Urgent: UF Transfer Advice Needed Forum

[crimorbl]

Currently top 5% top 15 students at either Stetson or FIU. OCI is in a few weeks and have good shot at interviews with FL mid law and a few V100. Have scholarship for 50% of tuition. I am already on law review.

Was accepted at UF. I have 5 days to accept if I want to be a part of their OCI. I'll have to do the write on competition again. No scholarship.

I have no desire to work outside of FL and no desire to work in Miami. Strongly prefer Orlando, Tampa, or Jax. My ideal goal is a fed clerkship and FL big law (HK, Greenberg Traurig, Foley, Akerman, etc.)

What should I do? I'm already high enough to achieve FL big/mid law from my current school. I have connections throughout the alumni from my school at the big/mid firms. The bonus is to clerkship chances and a slightly larger pool of OCI firms. Obviously the biggest bonus is the name on my degree. Transferring would involve uprooting my SO's employment as well.

[lavarman84]

Currently top 5% top 15 students at either Stetson or FIU. OCI is in a few weeks and have good shot at interviews with FL mid law and a few V100. Have scholarship for 50% of tuition. I am already on law review.

Was accepted at UF. I have 5 days to accept if I want to be a part of their OCI. I'll have to do the write on competition again. No scholarship.

I have no desire to work outside of FL and no desire to work in Miami. Strongly prefer Orlando, Tampa, or Jax. My ideal goal is a fed clerkship and FL big law (HK, Greenberg Traurig, Foley, Akerman, etc.)

What should I do? I'm already high enough to achieve FL big/mid law from my current school. I have connections throughout the alumni from my school at the big/mid firms. The bonus is to clerkship chances and a slightly larger pool of OCI firms. Obviously the biggest bonus is the name on my degree. Transferring would involve uprooting my SO's employment as well.

To be fair, there's a large difference in cost between Stetson and FIU. If you're at Stetson on a 50% scholarship and can get in-state tuition at UF, your COA difference wouldn't be much.(around ~$2000-3000 per year if I calculated right)

However, problem is that if you transfer, you lose your rank which is going to really hurt any fed clerkship chances you have. Especially considering UF's clerkship chances are already low.

However, on the plus side, I know of multiple transfers that got onto UF law review in the past. And if they're still allowing you to be part of EIW (because it closed for UF students yesterday), you'll have a shot at some of those firms. Issue is that it's not a lottery system so those firms may not interview a transfer.

If you're at Stetson, I think there's more incentive to go. But ultimately, I'm not sure it's the best move for you.(it's a tough decision either ways) Can you use your UF acceptance to negotiate a higher scholarship at your current school?

[crimorbl]

I already did. They increased my scholarship by 40%, bringing me to half off.

[trebekismyhero]

Just stay. If you were transferring to a t14 it would be worth it, but I think transferring to UF probably will hurt your big law chances. UF might marginally help your clerkship opportunities, but honestly they're not going to be great either way.

[crimorbl]

Just stay. If you were transferring to a t14 it would be worth it, but I think transferring to UF probably will hurt your big law chances. UF might marginally help your clerkship opportunities, but honestly they're not going to be great either way.

Understood. I'm not very optimistic about the clerkship. I realize it's a less than 2% chance. Thanks for the advice.

[Wouldliketotransfer2]

If youre in FIU stay there! I have many friends who have gotten big law from FIU. Stetson I dont know a lot about. Forget about going to Greenberg from FIU law though.

[lavarman84]

I already did. They increased my scholarship by 40%, bringing me to half off.

If you're at FIU, I'd stay for cost reasons. If you're at Stetson, it's a closer decision but I think I'd lean more towards staying. You'll have a shot at both Tampa and Orlando from Stetson. UF might give you a better shot in Orlando and at biglaw period but it might not because you may not have law review and I don't know how transfers do at OCI/EIW since it's not a lottery system.

[crimorbl]

I already did. They increased my scholarship by 40%, bringing me to half off.

If you're at FIU, I'd stay for cost reasons. If you're at Stetson, it's a closer decision but I think I'd lean more towards staying. You'll have a shot at both Tampa and Orlando from Stetson. UF might give you a better shot in Orlando and at biglaw period but it might not because you may not have law review and I don't know how transfers do at OCI/EIW since it's not a lottery system.

Thank you