3.47 @ Top 25...Advice?

[superfanny77]

I go to UMinnesota. Got a 3.47 this semester (1 A, 3 B+'s). Thought I did better, but I'm satisfied. I worked hard this past semester and intend to up my GPA more. We don't have any class rank so I have no idea where I am relative to others (1L's are curved around a 3.0 average for each class and at the end of the year we are told which quartile we are in). I graduated from a Top 10 Ugrad with a science/math degree (3.2 gpa), 165 LSAT, do weekly legal volunteering, good amount science tutoring on the side. I'm also Asian Indian (may not matter, but i figure I'd include that since diversity seems to be relevant sometimes).

For the record, I don't have a problem with Minneapolis and wouldn't mind staying here, but (A) I'm pretty far out of state and prefer cities as it is (not to mention this place is TOO f'ing cold!) (B) would like a direct flight home to see my family more often and (C) am interested in doing a federal judicial clerkship and maybe even teaching at some point in the future and, from what I understand, it helps to graduate from more a "prestigious" university.  I KNOW that some of you may take issue with that last statement, but, quite frankly,I don't care so please just save the argument for later. Right now, all I care about is :

(1) What are my chances of transferring to schools like Georgetown, UPenn, Columbia, NYU, Berkeley, etc? Are some schools just plain unlikely (i.e. Stanford, Harvard)? And please no simple "good/bad" replies, I would appreciate at least some stats or testimonials to help me understand where I stand.

(2) Are there any factors besides GPA that may matter or that have helped set you apart from the crowd? 

(3) Anything else I should know about (i.e. about application process, letters of recommendation)?

Thanks in advance.

[ronaldo699]

join the yahoo group for transfer apps... 

gtown is one of the few schools that will let you apply based on 1st semester grades, maybeeee you have a shot at that..  but yeah, join the yahoo group and search the message boards

[lawisfun2010]

Looking at the yahoo transfer page I would say that you have a slim shot.  Never know though so I would apply.

[osakakid]

Dude, your current GPA would not put you in the top quartile of the class at Minn which is somewhere above a 3.5 for both the 2l and 3L classes.  You may have a chance to transfer to a georgetown/northwestern level school, but who knows.   There are probably 60 or so people at Minn with better GPA's than you.  If you get law review at Minn. you might have a chance at a federal clerkship in Minnesota, otherwise it is highly unlikely that you would achieve that goal barring extensive networking connections with the federal judiciary.  The federal judiciary could have its pick of clerks from the law reviews of the t-14, something that is largely out of the question for you.  Its hard enough to get a Big law job outside of the top quartile at Minn, infinitely more difficult to get a federal clerkship.  If you successfully transfer to a lower t-14, AND write onto law review (if that is permitted), AND rock a very high GPA your 2L year, AND get lucky, you will get a chance at some federal clerkship interviews.

[hedrick1]

I go to UMinnesota. Got a 3.47 this semester (1 A, 3 B+'s). Thought I did better, but I'm satisfied. I worked hard this past semester and intend to up my GPA more. We don't have any class rank so I have no idea where I am relative to others (1L's are curved around a 3.0 average for each class and at the end of the year we are told which quartile we are in). I graduated from a Top 10 Ugrad with a science/math degree (3.2 gpa), 165 LSAT, do weekly legal volunteering, good amount science tutoring on the side. I'm also Asian Indian (may not matter, but i figure I'd include that since diversity seems to be relevant sometimes).

For the record, I don't have a problem with Minneapolis and wouldn't mind staying here, but (A) I'm pretty far out of state and prefer cities as it is (not to mention this place is TOO f'ing cold!) (B) would like a direct flight home to see my family more often and (C) am interested in doing a federal judicial clerkship and maybe even teaching at some point in the future and, from what I understand, it helps to graduate from more a "prestigious" university.  I KNOW that some of you may take issue with that last statement, but, quite frankly,I don't care so please just save the argument for later. Right now, all I care about is :

(1) What are my chances of transferring to schools like Georgetown, UPenn, Columbia, NYU, Berkeley, etc? Are some schools just plain unlikely (i.e. Stanford, Harvard)? And please no simple "good/bad" replies, I would appreciate at least some stats or testimonials to help me understand where I stand.

(2) Are there any factors besides GPA that may matter or that have helped set you apart from the crowd? (I interned at the DOJ in DC for a semester before law school, maybe I could have him write me a letter?) Does what you do your first summer help in any way?

(3) Anything else I should know about (i.e. about application process, letters of recommendation)?

Thanks in advance.

I transferred last year and know a lot of transfers. The yahoo transfer group is very helpful in provided some examples to compare yourself to.

From what I have seen, your numbers should give you a good shot at the very transfer-friendly schools like NYU and Georgetown.

[lawisfun2010]

I appreciate the responses, but for the love of god, I don't expect my current gpa to be my final one! I'm asking you, from where I stand now, what CAN I do to get into another school? For example, if I up my GPA to a 3.6, would that be enough you think for certain schools? I don't know the stats at the other schools or what your guys' experiences have been. I am certainly not transferring after one semester if that's what you are assuming. Are there any other things I can do to help my cause?

In the maantime, I'll take a look at the yahoo group. Thanks.

You aren't very friendly for asking other people for help. And there are some schools that consider you with only one semester of grades.  My advice is that if you want to transfer do as well as you can and that opens up the most doors.