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Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:30 pm**

URM with w/e at a T35 on full scholarship. GPA is at roughly a 3.0 on a 3.3 median scale. Fall did not go so well, but it was my fault. I slacked a lot. Plan on doing better this semester but thinking it may be worth it to transfer to a T20 (if possible), hit the reset button on my GPA, and bite the debt bullet.

Goal is big law. Lol I know, but that's what I would like. Not to say I wouldn't be happy doing something else though. I want to be an attorney and have enjoyed school, meeting attorneys, etc. so far.

Thoughts on course of action? Chances for Emory, UT, WUSTL, or Vandy? Suggestions? I have thought of dropping out but that seems kind of drastic considering I am on a full ride. Not ruling out staying put either, of course.

Thanks in advance.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:33 pm**

hit the reset button on my GPA

that's... not how it works

i would advise you to apply for jobs. lots of them

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:35 pm**

fats provolone wrote:
hit the reset button on my GPA
that's... not how it works

i would advise you to apply for jobs. lots of them

Can you elaborate on how it works? I was under the impression your GPA resets to 0.0 at your new school and that you'd only have to report your new school's grades to employers moving forward.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:35 pm**

Would t20 schools accept a below median transfer from the 30-35 range?

I think your one saving grace at this point is you have the scholarship. Transferring might provide little benefit while throwing that away.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:36 pm**

Dog wrote:Would t20 schools accept a below median transfer from the 30-35 range?

I think your one saving grace at this point is you have the scholarship. Transferring might provide little benefit while throwing that away.

I'm assuming I will be back at median at the end of this semester. I was a real slacker last semester. Didn't miss a bar review, etc.

I figure if I buckle down I will be fine. Maybe not, but that is my hope.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:37 pm**

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:39 pm**

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:42 pm**

sublime wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
fats provolone wrote:
hit the reset button on my GPA
that's... not how it works

i would advise you to apply for jobs. lots of them
Can you elaborate on how it works? I was under the impression your GPA resets to 0.0 at your new school and that you'd only have to report your new school's grades to employers moving forward.

My prior post alluded to it a bit, but especially/at least for when big firms hire, all you will have is your 1 L grades. Although they may reset for ranking purposes, that doesn't do much good during OCI.

I see your point. I do think my Spring grades will be solid though, FWIW. Assuming I am back at or above median by Summer and sitting around a 3.3+, what are your thoughts on my situation with such a mixed transcript? To transfer or not to transfer?

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:45 pm**

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:45 pm**

you're missing the point. transferring provides absolutely zero benefit. employers are going to ask for your transcripts which will include your first year grades. they can do math.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:50 pm**

Definitely don't transfer. It won't be worth the loss of $$$.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:56 pm**

And your resume will say

WUSTL Law -- JD Candidate 2017
GPA 3.30

T40 Law School
Transferred to WUSTL after first year 2014-15

Sure, you can omit the GPA from the first school and include it from the second school, but if you do that, what do you think the first question they're going to ask is?

(And that assumes they're not an employer that requires transcripts to accompany an application).

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:58 pm**

you would be better off paying someone 10k to mass mail for your and save the 90k

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:59 pm**

BVest wrote:And your resume will say

WUSTL Law -- JD Candidate 2017
GPA 3.30

T40 Law School
Transferred to WUSTL after first year 2014-15
Sure, you can omit the GPA from the first school and include it from the second school, but if you do that, what do you think the first question they're going to ask is?

(And that assumes they're not an employer that requires transcripts to accompany an application).

I suppose I was hoping that my URM status, unique W/E, and the added prestige of attending a T20 would put me in a better situation.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:59 pm**

fats provolone wrote:you would be better off paying someone 10k to mass mail for your and save the 90k

Hadn't thought of that +1

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:00 pm**

FML I should have studied last semester. Now shit is complicated.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:01 pm**

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:02 pm**

there's no appreciable "prestige" difference. even if there was they still know you transferred. transferring can be good bc it gets you interviews with firms that wouldn't even come to your school or would throw your resume in the trash. that's not gonna happen from loyola to wustl or whatever you're doing. even then i think the benefit is overblown. you should be mass mailing

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:14 pm**

sublime wrote:
BVest wrote:And your resume will say

WUSTL Law -- JD Candidate 2017

T40 Law School
GPA 3.30 Transferred to WUSTL after first year 2014-15

Sure, you can omit the GPA from the first school and include it from the second school, but if you do that, what do you think the first question they're going to ask is?

