(PEOPLE IN BOSTON) LA to Boston transfer Forum

[Anonymous User]

At a TTT in LA. Trying to go to Boston University or Boston College. (which is better anyway?)

Questions:
I will be moving back to LA and ultimately taking bar in LA. Is it worth it?
How are the connections and jobs for Boston people to get in LA? Is it possible to get alumni network in LA ?

[Top20TransferHopeful]

Just curious, is there a reason specifically why you want Boston? You can probably transfer other places and have a better shot at LA than Boston.

[Anonymous User]

@Top20TransferHopeful because boston university is where i have a chance at getting in...

Also, emory/george washington/vanderbilt

[NoDayButToday]

.

[Top20TransferHopeful]

@Top20TransferHopeful because boston university is where i have a chance at getting in...

Also, emory/george washington/vanderbilt

I'm in a similar situation. I'd like to go to USC/UCLA but I'm not sure I have the grades for it.

In your situation, I think BU is better for LA than BC. Higher ranked, and seems to be more prestigious than BC.

[hairbear7]

Do you think transferring away from LA to go to BU/BC is going to help you get a job in LA? What kind of job do you want?

[Zero99]

@Top20TransferHopeful because boston university is where i have a chance at getting in...

Also, emory/george washington/vanderbilt

I'm in a similar situation. I'd like to go to USC/UCLA but I'm not sure I have the grades for it.

In your situation, I think BU is better for LA than BC. Higher ranked, and seems to be more prestigious than BC.

Don't go to BU trying to go to LA. Makes zero sense. If you want to work on the west coast, please don't come to school on the east coast. Try to get into USC/UCLA.

[usernotfound]

If you're targeting the LA market, it doesn't make any sense to go to Boston unless that school is HLS. Even then, depending on all of the circumstances, it may not be the best choice.

[SiddFinch85]

Hey OP, I'm a current BU student and longtime lurker on here. Figured I'd sign up to chime in b/c I think this would be really terrible idea. Take a look at our employment stats: http://www.bu.edu/law/careers/employment-statistics/. For the last few years (2015 not posted yet) BU, like BC, has not placed many in CA. A handful from my 1L section wanting CA transferred to CA schools just to have a better shot, so that should tell you something. Both are fine schools, but the vast vast vast majority of BU and BC students stay in MA. I really wouldn't go here, let alone transfer here, unless you want to be in New England.

[Anonymous User]

honestly I want biglaw so I think BU is better than my TTTT school in LA (even if I want to practice in LA)

[Anonymous User]

Im the OP.

So besides just BU/BC
how about moving out of CA in general (to be in higher ranked school) but ultimately practicing in LA?
Sure it sounds like it's a stupid idea, but I think I'd rather not stay at my low ranked school.
My grades might not make USCUCLA. Then what do I do- go to a mid-tier school in my area?

[sdancer89]

Outside of the T14, schools are generally regional and place in their own markets. So to end up in LA, your best bets are to go T14 or stay in LA. Rankings are essentially meaningless at some point. You need to decide if it is more important to have BigLaw or to live in LA and plan accordingly. The schools you're looking at may improve your biglaw chances, but make them far from a certainty (BU is about 1/3 biglaw) and will massively increase your debt if you currently have a scholarship. Focus on getting your grades up to be competitive for USC/UCLA.

[Manali]

I went to BC for 1L. I think we had a summer off-campus interviewing program in Los Angeles, and I was aware of students/grads who were working out there. That said, the school's employment stats suggest that less than 5% of graduates end up in the "Pacific" region at the time they report the statistics (that region includes OR, WA, HI, and AK in addition to CA). I don't think it makes a lot of sense to transfer to BC if you want to practice in California and you are currently in California. I transferred out of BC in part because I was worried about my immediate networking and employment prospects outside of New England.

Between BC and BU...they're pretty comparable, I think. The answer to this question might depend on what you want to get out of the school / what you're interested in studying. Most people I talked to seemed to think BC had a lock on Boston, whereas BU grads tend to go elsewhere more often (e.g. to NYC and DC), but I don't know if that has an empirical basis. BU is now a T20 and BC is now a T30--when I applied a few years ago, they were a lot closer together, but they're both trending up. I closely considered both schools and have several friends at BU. The personalities are pretty different. BC is in the suburbs, in Newton. BU is on Comm Ave. in the city and is much more urban in feel. BC has more of a campus feel. BU is the law tower (notoriously ugly, brutalist) and a really beautiful new building next door, both on the Charles River. At BU, I felt like I was picking up on a little more of a competitive vibe than I picked up during my visit at BC. BC also has the Jesuit element, which is a very small part of campus life, but is still in the background.

Barring a personal reason like significant other or ailing family member in Boston, I think it makes a lot more sense for you to stay in California if that's where you want to practice. BC's transfer in mid-range is 3.36-3.52; UCLA's is 3.45-3.7 (median 3.58); USC's is 3.47-3.64. Depending on your GPA, if you're feeling pretty good about BU/BC, you probably don't have that far to go up to have a shot at UCLA and USC. Both UCLA and USC seem to take students from T2 and T3 schools, especially USC.

I also completed 1L and BC and hated every second. Terrible choice if you want to go back to SoCal. I can't speak to BU, but BC is a very regional school and will limit your options severely. I transferred to a so-called "TTT" and I'm doing MUCH better because it's in the geographic region I want to practice in.

[Nebby]

This is not a good idea OP. Stay at your current school and try your best. If you have the ability to transfer to BU/BC, then you should look into UCLA/USC. Look into that.