Top Law Schools

deleted

Anonymous User wrote:Should I give up H/S admission transfer to stay at current school with full ride? Has anyone done something similar? The conventional wisdom is to go to the highest ranked school. The outcomes of those who transfer doesn't seem in line with those admitted to the schools originally. While H/S students have high clerkship rates, gov positions, and academia, that doesn't seem true of transfers.

I looked into over a dozen transfers to H/S, and none have clerkships, though some had tried. All are still paying off loans. Most seem to have worse grades, and go from being top to roughly median.

If you are top 1% at a T30/T40 school in a target market, big law is likely guaranteed.

Is the debt worth it for the prestige factor?

Yes.

Also, doesn't Harvard have need-based aid?

This must be a flame.

Even with need based aid, most transfers don't get anywhere close to full ride and quite a few get little to nothing. Also, cost of living is a huge factor, if you are living at home at the original low-ranked school, that also cuts against transferring.

I definitely know of transfers at H with clerkships (both COA and D court). I don't know the percentages, but it for sure happens. I'd ask admissions to set you up with a transfer who wants to clerk to get some candid advice on this before you make a decision.

Anonymous User wrote:Should I give up H/S admission transfer to stay at current school with full ride? Has anyone done something similar? The conventional wisdom is to go to the highest ranked school. The outcomes of those who transfer doesn't seem in line with those admitted to the schools originally. While H/S students have high clerkship rates, gov positions, and academia, that doesn't seem true of transfers.

Most transfers seem to have worse grades, and go from being top to roughly median.

If you are top 1% at a T30/T40 school in a target market, big law is likely guaranteed.

Is the debt worth it for the prestige factor?

I'm not quite sure where you're getting the stat that most transfers seem to have worse grades. It's true that your class rank will shift because you're basically starting fresh in your second year as far as rank is concerned. HOWEVER, even if you are top 1% at a T30/T40 school, the reality is that a Harvard or Stanford Law degree will open doors for you that won't be open if you graduate from a T30/T40 school. It may not be fair but that's the hard truth. So yes, the debt is absolutely worth the prestige factor. To think otherwise is wholly misguided and frankly, naïve. Also, Harvard offers need-based aid to transfers so I don't even understand why this is an issue. It's always possible that your grades will slip when you transfer but that phenomena might also be attributed to transfer students getting complacent after transferring and then not applying themselves.

Three years ago, I was in pretty much your position. I was at the top of my class in a T30-40 school with a >50% scholarship. I didn't really want the transfer debt; I felt like I'd get biglaw and a clerkship if I just stayed put; and I was worried about how well I'd do after transferring. I ended up transferring, mostly because people I trusted told me I'd be crazy not to. I'm now coming out of a COA clerkship into a competitive government position. I didn't graduate at the very top of my class, but I was in the top 10-15% (at an H/S school). I do have debt, but my degree has already started opening up doors that likely wouldn't have been available to me if I stayed where I was at.

One of my friends from a similarly ranked school decided to stay. He's also clerking and will also have great outcomes, maybe even better outcomes.

Bottom line, you're in a great position either way. Good luck to you!

Anonymous User wrote:Should I give up H/S admission transfer to stay at current school with full ride? Has anyone done something similar? The conventional wisdom is to go to the highest ranked school. The outcomes of those who transfer doesn't seem in line with those admitted to the schools originally. While H/S students have high clerkship rates, gov positions, and academia, that doesn't seem true of transfers.

Most transfers seem to have worse grades, and go from being top to roughly median.

If you are top 1% at a T30/T40 school in a target market, big law is likely guaranteed.

Is the debt worth it for the prestige factor?

I would do it in your situation. In the long run having that name on your resume is going to open more doors and belay some of that cost. While it'll still cost you some money, over the long run I think it's worth it.

Unless you really want to go into academia, I'd think long and hard about this. You can get clerkships and biglaw in the market of your choice or work at pretty much any firm in the market where your law school is located. If your local market is not NYC, Chicago, SF, or DC, then many of the attorneys in your market will be alums of your school. Transferring can also disrupt your timeline for getting a clerkship, insofar as you'll have to take time to build new relationships with professors. And the further you get out of school the less the name of your school is going to matter. If you land clerkships and work at a good firm and make connections, you'll be fine as far as keeping doors open goes.

ETA: PM me, I have more to say but it would be identifying.