We just got all of our grades and my cumulative for this semester was a 3.1 on a 2.8 curve. I did really well in 3 classes and not so well in 2 others which brought down my GPA. If I bring my grades up next semester, what are my chances of transferring to a tier 2? Any opinions or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you! 
I got into my T2 from a T4 with just under a 3.2 on a 2.67 curve (top 30%). Started out with a 3.0 (top 45% or so) and improved second semester. Had one really crappy grade which I'm sure the adcomms threw out. Since you did really well in three classes, you're obviously capable of doing well on all your exams next semester. If you can find a balance, there's no reason you can't nail a 3.3 or higher, which would put you in a great position to transfer to a T2. Even if you received another 3.1, you'd still have a fairly decent shot at a T2. At the end of the day, schools are looking for three things: (1) why does this person want to come here (2) can they handle the workload (3) can they pass the bar. Ask for LOR's in February and get in your apps early. While they won't start reviewing them until June, it can't hurt to show them that you're serious about coming there.
Drbuff...you have no reason to be concerned whatsoever being in the top 1% of your class. One of my friends was ranked 3/154 and got into Michigan. I managed to squeak my way into a T3 that hadn't accepted a transfer student in over three years and my grades weren't even close to yours. Any T2 would have to be on crack not to admit you, regardless of their rigid transfer policies.
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