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Hello everyone,

After receiving my 1L grades, I'm wondering what my chances of getting an acceptance at a higher ranked school are. I'm currently at Boalt and believe I am in the top 25%.

I am actually quite happy at Boalt but would like to try to leverage an acceptance to get Berkeley to give me some more aid (though I'd go to a T6 if they gave ~60k in need-based aid and Boalt didn't budge). I want to do biglaw on the East Coast and have no interest in clerking. Do I have a shot at getting an aid increase or even getting into any T10s without being top 10%, or should I save the application fees?

Anonymous User wrote:Hello everyone,

After receiving my 1L grades, I'm wondering what my chances of getting an acceptance at a higher ranked school are. I'm currently at Boalt and believe I am in the top 25%.

I am actually quite happy at Boalt but would like to try to leverage an acceptance to try to get Berkeley to give me some more aid (though I'd go to a T6 if they gave ~60k in need-based aid and Boalt didn't budge). I want to do biglaw on the East Coast and have no interest in clerking. Do I have a shot at getting an aid increase or even getting into any T10s without being top 10%, or should I save the application fees?

I'm sure plenty of T10s would accept you and take your money.

I've never heard of a "T10" school (or whatever Berkeley is now) negotiating with a "top 25%" student who wants to transfer out. Why would they care if you want to leave?

Thank you. Out of curiosity, have you heard of anyone (non-top 10%) negotiating more aid out of a T14 after 1L? I gave top 25% as a conservative estimate, because I'm not sure exactly where between 10% and 33% I fall.

You can probably get big law on the east coast at Boalt. You should stay.

I keep reading on this forum that Boalt doesn't give out much money to admits coming in fresh so it's hard to see them giving someone only in the top 25% more money to stay when they can use that for new admits to boost their lsat/gpa medians.

transferred into boalt a few yrs ago from top 1/3 at t10 and they threw me some $. don't know any other transfers that got anything though. also know of first years above both medians that paid sticker. can't figure this school out. whether or not they play ball, you should stay. east coast biglaw is easily gettable from your position and you're going to really appreciate the grading scheme your last 2 years.

and for anyone thinking about inter-t14 transfers, it hurt me a bit at oci and i had to delay clerkship apps a year. similar sentiments from a classmate who transferred to ccn. don't do it unless your need to be at the new school triumphs those inconveniences.