trasferring from a T4 to a T1?

[What should the choson do next year?]

What should the choson do next year?

Go to UNLV with money

 9 (22.5%)

Go to Indiana with money

 11 (27.5%)

Go to USD without money

 9 (22.5%)

Wait a year and reapply, hoping to get into one of the UCs or Loyola

 7 (17.5%)

Give up law school forever

 4 (10%)

Total Members Voted: 32

[MavCarlissa]

Greetings,
Hopefully, I can receive some solid advice from those who have sucessfully transferred out of one school to a top 50 program.  I am currently at Cooley (a T4).  I have an LSAT of 151 and an UGPA of 3.3.  I'm also a Military Intelligence officer in the Army if that helps out(?).  I finished my first semester w/ a 3.9 gpa.  And, I'm in a class of 750 students.  I would LOVE to apply to some top 25 schools such as:  Univ. of MI, Georgetown, and even Columbia.  I fear, however, that my LSAT will keep me out and I don't feel like wasting money.  Does anyone have any advice as to my chances?  
All help is GREATLY appreciated!

[hiccup]

I am currently at Cooley (a T4).  I have an LSAT of 151 and an UGPA of 3.3.  I'm also a Military Intelligence officer in the Army if that helps out(?).  I finished my first semester w/ a 3.9 gpa.

Are you pulling our legs here? 3.3 undergrad GPA and 3.9 GPA in law school?

[MavCarlissa]

No, I'm not pulling your leg.  Law school is actually easier, it is just more work.  So, if you put in the long hours, you get the good grades.  Also, my UGPA is a 3.3 b/c I was on my varsity track team, in the urban leadership program, in the Army Reserves, a participant in GA Tech ROTC, and I graduated in just 3 years!  As of now, I'm just focusing on law school and do not have so many other irons in the fire. 

[Texas]

I am currently at Cooley (a T4).  I have an LSAT of 151 and an UGPA of 3.3.  I'm also a Military Intelligence officer in the Army if that helps out(?).  I finished my first semester w/ a 3.9 gpa.

Are you pulling our legs here? 3.3 undergrad GPA and 3.9 GPA in law school?

my GPA has gone up a full point (as in 1.0) from my UGPA...there are lots of reasons for poor grades in UG...

[QUAKER OATS]

me: UG: 2.87; Law School 3.2

[jjason]

As a transfer applicant, it's less about your LSAT/UGPA and more about your first year grades. The purpose of your LSAT is to act as a "predictor" variable to help law school adcoms determine how you might perform during your first year. (And of course, a USNWR law school ranking tool.) As a transfer, your 1L grades do just that. There are only a few schools, like Harvard and UNC, that want you to have an LSAT score and UGPA within their 25/75 range as a transfer.

Now, your goal is to show the law school that you can do the work in law school (your 1L grades) and that you will pass the bar. (Bar passage impacts the USNWR ranking). Some law schools aim to fulfill many of the soft factors absent from their 1L admits. Your great LSGPA and your ranking are what count.. Supplement your transcript with a great personal essay expressing why you want to transfer (without bad-mouthing Cooley) and what you can bring to the law school.

Basically, don't let your LSAT score scare you away from applying to the schools you'd like to try and transfer to. Good luck. Oh, btw - any study advice/techniques to share? 3.9 is great, considering Cooley has that weird grading policy.
(A/4.0, A-/3.5, B/3.0, B-/2.5, C/2.0, C-/1.5, D/1.0, F)

[MavCarlissa]

Hey JJason,
The only advice I can give you is what worked for me.  Obviously, what works for one doesn't always work for all.  I did not join any study groups as I viewed that sort of thing as a waste of time.  Some people end up discussing ballgames, etc. instead of the law.  Also, sometimes the people in the group are slackers.  Additionally, I participated in class regularly which helped me pay attention.  Read and brief ALL of your cases!  This will help you remember the law and the reasons for it.  Also, this will enable you to become a better analytical thinker.  Create your own outlines and use upperclass outlines or commercial outlines only to fill in any gaps w/in your own outline. 

This is what worked for me.  If you generally study in groups and are comfortable w/ doing so in law school, then by all means join a group.  Make sure all members are dedicated to the study of law! 

Thanks for your comments and advice!

[Melinda]

Cooley has a 1L class of 750??  Wow, I didn't know it was so big. 

[Callaghan]

I am currently at Cooley (a T4).  I have an LSAT of 151 and an UGPA of 3.3.  I'm also a Military Intelligence officer in the Army if that helps out(?).  I finished my first semester w/ a 3.9 gpa.

Are you pulling our legs here? 3.3 undergrad GPA and 3.9 GPA in law school?

nice work on the GPA. Just make sure you get out of that school; it's reputation alone should motivate you. You have a great shot at getting into a T1, too. What's your rank? U of M would be a major stretch unless you're literally number one in your class. But there are other good schools that would probably take you.

[tjking82]

I am currently at Cooley (a T4).  I have an LSAT of 151 and an UGPA of 3.3.  I'm also a Military Intelligence officer in the Army if that helps out(?).  I finished my first semester w/ a 3.9 gpa.

Are you pulling our legs here? 3.3 undergrad GPA and 3.9 GPA in law school?

nice work on the GPA. Just make sure you get out of that school; it's reputation alone should motivate you. You have a great shot at getting into a T1, too. What's your rank? U of M would be a major stretch unless you're literally number one in your class. But there are other good schools that would probably take you.

You absolutely have a shot at getting into a T1.  Let's not forget that schools don't have to report transfer students' LSAT and UGPA to USNews, so they're much more forgiving in this regard.  If you ace your school's curriculum, a lot of T1 schools wouldn't bat an eyelash at taking you.

MavCarlissa, I think you've got a great shot at UofM, or GTown.  Aiming at anything within the top 6 (YHS CCN) is probably too much of a stretch, but outside that, take your best shot!  The most important thing is to KEEP THE GPA HIGH THIS SEMESTER!!!  I also aced my first semester, and I'm having difficulty working even harder this semester.  Don't forget that everyone else learned from last semester, and they'll be writing better exams 2nd semester - you need to write better ones too, if you want to stay ahead!

I wish you the best.