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Current GPA is 3.83, current ranking is 5/188 (3%) at an 80s ranked school on the east coast. I'm eyeing Cornell. Career goal: BigLaw in NYC. Wondering if there are any other suggestions for realistic transfer schools to apply to, assuming I maintain grades through spring semester. Also wondering if having won a 1L oral argument competition helps me any.

I'd apply all the way through CCN

Anonymous User wrote:Current GPA is 3.83, current ranking is 5/188 (3%) at an 80s ranked school on the east coast. I'm eyeing Cornell. Career goal: BigLaw in NYC. Wondering if there are any other suggestions for realistic transfer schools to apply to, assuming I maintain grades through spring semester. Also wondering if having won a 1L oral argument competition helps me any.

1. You have a pretty good shot at getting into a T-14. Cornell is a little strange because they typically don't take many transfers, but just canvas the t-14/UT

2.. No it won't do anything for you. Grades are 99.99%

mister logical wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Current GPA is 3.83, current ranking is 5/188 (3%) at an 80s ranked school on the east coast. I'm eyeing Cornell. Career goal: BigLaw in NYC. Wondering if there are any other suggestions for realistic transfer schools to apply to, assuming I maintain grades through spring semester. Also wondering if having won a 1L oral argument competition helps me any.

1. You have a pretty good shot at getting into a T-14. Cornell is a little strange because they typically don't take many transfers, but just canvas the t-14/UT

2.. No it won't do anything for you. Grades are 99.99%

I'd say winning oral arg is a very strong soft to have.

Similar stats at a similarly ranked school a few years ago. I'd say you have a good chance at T14 if your grades maintain, and especially if your class rank improves. Also, bear in mind that transfers are often unable to participate in Cornell's OCI . . . http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... p?t=231579

Thanks everyone. If by some miracle I did get in to a t14, would it generally be considered a smart move to transfer? Right now, I'm on 2/3 merit schollie and walking on to moot court bc of the competition, plus law review if my grades/ranking stay somewhat the same.

Yeah just be careful, Cornell has a super early OCI.

I would also apply up through CCN. If you can improve your class rank to No. 3 or higher, you should not have a problem getting into Columbia, and if you maintain or honestly even slip a little bit, you'll probably still get into NYU.

Cornell is tricky for transfers, because the New York OCI is held so early, but you would also benefit from the small class size in terms of getting more personalized Career Services help.

Either way, you would definitely benefit from transferring up. It's a lot more debt, but you have a much higher shot of getting the job you want, and you're not even currently on full scholarship.

How strongly are LSAT and undergrad grades weighed (if at all)? I know they have to be submitted. Neither are great.

Anonymous User wrote:How strongly are LSAT and undergrad grades weighed (if at all)? I know they have to be submitted. Neither are great.

Most schools flatly don't care. Some might, H for example says they are more likely to accept those that would have potentially gotten in anyway, but the conventional wisdom is that ugpa and lsat only matter inasmuch as they got you to the school you're currently at.

Like others, I'd suggest applying fairly deep into t14. Cornell only takes 3-5 transfers a year, so it is a pretty strange process compared to other schools. Transfers there cannot be on journals and typically cannot do OCI, which may matter to you.

Maintain top 5% and you have a good shot at CCN, and an almost guaranteed shot at the bottom T-14