Hi, I transferred to NYU/CLS with similar numbers from a regional school.

1) You are certainly competitive, but I would suggest that you make sure you have a strong summer job to bolster your chances.

2) Transfers were integrated well in OCI (and from what I understand, the same holds true for both schools). However, I did struggle to navigate all of the firms at OCI. My original school did not have much of a big firm culture and I was clueless about the differences between all of them. I noticed that the 1Ls from my transfer school were much more clued into things like that.

3) I'm not sure what your living expenses look like, but your additional debt will probably be more like $80-90k per year. As for the marginal value, it is hard to say. To me, a degree from a top tier school was a goal and I was excited to have the opportunity. If you would like to get into big law, transferring will definitely open doors for you. Be that as it may, not everyone at NYU and CLS gets jobs, and you may be left feeling disappointed about your decision at the end of OCI.