Accepting with the intention of transferring: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

[orky13]

So what if you are holding out for a better school, and you accept a lesser schools offer for financial/logistical reasons with the intention of transferring. You plan to go to a better school starting 2L. Is this just a dumb plan or do lots of people do it?


2 acceptances, 1 deferral, and 4 decisions yet to be made! The waiting is very difficult

[Groundhog]

Some schools will turn any scholarships they gave you into loans if you transfer or don't finish there. Other than that, you should realize that you are by no means guaranteed a chance at transferring, and that you will have to be near the top of your class to do so.

[jacy85]

It's an incredibly STUPID idea.

Everyone walks into their first day of class thinking they're going to rock first semester, come out at the top of the curve.  Fact of life is that no matter how much work you put in, your classmates will probably still beat you out.

If you attend a school, and don't see yourself being happy there for the entire 3 years, and woudl be really unhappy with the career opportunities you might have coming out of that school, then DON'T GO.  The odds of getting a high enough GPA to transfer up are very much against you.

[dbk10]

Keeping in mind this - you are never guaranteed to be able to transfer.  It is important to chose a school that you could see yourself happy at for the  three years of law school.  If you do well, and are able to transfer then I don't think anybody will have any problems with it, but I feel you may hurt yourself if you go in with the intention of being able to transfer.  The bigger the difference in "status" of the school you're trying to transfer into, the higher up in the rankings of your class you'll need to be - and it's too early to make an assumption as to where you'll be in the class rankings.

[loki13]

I call thinking about transferring the 'pony option'.

What do I mean by this?

Practice by saying whatever you're going to do today, then add, "and I'm getting a pony!"

Now say to yourself... "I'm going to xyz law school, and I'm getting a pony!"

What does it all mean? Wishing to transfer is like wishing for a pony. It sure sounds great, but I wouldn't count on it. Pick a school that you'll be happy at for three years. And if you're lucky, a year from now, you'll be looking at stables for your pony.

[orky13]

Great advice, thank you!

[Mr. Pink]

Some schools will turn any scholarships they gave you into loans if you transfer or don't finish there. Other than that, you should realize that you are by no means guaranteed a chance at transferring, and that you will have to be near the top of your class to do so.

I agree.

[melicertes]

Keeping in mind this - you are never guaranteed to be able to transfer.  It is important to chose a school that you could see yourself happy at for the  three years of law school.  If you do well, and are able to transfer then I don't think anybody will have any problems with it, but I feel you may hurt yourself if you go in with the intention of being able to transfer.  The bigger the difference in "status" of the school you're trying to transfer into, the higher up in the rankings of your class you'll need to be - and it's too early to make an assumption as to where you'll be in the class rankings.

TITCR

[krumanadi]

It's an incredibly STUPID idea.

Everyone walks into their first day of class thinking they're going to rock first semester, come out at the top of the curve.  Fact of life is that no matter how much work you put in, your classmates will probably still beat you out.

If you attend a school, and don't see yourself being happy there for the entire 3 years, and woudl be really unhappy with the career opportunities you might have coming out of that school, then DON'T GO.  The odds of getting a high enough GPA to transfer up are very much against you.

Seems to me that is a defeatist attitude.  Confidence has much to do with success.

Now thats not to say someone should be so overly confident that they will go somewhere with the intent of transfering, but to think that your going to be outdone by your classmates as a fact of life is not a good attitude.

[dandlewood]

Most law schools don't let you keep your rank or GPA from the previous school. You become inelligable for graduation with honors.