How do rankings work for transfer students? Forum

[zilladilla]

If you finish 1l say in top 10% and then transfer to another school, how does that work in terms of your class ranking at your new school? Just a question I'm curious about. Will you be able to put your class rank on your resume after you graduate from law school, even as a transfer?

[NoDayButToday]

It depends on the school. I'm guessing at every school, you start with a totally blank slate--no GPA, no rank. At whatever intervals in which your school calculates and discloses ranks (if they do that), you would then be factored in once you have grades.

That said, some schools don't let transfers be considered for Order of the Coif or other rank-based academic awards. I was a transfer to NYU and remembered being super confused by their Coif policy. Ended up not being relevant to me (lol), but I did see at least one transfer on the list of Coif candidates at graduation. Transfers were not eligible to be considered for NYU's 2L and 3L academic year GPA/rank-based honors like the Butler, McKay, etc. awards.

[Goldie]

I transferred to HLS. There, transfers also start with a blank slate. 1L grades and rankings don't count at all, for better or worse. HLS doesn't do individualized rankings, but transfers are eligible for latin honors.

Re old school ranking information, you can keep it on your resume if you keep your old law school. I'm a brand new graduate and have both schools listed since I'm still applying for jobs where they'll care about my transcripts. But I think a lot of transfers get rid of their 1L school sometime around graduation or soon thereafter and then I'm not sure where you'd put your 1L school ranking.

[Nebby]

All transfers start with blank slate at new school.

[NoDayButToday]

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