Best school to go to if my goal is Fordham... Forum

[lmperri]

...

[Kohinoor]

My goal is to attend Fordham University going into 2L, however, chances of getting in 1L are not looking great. Which of the below schools would it be "easier" (note quatation marks) to go to for 1L and transfer to Fordham:

UCONN
Rutgers - Newark

I guess the term easier is quite ambigious - basically, if I try my best at both schools, obviously not knowing the outcome - but if the outcome at the end of 1L for either school would be the same...any idea on if coming from either or those schools would make a different in transferring?

Other option, I might be able to get into Fordham's PT program - however, going to either UCONN or Rutgers would save me money for the first year...does the cost of paying for PT Fordham and transferring FT 2L outweigh the benefits of transferring from one of those schools?

Sorry if this question is confusing - I tried to put my thoughts into words to the best of my ability.

What do you want from law school?

[Columbia Law]

um...Fordham?

[lmperri]

I am going to try to Biglaw - hence wanting to graduate from Fordham. Is OCI going to look different at a person who transferred PT to FT at Fordham v. a person who transferred into Fordham from another school

[Columbia Law]

I am going to try to Biglaw - hence wanting to graduate from Fordham. Is OCI going to look different at a person who transferred PT to FT at Fordham v. a person who transferred into Fordham from another school

Do you have any idea how BAD OCI is from Fordham? Look around this board. Only about top 5% are getting biglaw offers.

[Columbia Law]

What are your #'s? How do you know you can get into Fordham PT?

[Danteshek]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers.

[lawschoollll]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers Fordham.

[nealric]

If your goal is Biglaw, then you would really need to transfer to the T14. However, you are much better off going to Fordham PT than Rutgers if biglaw is your goal. Really though, if that's what you want, you should be trying to improve your admissions prospects (i.e. a monastic devotion to the LSAT).

[JOThompson]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers.

It's not entirely impossible to find a biglaw job outside of the OCI process, is it?

[Big Shrimpin]

Short version, it ain't gonna matter which 1L school you choose.

Based upon your intent for biglaw, barring any IP/substantial WE, I think that the following advice would surmise most of what posters here will tell you: (1) go to a school that gives you a free-ride+housing expenses with no strings attached, so that if you fail to land a biglaw job, your decision to go to LS will only include the opportunity cost of the three-years wasted, plus incidentals like food, etc... (2) go to HYSCCN, and to a lesser extent the t-14 and try your luck at OCI (which will hopefully be better by the time you're there), or (3) don't go to law school at all.

OP, its a grim reality, especially ITE. Think about it, the supply of LS graduates interested in biglaw vastly overshoots the demand for those graduates. Some of us were lucky enough to roll the dice and land biglaw. As I sure hope you're aware, getting a biglaw job in your circumstances is a longshot. If you're a betting man/woman, go ahead and roll the dice. In any case, please rethink your decision before "planning" on transferring.

HTH and GL OP!

[rayiner]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers.

It's not entirely impossible to find a biglaw job outside of the OCI process, is it?

Not entirely impossible but exceedingly difficult. ITE, firms are filling up their available slots with their core recruiting schools. They have no spots left for transfers.

[bk1]

Retake the LSAT.

[reasonable_man]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers.

It's not entirely impossible to find a biglaw job outside of the OCI process, is it?

HAHAHAHAHAHA ohhh thats rich... Best one I've heard all day..

[reasonable_man]

Op. Your plan is essentially going to land you a one-way ticket to top-poster status on JDU. Your entire plan is ass-fucked from the get-go. Slow down (actually stop completely), and listen to yourself. You want to attend a T65ish school on the bet that you will be better at law school than 90% of the kids that are just like you at the off chance that you actually will be and then might, might get into fordham, a place that is only a smigin more likely to get you into the job you seem to want? Op, this borders on complete stupidity.

You need to reevaluate your end goals or come up with an entirely new gameplan; because the one you have sucks, big time.

