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I've been trying to figure out if I should apply to transfer. I'm at a mid T2 school and I got all A's for my first semester (4.0 GPA). I am #1 out of around 120 people. I know this doesn't really matter for transferring in general, but my undergrad major GPA was a 4.0. My LSAT was 160... I am at a nice regional school (nice in the sense that it's good for a regional school and is pretty chill/people are friendly) that is roughly in the same region as Chicago (couple states away from Illinois in some direction).

I have never been to Chicago but will be going there this spring break to see friends. I've had this romantic notion since before law school of going somewhere different than where I am (my law school is the same as my undergrad school), but I ended up applying here only because I knew I'd get a good scholarship and it would be pretty chill. Plus, I figured I would want to live in this area/state/nearby states so it seemed like a good fit. However, recently I've been feeling less and less attached to this region. I have this weird interest in practice that swings between working for a large firm/corporation that does business with Asia/other countries (I know an Asian language) and working for a small, localized firm or someday starting my own firm.

I kind of want to transfer (even though I recognize there are some good reasons for not) because I feel like, in general, whatever my career interests end up being (whether they stay the same or change), going to a top tier school will do good for me. However, I would be giving up this nice home/cheap housing and would have to give up my almost full tuition scholarship. I do have some funds built up, but it would likely not last more than a year/semester at a more expensive school. I would not be able to study abroad in Japan this summer and would not be able to make connections with people through study abroad (already accepted into that study abroad program).

I am thinking Chicago because I am REALLY tempted by the early decision program because I am #1 in my class. And I am trying to do my best for spring semester, but I am worried my rank dropping even to #15 for some crazy reason (C's!) would ruin my chances. Chicago, though I've never been there, is genuinely a place I would be interested in living (I think), because it's a part of the general region (Midwest/South) I'm interested in ending up if I must end up somewhere (my mind could still change...). AND early decision and narrowing the list of schools I apply to would be a lot less stressful. I don't want to lose all my concentration and screw up my spring grades.

So, some questions...
1) Does anyone have general advice on whether I should transfer and
2) What my chances of getting into UChicago Law Early Decision would be? (#1/120, 4.0 GPA... my LSAT was 160)
3) Does anyone go to Chicago and have any advice about what the program's like/the city/the other students?

Sorry if all this information is all a little unorganized and disjointed. My brain is in a bit of a tizzy right now trying to figure out what I should/want to do. I would appreciate any advice I can get.

If you ED to Chicago, you'll get in.

ED to Chicago is almost certainly an admit, though you should balance that against the ability to get into Columbia, NYU, or Harvard if you do well in the spring.

If you'd take Chi over those, ED. If you'd prefer H or one of the NY schools, you have to balance the risk of a grade drop versus that potential.

Thanks for the replies. I'm pretty sure I would prefer UChicago over H, Columbia, and NYU. Unless those other three give any sort of financial need based aid other than loans or anything. I'm pretty sure they don't. But I know Chicago doesn't either which is kind bumming me out. I know Georgetown does and I'm pretty sure I would get in there based off how other people have done. But I know they're really transfer happy. If I just want a better, more flexible degree, would it would be good to try for Georgetown too, or are they just too gimmicky?

terpiscore wrote:Thanks for the replies. I'm pretty sure I would prefer UChicago over H, Columbia, and NYU. Unless those other three give any sort of financial need based aid other than loans or anything. I'm pretty sure they don't. But I know Chicago doesn't either which is kind bumming me out. I know Georgetown does and I'm pretty sure I would get in there based off how other people have done. But I know they're really transfer happy. If I just want a better, more flexible degree, would it would be good to try for Georgetown too, or are they just too gimmicky?

There's really no reason to consider GULC when you're pretty much auto-in if you ED Chicago.

For what it's worth, H does do need based aid for transfers, I believe. I don't know any details, though.

