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I go to a T40 (one of the 6 schools tied for 31 in latest US News Rankings) and am in Top 15% of my class, just outside the top 10%, with a 3.7 GPA. I have two professors writing my letters of recommendation and have a summer clerkship at a 250+ attorney firm in a secondary market.

Does anyone know what my chances of getting accepted at UT-Austin are? From the 509 reports, it looks like I'm around their median but it also looks like they no longer take as many transfer students as they have in the past.

I would like to transfer to UT-Austin to be closer to family (my parents live in Austin area and my wife's parents live in the Austin area). I'm not in Texas right now but remain a Texas resident. Additionally, I'm attending law school on the GI Bill so transferring will not change my debt situation. Thanks to anyone that can provide fidelity on my situation--I might apply to a few other schools in the lower T-14 to improve my situation but UT-Austin is my top choice due to family.

Anonymous User wrote:I go to a T40 (one of the 6 schools tied for 31 in latest US News Rankings) and am in Top 15% of my class, just outside the top 10%, with a 3.7 GPA. I have two professors writing my letters of recommendation and have a summer clerkship at a 250+ attorney firm in a secondary market.

Does anyone know what my chances of getting accepted at UT-Austin are? From the 509 reports, it looks like I'm around their median but it also looks like they no longer take as many transfer students as they have in the past.

I would like to transfer to UT-Austin to be closer to family (my parents live in Austin area and my wife's parents live in the Austin area). I'm not in Texas right now but remain a Texas resident. Additionally, I'm attending law school on the GI Bill so transferring will not change my debt situation. Thanks to anyone that can provide fidelity on my situation--I might apply to a few other schools in the lower T-14 to improve my situation but UT-Austin is my top choice due to family.

I would say your chances are strong, not for sure just because who knows with COVID and you're correct that UT is not SUPER transfer friendly. Just from first glance they seem to be big on area transfers but this is likely just correlated with people wanting to stay in Texas. I would make sure to emphasis your ties to the area.

ignorantfoot96 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I go to a T40 (one of the 6 schools tied for 31 in latest US News Rankings) and am in Top 15% of my class, just outside the top 10%, with a 3.7 GPA. I have two professors writing my letters of recommendation and have a summer clerkship at a 250+ attorney firm in a secondary market.

Does anyone know what my chances of getting accepted at UT-Austin are? From the 509 reports, it looks like I'm around their median but it also looks like they no longer take as many transfer students as they have in the past.

I would like to transfer to UT-Austin to be closer to family (my parents live in Austin area and my wife's parents live in the Austin area). I'm not in Texas right now but remain a Texas resident. Additionally, I'm attending law school on the GI Bill so transferring will not change my debt situation. Thanks to anyone that can provide fidelity on my situation--I might apply to a few other schools in the lower T-14 to improve my situation but UT-Austin is my top choice due to family.

I would say your chances are strong, not for sure just because who knows with COVID and you're correct that UT is not SUPER transfer friendly. Just from first glance they seem to be big on area transfers but this is likely just correlated with people wanting to stay in Texas. I would make sure to emphasis your ties to the area.

Agreed. I know people with worse stats than yours who got in as transfers so I think your chances are good - but agree that you should emphasize the Texas ties.

I transferred to UT under very similar circumstances, and I would second the advice to play up Texas ties---I think that made the difference with my app. Transfer chances vary year-to-year, but they tend to take more on years where their rising 2L class is smaller, including this year. Feel free to PM me if you want.

Thanks for the guidance--I will definitely play up Texas ties. I don't have enough activity to compose private messages but I'll go ahead and say that I grew up Austin and went to UT for undergrad. I did apply to UT Law previously.

Normally, I would think this provides significant ties but I've always felt that UT doesn't look favorably on their own undergraduates for grad programs--hopefully that's not the case, especially with transfers. I'm hoping that the smaller rising 2L class, being at median for GPA, and Texas ties will make me a strong candidate.

Again, thanks for everyone's help.

Anonymous User wrote:I grew up Austin and went to UT for undergrad. ...

Normally, I would think this provides significant ties but I've always felt that UT doesn't look favorably on their own undergraduates for grad programs--hopefully that's not the case, especially with transfers. I'm hoping that the smaller rising 2L class, being at median for GPA, and Texas ties will make me a strong candidate.

Growing up in TX and wanting to return to TX is about as strong of a tie as it gets, especially with your parents still in Austin and your wife's parents also in Austin.

(I don't think going to UT for college alone would be a particularly strong TX tie, but you have compelling ties anyway even without considering you stayed in TX for college.)

I've never heard UT "doesn't look favorably on their own undergraduates for grad programs". At most, maybe UT grad programs don't give a special "boost" to UT undergrads, the way some schools do. But it'd be seriously odd if folks actually got dinged for going to college at UT.

And in any case, for transfer applicants, 1L performance is far and away the most important thing schools look at. LSAC GPA and LSAT fade far away in the rearview mirror given actual 1L grades/class rank to evaluate.