[vanwinkle]

Transferring up is exceedingly difficult, and I say that as someone who did it. The odds are against you, you've got to completely outshine not only your peers but anyone else who might be intent on transferring up as well. Transferring is becoming more and more popular as the economy makes things more difficult (here at HLS, transfer applications spiked 30% over prior years) and that means it's even more competitive than normal right now. Given that even in "normal" times (pre-ITE) transferring wasn't easy, that should be a warning sign that it's not something to intend to do at all.

The rule that is often given out here is to only go to a school you'd be happy graduating from, because you're very likely to end up staying there. Sure, transferring is a good possibility and potential best case scenario, but if your plan is "transfer or bust" then you have a 90-95% chance of failure.

Are UCONN or Rutgers schools you'd be happy graduating from? If so, go there, and the ability to transfer up would be a bonus. But if you don't think you'd be happy with the results of transferring to either school, don't go there. Focus on getting into Fordham (or another school you'd be happy to graduate from) or not going, because going to a school you don't want to graduate from makes no sense and wastes money.

[addicted]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers.

It's not entirely impossible to find a biglaw job outside of the OCI process, is it?

Not entirely impossible but exceedingly difficult. ITE, firms are filling up their available slots with their core recruiting schools. They have no spots left for transfers.

That's really not true. Transfers at NYU are doing very well.

[rayiner]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers.

It's not entirely impossible to find a biglaw job outside of the OCI process, is it?

Not entirely impossible but exceedingly difficult. ITE, firms are filling up their available slots with their core recruiting schools. They have no spots left for transfers.

That's really not true. Transfers at NYU are doing very well.

Brain-fart. I meant, they have no spots left for write-on candidates (those that apply outside OCI). That's the position transfers to Fordham are in, since apparently they're not allowed to do OCI.

[chadwick218]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers.

Danteshek, I may be confusing you with someone else. Did you transfer from Southwestern to Loyola?

[OperaSoprano]

Quick clear up: OP, this is not a great idea, because transfer ability is such a crapshoot. If you want to be at Fordham, the thing you need to do (as much as it sucks to recommend) is to retake the LSAT and be in a position to get in as a 1L. Further clearing up: OCI weeks 1-8 are open to transfers, but early interview week, when most of the large firms interview, is not. I personally think it's risky to have a biglaw or bust mentality anywhere outside the very most elite schools, since even people I know at T10s are striking out, but it's hardly top 5% only here at Fordham. Obviously there are no official numbers yet, but most of my friends in the top third range had callbacks, and just under 30% of last year's graduates (I believe, don't have the numbers in front of me) got something in the NLJ250 last year, as reported by the NLJ, not by the school itself. By most accounts, the class of 2011 had the worst of it. We expect that things are slightly better for our class, since the largest firms plan to increase class sizes. That said, you should rethink this strategy. I love my school and came here with pretty realistic expectations, and I want to make sure others do the same.

[Danteshek]

Transferring to Fordham for biglaw makes no sense. OCI is closed to transfers.

Danteshek, I may be confusing you with someone else. Did you transfer from Southwestern to Loyola?

Look at my profile. Not sure how this is relevant to this thread.

[Spinozist21]

Transferring up is exceedingly difficult, and I say that as someone who did it. The odds are against you, you've got to completely outshine not only your peers but anyone else who might be intent on transferring up as well. Transferring is becoming more and more popular as the economy makes things more difficult (here at HLS, transfer applications spiked 30% over prior years) and that means it's even more competitive than normal right now. Given that even in "normal" times (pre-ITE) transferring wasn't easy, that should be a warning sign that it's not something to intend to do at all.

The rule that is often given out here is to only go to a school you'd be happy graduating from, because you're very likely to end up staying there. Sure, transferring is a good possibility and potential best case scenario, but if your plan is "transfer or bust" then you have a 90-95% chance of failure.

Are UCONN or Rutgers schools you'd be happy graduating from? If so, go there, and the ability to transfer up would be a bonus. But if you don't think you'd be happy with the results of transferring to either school, don't go there. Focus on getting into Fordham (or another school you'd be happy to graduate from) or not going, because going to a school you don't want to graduate from makes no sense and wastes money.

Wow. Someone actually trying to help the OP out and give advice. Nice.

[Borhas]

www.top-law-schools.com.org