Top Law Schools

Current school info:
TT (90's)
Top 10%: 3.8 gpa
Very well respected locally, good OCI opportunities
Currently, I have a 15% scholarship, so basically nothing

My goal is to get a big law job locally, but to also get the best education possible.

Do you think it would be worth it to transfer to Georgetown, Michigan, nyu, or northwestern? Or just stay put, do law review, and OCI at my current school. If I transferred, I would probably try to summer in my current market

I'm basically paying sticker either way whether I stay or go. Current school is $30k/year.

Is a Georgetown and higher ranked school degree worth paying for just for the degree and education.. long term wise? That's basically what I would be doing

Why can't you apply for a transfer to a place like GULC or Michigan and use it as leverage to negotiate a scholarship with your local TT? Even getting an extra $10k/year, combined with its local placement could be a good move. What sort of biglaw placement does your TT have per LST? If ~10%, I say ride it out at your TT and work all the traditional channels. If <5%, consider a transfer if the right opportunity comes out in transfer apps.

If you get into any T13 or GULC yeah, absent a significant aid increase from your current school, you should go. Still try and snag interviews through mailing the local firms and try to do OCI at both your current school AND your new school, though

CS5509 wrote:Current school info:
TT (90's)
Top 10%: 3.8 gpa
Very well respected locally, good OCI opportunities
Currently, I have a 15% scholarship, so basically nothing

My goal is to get a big law job locally, but to also get the best education possible.

Do you think it would be worth it to transfer to Georgetown, Michigan, nyu, or northwestern? Or just stay put, do law review, and OCI at my current school. If I transferred, I would probably try to summer in my current market

I'm basically paying sticker either way whether I stay or go. Current school is $30k/year.

Is a Georgetown and higher ranked school degree worth paying for just for the degree and education.. long term wise? That's basically what I would be doing

Transfer here. Send apps basically to every T14 that you'd actually attend minus the schools that don't really take transfers. If the TT is well respected in your city considering staying, but I went to a state flagship with a similar situation (shitty scholarship, but I didn't have as good as grades as you) and left. They wouldn't negotiate as they could probably take some TTT/TTTT transfer to replace me. If your market is like the market I'm from, you'll rock it being a T14 student (esp. if there aren't many T14 SAs). Going to a T14 will also allow you to take some shots at "fun" places to summer during OCI that you wouldn't get at a TT (e.g. a screener w/ a firm from Cali or somewhere far away).

I think you'll be able to avoid going to Georgetown. I think a transfer class of 100 would sort of suck just FWIW.

I'll also chime in about double dipping OCI. I would NOT do it if you are in a secondary market where your TT is and that's where you want to practice. Chances are a lot of the people you interview with will be grads from the TT, the TT will have super close relationships with the recruiters and there is just so many variables that could go into play where your TT may fuck you over during your job hunt. Just save any good symplicity leads and e-mail the recruiters directly telling them you transferred and what should you do. They'll respond if they want you and that way was successful for me.

FWIW also, transferring doesn't have to mean sacrificing law review. Some schools have transfer writing comps--NYU L Rev took 5 transfers my year and as far as I know, everyone who wanted a journal got one.

Transfers did well at EIW (OCI) and a transfer class of 50 was great/not too big.

Your tuition of like 25k/year is still more than half cheaper than the schools you listed. Also, I am not sure where your current school is located, but going to big cities like DC and NY will also add extra costs. When you add everything up with interest, the difference in price could be way more than you anticipated, so stay aware of that.

CS5509 wrote:Is a Georgetown and higher ranked school degree worth paying for just for the degree and education.. long term wise? That's basically what I would be doing

It's not about "the degree and education," it's about opportunity. Better school opens better (and more) doors.

you also need to negotiate with your 1L school.