(And that assumes they're not an employer that requires transcripts to accompany an application).
And you REALLY don't want to do that because WUSTL's mean is a 3.55ish (we don't publish median)

That is what your transfer resume should actually look like but I'm sure WUStL plays some games.

Persons in your situation (full ride at T1s) transferring up 10-20 spots to strong regionals are the WORST candidates for transferring. You're in a worse position that the WUStLers who left for low t14s because:

1) Your grades are below median when you meet employers;
2) You got those grades at a less competitive school;
3) You're transferring into a school that doesn't even have the shitboomer prestige of Michigan.

You'd basically just be giving WUStL (or Emory) 100k out of insecurity. I seriously doubt you could get into UT or Vandy with those numbers. Unless you have strong StL or Atlanta ties, this move makes no sense.

Posted: **Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:16 pm**

Posted: **Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:24 am**

BVest wrote:Definitely don't transfer. It won't be worth the loss of $$$.

Posted: **Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:52 am**

MagicMike80 wrote:
sublime wrote:
BVest wrote:And your resume will say

WUSTL Law -- JD Candidate 2017

T40 Law School
GPA 3.30 Transferred to WUSTL after first year 2014-15

Sure, you can omit the GPA from the first school and include it from the second school, but if you do that, what do you think the first question they're going to ask is?

(And that assumes they're not an employer that requires transcripts to accompany an application).
And you REALLY don't want to do that because WUSTL's mean is a 3.55ish (we don't publish median)
That is what your transfer resume should actually look like but I'm sure WUStL plays some games.

Persons in your situation (full ride at T1s) transferring up 10-20 spots to strong regionals are the WORST candidates for transferring. You're in a worse position that the WUStLers who left for low t14s because:

1) Your grades are below median when you meet employers;
2) You got those grades at a less competitive school;
3) You're transferring into a school that doesn't even have the shitboomer prestige of Michigan.

You'd basically just be giving WUStL (or Emory) 100k out of insecurity. I seriously doubt you could get into UT or Vandy with those numbers. Unless you have strong StL or Atlanta ties, this move makes no sense.

Transferring into UT wouldn't make any sense either, the OP would be dead in the water at OCI. Kids with good grades from lower ranked Texas schools are usually dead in the water (at least from what I saw last year). Rando out of state school with bad or mediocre grades would be even deader.

I don't think transferring makes any sense here. Drop out seems much more sensible.

Posted: **Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:27 pm**

BigZuck wrote: I don't think transferring makes any sense here. Drop out seems much more sensible.

I feel like dropping out with full ride, at a good school, w/ URM status and w/e under my belt over a 3.0 is going a bit overboard. I think I just need to focus on mass mailing and turning grades around this semester so I can reassess my situation this summer.

Thanks for all the input though. You've all given me a lot to think about and offered perspectives which I would not have considered.

Posted: **Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:39 pm**

TL;DR

-Employers at OCI (at least at my CCN) requested 1L transcripts from all transfers
-Don't transfer. Your gpa is not high enough to justify the move.
-You're median at a T35 with a full ride. Get off the forums and go study. 3.0 + 4.0 / 2 = 3.5, which puts you in decent shape for OCI.

Posted: **Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:44 pm**

TheNextAmendment wrote:TL;DR

-Employers at OCI (at least at my CCN) requested 1L transcripts from all transfers
-Don't transfer. Your gpa is not high enough to justify the move.
-You're median at a T35 with a full ride. Get off the forums and go study. 3.0 + 4.0 / 2 = 3.5, which puts you in decent shape for OCI.

Great advice. TLS is largely to blame, I think.

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