Top 5% at BC/BU; Generous Scholarship; Transfer Advice Forum

[Anonymous User]

1L at BC/BU with a close to full tuition scholarship. I finished in the top 5% first semester. I am interested in clerking after graduation, and then going into public interest work (likely non-profit route, but would love to get DOJ honors for civil rights or other civil work). I do not have strong ties to Boston and would prefer to practice in a different Northeast city (NYC/Philly/DC) after graduating, but I could be okay working here for a few years (which is why I came here in the first place).

I am spending this semester working to replicate my fall term grades and visiting professor's office hours in the hopes of having two doctrinal professors for LOR for a potential transfer app.

I definitely plan to apply to Harvard and Yale for transfer (again, assuming similar Spring grades) because I will qualify for substantial need-based aid. I am considering applying to Columbia and Penn because I have ties to the schools/cities, but I am not sure whether transferring to these schools is worth giving up my scholarship and class rank.

Again, nearly full scholarship at current school and clerkship/PI goals. My question is whether I should work towards transferring, and if so, whether I should just look at HYS (b/c of need aid) or whether I should also transfer to C/P as well.

Thanks for your input!

[MarkfromWI]

I voted only HYS with need-based because even 2 years of sticker at C/P is more debt than I could stomach. Even with biglaw (which I know you're not going for) that's going to take several years of dedicated bill paying before you break even again. Replicate those grades and you should have a shot at transferring. If you don't get in you should still be competitive for clerkships.

[kaiser]

Stay in the top 5% and you will very likely get into H. Y is very unlikely from BU. In my year at BU, the top few people sent out transfer apps, and even the very top person didn't get into Y (though numerous people in the top 5% got into H). If you fall outside top 5%, and are a bit closer to top 10%, people were still getting into CLS, NYU, Penn, Michigan, etc.

[Anonymous User]

Thank you all for the feedback. I'd appreciate other views, if there are other (contrary) opinions or responses out there.

[Nebby]

T6 or bust.