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Got 3.8 in the first semester, so I'm probably among top 10% at GULC. No strong softs. I wonder if I had a good chance at T6 if I can do equally well in the second semester.
Actually I don't know whether transfer is a good idea for me. GULC offers me a half ride scholarship, and I'm afraid that I would miss OCI. My career interest is big law.
Should I transfer or just stay at GULC?

If you maintain your performance in second semester, yes, I think transferring up to a T6 is very possible. Every year there are several GULC students who make the move.

That said, I agree with your suspicion that transferring may not make too much sense for you, given your scholarship. A half-ride is a hefty amount of $ to lose (transfers don't get scholarships). You'll have your pick of BigLaw firms anyway if you're a transfer-quality GULC student.

Transferring up makes the most sense where the 1L school is outside the T20. Transferring up would get the formerly non-T20 student in front of more firms at OCI (many more firms attend T13/T20 OCIs than non-T20 OCIs), and would also give them a stronger law school "brand" for the rest of their career. For some students, this may be worth the price of giving up a scholarship. But neither of these reasons apply to you. Georgetown has strong OCI attendance and is a strong enough "brand" that it wouldn't handicap you down the road.

Congrats on your success and best wishes for the remainder of 1L!

It won't let me reply anonymously, so OP please PM me. I have some anecdata that may help.

QContinuum wrote:If you maintain your performance in second semester, yes, I think transferring up to a T6 is very possible. Every year there are several GULC students who make the move.

That said, I agree with your suspicion that transferring may not make too much sense for you, given your scholarship. A half-ride is a hefty amount of $ to lose (transfers don't get scholarships). You'll have your pick of BigLaw firms anyway if you're a transfer-quality GULC student.

Transferring up makes the most sense where the 1L school is outside the T20. Transferring up would get the formerly non-T20 student in front of more firms at OCI (many more firms attend T13/T20 OCIs than non-T20 OCIs), and would also give them a stronger law school "brand" for the rest of their career. For some students, this may be worth the price of giving up a scholarship. But neither of these reasons apply to you. Georgetown has strong OCI attendance and is a strong enough "brand" that it wouldn't handicap you down the road.

Congrats on your success and best wishes for the remainder of 1L!

Thanks for you advice! Yeah money matters a lot lol. I'll try to keep my performance and make a decision later.

If you can maintain your grades, you can get a job at virtually any firm in the country. Not much value added to transfer and way more to lose if scholarship money at current school is involved. I'd stay at grind another semester to maintain, and just enjoy killing it at OCI at GULC.

Columbia would be worth it, but not NYU.

Wild Card wrote:Columbia would be worth it, but not NYU.

Ignore this, OP. Columbia and NYU students have practically identical opportunities.