So I did unsatisfactory my freshman until my Junior year. I’m not going to act like it was anyone’s fault but mine, but I got a 3.25 GPA and I got forced into subpar universities. I’m thinking about going to Clark if BU rejects, but I’m probably going to transfer after my first year anyway.
This year, my senior year, I’ve had a 3.95 GPA and, now that I’m probably going to Clark, I feel like I’m wasting my potential. So is it a good idea for me transfer, working my way up the prestigious ranks, or to stick out?
All I care about is prestige, but if you must know, I’m most likely going to go into law.
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Prestige of your undergraduate institution doesn’t matter at all for law schools - yes, even the top 14.
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All that matters for law school admission (and I presume you want to go to a top law school) is GPA and your LSAT score. Moreover, in the job market, prestige of undergrad does not matter at all if you have a professional degree from a top institution.
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BU apparently has moderate grade deflation. It will likely be more difficult there than at Clark (but I’ve never attended either, so I can’t really tell you definitively - but my intuition suggests that Clark U is a bit more relaxed than BU).
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Go where you feel you fit in, and where you feel you will excel. Don’t transfer only because of prestige.
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You probably don’t know for certain that you want to go to law school. Keep your mind and options open.
First off, I’d like to thank you for the response.
I was aware that prestige, in terms of law, is not valued as highly but I wasn’t cognizant of the fact that it was irrelevant.
Honestly, BU is very large and I’m a small school guy, and Clark fits the description, but I still feel like I’ll be looked down upon.
There’s a name brand to places such as Harvard and Yale, it seems like no one has ever heard of Clark. If I put a higher esteemed University on my resume, I think my job prospective would be much better.
If you come out from harvard but a unreputable law school noone will hire you.
On the other hand, if you come out from clark and go to harvard law you’ll get all the job opportunites available.
Congrats on your 3.95 senior year but honestly college is way harder than high school. Think about transffering once you get the grades to do so.
It seems Clark is the better option, then.
"I was aware that prestige, in terms of law, is not valued as highly but I wasn't cognizant of the fact that it was irrelevant."
Prestige of undergrad doesn’t matter, but the prestige of your future law school matters very highly. Often, if you aren’t attending a top law school, it’s not worth attending at all.
Why would a law firm care where you went to undergrad? Your law school carries a name brand, and THAT matters. Undergrad doesn’t matter, though. Go where you wish - just don’t pile on a lot of debt, keep a high GPA (3.7+), and major in something you enjoy (preferably with a basis in critical thinking and/or writing).