Is GULC worth considering though since they seem to give need-based financial aid? It honestly still freaks me out to take on loans, or to take on a bigger loan than I may need to.

Chicago is auto-admit with your current numbers.

I'd strongly consider Harvard... but thats just me. Also, what sort of outcome do you want? big law? PI? // where do you want to live/work post graduate?

If you are in a state like Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, etc, and you want to stay there...then it may not be worthwhile to transfer. H or Uchi are gonna open up plenty of doors, but maybe not the ones you are interested in

I will consider H. Honestly, I've never really been aiming for big law, but I feel like I might be okay with it for a short time. I might like it. I want flexibility w/ my degree. I like the idea of working for small firms and maybe going solo/starting my own firm someday but I also think I may like working for larger firms for a while and maybe going in house w/ a corporation that has offices in Asia/does something like that. But then things like immigration law also interest me. Anything working with really different kinds of people.

But I'm honestly not 100% totally set on anything. I just like law. I do want work-life balance at some point. I want flexibility in my location and ability to get jobs. I may even try to go into academia down the road, but I'm sure that decision would come best after practicing for a while.

I do have a BS in environmental science. I'm not sure I would want to work for the government though doing environmental stuff.

I currently live somewhere in the middle/south of the country. Flyover state. I love it here but really want to leave for some reason. Even if I ended up coming back someday. So maybe the itch to transfer comes from me wanting to not be where I live anymore. It's where I went to undergrad.

I have been looking at Berkeley, too.

I'm worried going down even 5 spots would make me ineligible for Harvard or most of the other T14. I don't really like the idea of stressing out about my spring grades.

terpiscore wrote:I will consider H. Honestly, I've never really been aiming for big law, but I feel like I might be okay with it for a short time. I might like it. I want flexibility w/ my degree. I like the idea of working for small firms and maybe going solo/starting my own firm someday but I also think I may like working for larger firms for a while and maybe going in house w/ a corporation that has offices in Asia/does something like that. But then things like immigration law also interest me. Anything working with really different kinds of people.

But I'm honestly not 100% totally set on anything. I just like law. I do want work-life balance at some point. I want flexibility in my location and ability to get jobs. I may even try to go into academia down the road, but I'm sure that decision would come best after practicing for a while.

I do have a BS in environmental science. I'm not sure I would want to work for the government though doing environmental stuff.

I currently live somewhere in the middle/south of the country. Flyover state. I love it here but really want to leave for some reason. Even if I ended up coming back someday. So maybe the itch to transfer comes from me wanting to not be where I live anymore. It's where I went to undergrad.

I have been looking at Berkeley, too.

This is the most scatterbrained post ever. If interpreted as "Big Law, then maybe something else," then ED UoC is great.

I am pretty scatterbrained right now. But yes, big law and then something else is kind of what I'm looking for. Big law is not my end goal.

Well I think what you really have to decide is whether you're okay with taking on loans for a big move up.

If loan aversion is your primary aim, then staying where you are, trying to maintain your top-of-the-class spot, along with LR, etc will likely be a better outcome than Georgetown. If you really want to play the middle ground, you can do the Georgetown EA which is no binding, but will cost you about 2 grand in seat deposits before you hear back from the upper schools.

However, if you are interested in/willing to go big law for a few years at least, you will cancel out the loans (and then some) and gain much better exit options than will be in reach from where you are. (Esp from a HYSCCN transfer)

Honestly, I would try to spend some time trying to figure out what you really want to do. Talk to some professors, especially whoever you ask for LoR from anyway. Figure out a plan, then let that inform your decision.

I'd absolutely do ED Chicago in this case. You're pretty much a shoo-in via ED, and since you said you'd prefer Chicago over HCCN, there's literally no drawback for you. On top of that, even if you decided you prefer H in the end, 4.0 from T2 is nowhere near a guarantee for H (and that assumes you repeat 2nd semester). No reason to give up near certain admit to a school you want to be at for a chance at a school you are unsure of.