<p>Since I've used the forum before for my own much-needed grad school advice, I'm now doing research for my friend who just finished her 1L year at Penn. She really wants to move to NYC since it's where she's from and where she's worked, and even though she got rejected (or waitlisted...I don't remember) by NYU Law last year, she wants to transfer. What do you think her odds are? Here are her stats:</p>
<ul>
<li>3.5ish undergrad GPA at Williams</li>
<li>worked for a few years at a really good corporate law firm as a paralegal after college</li>
<li>170 LSAT</li>
<li>had a 3.4 average after her first semester (won't get her other grades til June)</li>
<li>highly proficient in an Asian language</li>
<li>works on the East Asian Law Review</li>
<li>volunteered with the immigrants' rights program</li>
<li>has a job this summer working for a prosecutor</li>
</ul>
<p>So what do you think her chances are of getting in? How good will her grades have to be this spring? Thanks everybody!</p>
<p>So your friend wishes to transfer to NYU to do her 3L year there? I assume so, since any application to transfer for your friend’s 2L year would have had to be completed by now.</p>
<p>Most law schools do not let you transfer for only your 3L year. Generally, law students may apply to take their third year of coursework at a different law school, but the degree that will be granted is from the original law school attended. The original law school must also agree to the student taking their third year coursework at a different law school. Additionally, while grades, law review, extracurriculars, recommendations, etc. are all taken into consideration in the process of applying to do 3L year at a different law school, there typically must be extraordinary considerations that would mitigate in favor of the move. For example, I know of people who have done their third year at a different law school for reasons of serious illiness in the family, marriage after 2L year to someone living in a different city near the new law school, personal illness requiring doctor’s care in the city of the new law school and other family issues.</p>
<p>Sally, my impression is that transfer applications happen along a different timeframe and occur throughout the summer. One of my friends attempted a transfer to YLS and sent her application in after June 26 (not sure exactly when). She was rejected, but my impression is that she was not rejected because of timing issues.</p>
<p>To the OP: I’m not sure whether this is common among Penn students, but many of my classmates are moving to NYC for their 2L and 3L years while staying fully enrolled. Many 2L’s and 3L’s traveled the country for the Presidential campaign (“we knew when John Edwards was going to withdraw because people started coming to class again”) or live entirely across the country.</p>
<p>It’s something for your friend to consider, at least.</p>
<p>She’s still waiting for her second semester grades, which she needs for the transfer application. I think NYU’s deadline is in July, actually, so yes, she’s doing this for her 2L year.</p>
<p>Mike, how does someone move to NYC while staying “fully enrolled” at their home school? My friend really likes Penn itself, but I think she’d rather be living in NYC or DC, so if she could move and somehow stay at Penn, I think that could be an option for her. How do people go about doing this? (Not being a Penn student myself, I don’t know if it’s common…)</p>
<p>Does anyone know if a 3.4 at Penn is too low to transfer, though?</p>
<p>Well, NYC and Penn are (I think) 90 minutes apart by train? So you just keep close control on your schedule. Schedule one or two days per week of mandatory-attendance classes, skip the rest. Do your reading, keep up on outlines. Get a lot of your credits from RA work, or one of the clinics that doesn’t require a lot of in-person contact (or, better yet, clients in NYC).</p>
<p>I live a five-minute walk from my school, so I’m not sure exactly how this works. But I know a lot of my classmates will be traveling the country, living eight hours south, or back home with their parents 1500 miles away. By comparison, Philly –> NYC is relatively close.</p>
<p>That’s really interesting, Mike. I’ll definitely pass this along, since it might be a good way for her to be able to live and work in NYC (at least for some of the time) while not having to transfer if she’s not able to.</p>
<p>Detail: Penn doesn’t have rankings, and doesn’t publish a median grade, so I think she’s in about the 60th percentile, but there’s no way of knowing. Is this probably too low?</p>
<p>Hey, just ran across this thread. I actually successfully transferred into NYU Law this year. Like someone said, it largely depends on rank. However, it has been my experience that the higher ranking the school, the easier it is to transfer and not be an “all star” at your school. I think 3.4 from Penn definitely has a shot at getting in. You really would need to know the grade scale, but I’m assuming that 3.4 has to be at least top 25% which I think would have a shot, esp. given the other credentials you listed. Hope that helps and tell her good luck!</p>
<p>hey, may I ask from where you transferred and what your class rank was? After my first semester at Florida State Law I am in the top 10% (13/196), and am curious of my chances.</p>