Hi I am hoping to transfer as a junior to a better school than mine (for various reasons). My question is how (if any) would it effect my chances into getting into law school? I’m thinking that it wouldn’t matter?
I don’t think it should as long as there is nothing underlying the transfer that would matter. It might be harder to determine what true GPA was since presumably there would be one for each school. An interesting question, to which I do not believe there is a clear answer, is whether a particular GPA at a very selective undergrad school is worth more than the same GPA at a school with much lower admission standards. It seems it should, but then some schools are known for grading higher than others, which would be another factor. We have asked the question to more than one admissions officer and there was never a clear answer. I imagine it is simply all a facts and circumstances test with no bright line. Succeeding at a “better school” might help but I don’t think it is an absolute.
But certainly it wouldn’t harm you if you transferred to a better school (in terms of rankings)?
How much do extracurriculars/letters of recommendation matter for law school (excuse my ignorance, I’m in medicine)? Those can be affected by a transfer.
^^In comparison to Med, almost nil.
If you transfer from a school ranked #100 to one that’s ranked #5, and if you have the same GPA at both schools, then the transfer could only help.
If your GPA goes down, particularly if the new school isn’t significantly higher in the rankings, then the transfer would not necessarily be worth it.
I’d still think that there could be numerous other benefits to transferring to a better school, though.
To add to my post:
The transfer could help if a GPA at a higher-ranked school is given more weight than a GPA from a lower-ranked school (and that’s a big IF, as some say it does and some say it doesn’t).
I also think that a transfer could help since at a higher-ranked school, you could be surrounded by sharper and likely more motivated students. There are numerous studies showing that GPA and test scores of a student are positively affected by the GPAs and test scores of his or her peers–although the studies are not all consistent or conclusive. Plus a higher-ranked school could have more institutional resources to help you get into your law school of choice, ranging from more connected alumni to faculty and staff connections and “know how” about the law school admissions process.
Finally, in my own educational experiences, at schools of varying ranks, the highest-ranked school that I went to was full of classmates who just had extremely high expectations of themselves and others; there was a lot of peer pressure to get nothing but the best. That alone was very valuable; due to it, I made a career choice, in the first job that I got out of school, that definitely resulted in higher pay compared to what I am sure I would have done had I not gone to that school, so that peer pressure resulted in a better resume and more money in my bank account.
Well specifically I go to a school that is ranked 50-100 and I want to transfer to a top 20 school like Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Cornell etc. So I would certainly think that the transfer is worth it right?
I couldn’t go into those schools as a freshman because I messed up badly in high school due to extenuating circumstances.
@Mastodon97, unless you have concerns about your GPA going down, I would definitely transfer- no questions asked- assuming that the finances, location, etc. all work for you.
Depends on the costs and your family’s wealth. Transfers generally do not receive merit money, so expect to be full pay.
If school ranked 50-100 is your instate public Uni and really cheap, for example, and top 20 private is $60k/yr, only you can decide whether the private is ‘worth it’. And don’t forget that law school is even more expensive than undergrad. The Cost of Attendance for NYU and Columbia, for example, is approaching $300k including compoud interest on the loans from Day 1. (essentially zero need-based aid in law school.)
btw: transferring will make no difference to law school admissions, unless your GPA increases at transfer (and more competitive) school. check out where UVA’s students attend undergrad.
Obama transferred and went to Harvard Law School.
I know! He gives me hope.
Transferring won’t hurt your admissions cycle for law school; barring serious criminal history or the like, your chances of being accepted at a given law school boils down almost exclusively to your LSAT score and gpa. Check out http://mylsn.info/ for an idea of your chances at various schools.
Generally, school selectivity means very little in law school admissions. While going to a top institution may give you a slight bump, I doubt it amounts to even a 0.1 gpa bump. Going to a garbage school can potentially hurt you, but again, not by much; chances are the 4.0 from Diploma Mill State is going to fare better than the 3.6 from Harvard.
Simply put, law schools care very much about their rankings, and a big part of the rankings comes from the median LSAT scores and gpas of admitted students. The 4.0 from the crappy school helps their medians more than the 3.6 from the elite institution.
Other than mylsn.info, you may want to check out top-law-schools.com. Their forum seems to contain a higher percentage of useful information than most, and there are a couple law school adcoms who post regularly.
I should point out that, as the name implies, the majority of those posting there are hoping to enroll in top tiered schools. That being the case, their perspectives may not be as helpful for those looking at less selective law schools. A “T14 or bust” mentality seems to be the norm.