GULC OCI and employment questions for past transfers

[lsetudiante32]

I have a couple questions for those of you who transferred to GULC and went through OCI in the previous years...

1. How does the GPA work for OCIs? I know most people will put their class rank/GPA. But in terms of employers that only look at top 25%, do they treat GULC transfers differently (since top 25% at GULC is different from top 25% at a lower ranked school)?

2. How does a big drop in GPA affect OCI chances for transfers? My GPA this semester dropped from about top 8% to about top 25% (I know, I've been really disappointed in my performance this semester. I did work hard and I was very suprised by my grades). I was already accepted into GULC EA, so I'm definitely going to GULC now.

3. How does Georgetown OCI work in terms of applying? Is it a blind system?

4. In general, how did everyone do in OCIs? (ie firms interviewed with, firms giving offers, etc). There's some data on yahoogroups, but I'd love to hear from the lawschooldiscussion crowd and in more detail.

5. Finally, I had a question about how to approach my situation. I am currently at an amazing firm this summer and I am very much enjoying my summer associate experience. I really hope to get an offer to come back/work here in the future. However, there are a lot of alumni from my current school who are partners here. Most attorneys at this firm actually come from my current school. I am transferring mainly because I want to keep the option open to teach in the future, GULC offers the speciality I want and that my current school lacks, and I would love to live in DC (at least for law school). However, I can't tell the firm this because they want people who are dedicated to the partnership track. How do I approach them to tell them I am transferring? Should I tell them now or wait until the end of the summer? I don't have many geographical ties to this area but I really do truly want to remain in this city, and hopefully at this firm.

Thanks everyone! I appreciate any information that you can provide!

[upgrade]

5. Finally, I had a question about how to approach my situation. I am currently at an amazing firm this summer and I am very much enjoying my summer associate experience. I really hope to get an offer to come back/work here in the future. However, there are a lot of alumni from my current school who are partners here. Most attorneys at this firm actually come from my current school. I am transferring mainly because I want to keep the option open to teach in the future, GULC offers the speciality I want and that my current school lacks, and I would love to live in DC (at least for law school). However, I can't tell the firm this because they want people who are dedicated to the partnership track. How do I approach them to tell them I am transferring? Should I tell them now or wait until the end of the summer? I don't have many geographical ties to this area but I really do truly want to remain in this city, and hopefully at this firm.

GULC will lend some prestige, but not much in the academic setting, from what I understand.  I think any way you handle informing them of your move to DC, you will appear disingenuous with respect to your desire to remain at the firm.  Your drop to top 25% may be enough of an excuse to cut ties with you anyway. 

I would probably wait until the end of the summer.  You say you want to return to the same firm, but several of your questions relate to OCI, which seems to indicate you plan to interview at other firms.  Are you expecting your current firm to drop you because of your grades and/or your transfer?

[widennumber2]

Just FYI, GULC is not a bastion of academia.  I don't know where you are transferring from, but academia really should not play a part in any transfer decision unless it is to HYS, and potentially chicago or columbia.  Even NYU has trouble placing students in academia.  Outside of HYS (where, keep in mind, there are non-transfer students who want academia and cannot achieve it), academia is primarily going to depend on your own accomplishments and relationships... getting published, make great professorial connections, etc.  Either that or go get a LLM, SJD, etc.

As for your whole firm deal.  I think you can probably figure out how that will all go down.  We have no basis to speculate, because we don't know anything about the school/quality of the firm/atmosphere of the firm/etc.

Also, I have no idea how the GPA drop will affect OCI at GULC.  I'd have to guess that its gonna be pretty detrimental.  But hey, at least your gonna be graduating with a GULC degree.