Is this bad if I have the intention to transfer to a school with a higher ranking/more national reputation? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. I am totally new to this process, so I welcome any info. Thanks all!
Yes, this is a very bad idea. Transfers are usually limited to the top 10% (or even less, depending on the school), and you have a 90% chance to not be in the top 10%. People often say things like, “but my LSAT score was higher than those other low ranked persons so I’ll be sure to do better!” Nope. Not how that works (also, half of them have the same plan).
Plus, even if you do transfer, employers treat you as if you came from the first school during OCI. The only advantage is getting to interview with those people in the first place.
I transferred after a year. A few things were hard but it wasn’t impossible. I was on law review at first school but had to try out again at second school and I decided it wasn’t worth it. Some other activities were really aimed at first years, but that didn’t bother me either.
I had been admitted to the transfer school as a first year, so it was an easy transfer. Schools are always looking to fill the second year spots left by students and they only people they can fill them with are transfers from other schools.
Make sure that it will work financially. Some lower tier schools give great financial aid for year one but then pull it. If you leave the school, they want repayment. Just make sure you understand how it works for you. This is part of why you are starting at the lower ranked school. If it is for a good financial package, be careful. If it is because you only are accepted at the first school, and you want to go to a higher tier school, that may not happen. Will you be happy graduating from the lower tier?
Very true. Does every school tend to only accept transfers in the top 10%, even ones ranked lower than T14?
I would if it got me a decent job. I’m so scared about that. I’m mostly fearing the LSAT, my gpa is in a decent-to-good place I think.
Planning to transfers is a terrible idea for the reasons that Demo states. (Everyone expects that s/he can be in the top decile, but that ain’t possible.)
OTOH, transferring way up can be a big plus for both careers and jobs. But to do so, requires that you be in the top tier of you class, the odds of which are really low. But transfers do tend to pay sticker.