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Transferring law schools
CrossBuster
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, I just finished my first semester at Golden Gate. On this forum, I was advised not to attend this school. I'm not regretting my decision to come here at all. I think it's an incredibly underrated school, filled with good professors, and extremely smart students
Anyway, I still told myself that if I could, I'd transfer to a "better" law school (Hastings or, if possible, Boalt). I just got my grades for the first semester, and my GPA is over a 3.8 I got 3 A's and 2 A-. Rankings haven't come out yet, but I'm confident that this puts me well into the top 10% of my class.
Assuming that I get similar grades this semester, how difficult will it be to transfer? I know that some law schools have different first year requirements (some of them have Con Law as first year course, some don't, etc.).
Also, what is a tactful way of approaching my professors if I need letters of recommendation? As anyone who knows about GGU's situation can imagine, the University is going to great lengths to improve its reputation, but it still has a problem with the top 10% or so of its first year class transferring out. I like this school, and I've made some good friends here, but I'm constantly bombarded with the message that I'd be crazy not to transfer out, given the opportunity.
Also, to anyone who has transferred law schools, what's it like? Is there a significant re-adjustment? If you transfer to a more prestigious school, are the professors any more demanding (Most of my professors have taught at Boalt or Hastings, so I would imagine it's pretty similar)?
Finally, is the difference in job prospects between Golden Gate and, say, Hastings worth the difficulty and stress of transferring?
EDIT: When transferring schools, how much will my LSAT score be taken into account?
Anyway, I still told myself that if I could, I'd transfer to a "better" law school (Hastings or, if possible, Boalt). I just got my grades for the first semester, and my GPA is over a 3.8 I got 3 A's and 2 A-. Rankings haven't come out yet, but I'm confident that this puts me well into the top 10% of my class.
Assuming that I get similar grades this semester, how difficult will it be to transfer? I know that some law schools have different first year requirements (some of them have Con Law as first year course, some don't, etc.).
Also, what is a tactful way of approaching my professors if I need letters of recommendation? As anyone who knows about GGU's situation can imagine, the University is going to great lengths to improve its reputation, but it still has a problem with the top 10% or so of its first year class transferring out. I like this school, and I've made some good friends here, but I'm constantly bombarded with the message that I'd be crazy not to transfer out, given the opportunity.
Also, to anyone who has transferred law schools, what's it like? Is there a significant re-adjustment? If you transfer to a more prestigious school, are the professors any more demanding (Most of my professors have taught at Boalt or Hastings, so I would imagine it's pretty similar)?
Finally, is the difference in job prospects between Golden Gate and, say, Hastings worth the difficulty and stress of transferring?
EDIT: When transferring schools, how much will my LSAT score be taken into account?
CrossBuster on
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As far as how difficult it will be to transfer, it depends on the school. Because I wasn't confident in my chances of getting into the school of my choice, I picked an easy, low ranked law school and figured I'd kill there and transfer. I wanted to transfer to IU Law in Bloomington, but they didn't take ANY second year transfers and I got rerouted to IU Law in Indianapolis.
Although they wanted a copy of my undergrad transcript and LSDAS report, one of the admissions people told me that it was going to be heavily weighted on my first year grades, almost to the point of them not looking at anything else.
If and when you do transfer, you'll sit down with a dean and figure out what all you're going to get credit for. Do not expect to swap everything perfectly. I got out of a course that most second years take because I had enough credit hours in it, but I had to take another 3 of Civ Pro. If the school you're going to has 1st year Con Law and the one you're leaving doesn't, expect to take it with the 1Ls.
As far as getting letters of recommendation, you should have a good idea of who will and will not write them. Some professors will announce toward the end of the year if they do or don't. I was fortunate in that I had two professors who I knew from the word go would write them.
I will say this. If Golden Gate is a lower ranked school, then transfer. Yes, you will miss your friends. Yes, there will be an adjustment and it will be more difficult to make friends since you're not all "going through the fire" together. But if there is any measurable change in later prospects (for me, it was night and day between Texas Southern and Indiana), then make the move.
I hope that covered everything.
You said that they look almost entirely at first year grades. I got a 151 on the LSAT (the main reason I'm at GGU in the first place). Even if I do finish the first year toward the top of my class (which now appears fairly likely), would that low of a score bar me from transferring to a fairly prestigious school?