Interviewing For Law School Admission

Transferring Up At Law Schools

These are desperate times for law schools and law students. The job market is abysmal. Schools are restructuring their own debt and curriculum. Everything seems to be at all-time lows except for law student debt. This has led to an interesting trend—the competition for 1L transfer students.
It makes sense. More than ever, where you attend law school is important. So let’s say a student gets waitlisted at their top choice, but still really want to go to that school. That student can spend a year at the school which accepted him or her, have a killer first year, and then try to get into the school where he or she was waitlisted. Don’t believe it? Here are some stats.
The University of Maryland School of Law had 29 students transfer in and 21 transfer out during 2012-2013 academic year. The year prior, they had 34 students transfer in and eight transfer out. In three years starting in the academic year of 2010-2011, transfers in at Georgetown University School of law increased from 71 to 85 to 122 students. From the 2011-2012 to the 2012-2013 academic years, George Washington University School of Law saw a jump of 63 students transferring in to 93. During the same time, American University had an increase of 49 to 68 students transferring in.
The Washington Post interviewed some law school deans for their opinions on why this trend was happening. First, people transfer for all sorts of reasons. It could be because of a relationship, to be closer to family, or find a more desirable geographical location. The deans say it is most likely because schools are getting increasingly getting fewer applicants—even the top schools. So not only are students trying to transfer to higher ranked schools, schools are trying to get better students.
The main point is this type of climate is creating a transfer’s market for 1Ls.
Source: The Washington Post
DON’T MISS: GETTING INTO LAW SCHOOL FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGE