There are a variety of reasons a law student may consider transferring schools. Your current law school may not be a fit for a variety of reasons — you don’t love the professors or environment, the city isn’t a fit, or you need to relocate for personal reasons. Whatever the reason, transferring schools is a big decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
While you are at your current school, focus on your grades and rounding out your resume. These are two factors admissions officers may evaluate when you apply to transfer. Continue reading for a guide on how to make a transfer happen and what you should consider before choosing to make the move.
What Is a Law School Transfer?
Typically, completing law school takes three years. A law school transfer is someone who switches from one law school to another while pursuing their JD. In most cases, transfers take place after a student completes their first year of law school, commonly known as their 1L year.
It is possible to transfer after your second year, but this is less common because credits taken during your 2L year may not transfer.
What to Consider Before You Transfer Law Schools
Switching law schools involves a lot of work, and it can involve some trade-offs. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you take the leap:
Is the law school you want to transfer to ranked significantly higher than your current one? If you’re looking to change schools in order to upgrade, moving to one that is only ranked slightly higher probably isn’t worth the trouble. It won’t change your job prospects very much, and what you sacrifice could eclipse any benefits. Aim to jump to at least the next tier of law schools. If you’re already in the top tier, you may want to focus on just the top five schools.
Will a “better” school be right for you?
When you move to a higher-ranked school, you may see your grades fall or feel stressed because of stiffer competition. You may get less personalized attention from faculty and administrators and have a harder time getting to the top of the list for institution-based law school scholarships and internships. Setbacks like these aren’t guaranteed, and you can certainly bounce back, but make sure you think through the move carefully and get to know your prospective institution well.
Are you willing to put in the work?
Applying as a transfer student requires pretty much the same amount of time and effort as applying to law school the first time. You’ll also have to pay application fees of up to around $100 per school.
Are you OK with potentially losing out on opportunities?
When you change schools, you may have to give up scholarships, the chance to study abroad, or the opportunity to participate in the law review or moot court. You will also have to give up your first-year grades (you don’t bring them with you to the new school).
Can you deal with setbacks in your relationships?
When you transfer, you might lose the bonds and connections you’ve started forming during your first year.
Conversely, many of the students at your new school will have formed strong friendships as well, so you might have a harder time breaking in. Considering the importance of networks in career advancement, this could affect not only your personal life, but also your professional future.
How to Complete a Law School Transfer
Most students transfer after their first year, which allows them to receive a degree from their new school with no mention of the original institution. Many schools will not allow you to transfer after your second year, or if they do, they’ll still require you to attend two additional years at the new school.
Applying for a transfer looks very similar to applying for law school in the first place. Generally, you’ll need to submit:
• A résumé
• A personal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• Transcripts
• A report of your LSAT score
Preparing Your Application
Applying to transfer does not guarantee that you’ll be admitted. Your GPA and class rank are usually the most important factors in your application and are weighed more heavily in transfer decisions than your LSAT score and extracurricular activities.
Most schools will only admit transfers that are in the top 10% of their class. Your class rank must be even higher if your school is ranked relatively low. To improve your chances, focus on getting good grades in your first year. You should also start early on building relationships with professors who might offer recommendations by reaching out to them, attending office hours, and speaking up in class.
A law school transfer personal statement must focus not only on why you want to study law in general but also on why you want to transfer. The reason you cite should be substantive and tied to the institution you want to attend, rather than a purely personal motive, such as being closer to family.
Don’t just cut and paste the essay you submitted when applying to law school initially, and don’t turn in a generic statement. Instead, tailor the essay to the school you want to transfer to, and why they are the right fit for you. Steer clear of trash-talking your current law school — that doesn’t look good to the admissions committee. Instead, speak in positive terms about what you’ve gained and accomplished, and make clear what contribution you would make to the school if you were accepted.
What Are Admissions Officers Looking at in a Transfer Application?
The exact criteria an admissions committee evaluates may vary based on the law school. However, there are commonalities that admissions officers evaluate and opportunities for you to strengthen your application as a law school transfer. Some of the top criteria evaluated include grades, letters of recommendation, resume, and your personal statement.
• Grades. The grades you earn during your 1L year can illustrate how you’ll perform in future years of law school. As mentioned, LSAT scores will still likely be a factor, but may fall in importance after completing 1L classes.
• Letter of recommendation. This can help the committee understand how you performed in your 1L classes and any other criteria that could help you stand out from other applicants. Think carefully about which professor may be the best fit to write a letter on your behalf and be open about your reasons for wanting to transfer.
• Resume. The admissions committee will also likely evaluate any law-related extracurriculars you participated in during your 1L year.
• Personal Statement. The personal statement is an opportunity to explain why you are interested in transferring in addition to why you want to pursue a law degree and how it will influence your future career plans.
What to Do if Your Transfer Is Accepted
If you’re admitted as a transfer student, congratulations! Once you’ve committed to switching schools, you’ll need to take care of a number of things to ensure a smooth transition. First, inform your current school of your plans to transfer (and tell your landlord if you’re moving). Next, get in touch with your new school to confirm which of your credits will be transferred, and take careful note of all the classes you need to earn your degree.
You will also want to reach out to the financial aid office to make sure your package is squared away. And don’t forget to contact career services to connect with your advisor and sign up for on-campus interviews and other opportunities. If you’re moving, you’ll need to get set up in a new apartment. Once you’re at your new school, work extra hard to build relationships with professors and peers. These will pay off in terms of future recommendation letters and lifelong networks.
How Student Loan Refinancing Can Help
As a lawyer-in-training, you’re probably on track to make a good living once you graduate. But in the meantime, law school can be an expensive endeavor. That high price tag, especially when combined with the cost of undergraduate education, is one reason that law school students are graduating with an average of $145,500 in student debt. According to a 2021 survey published by the American Bar Association, nearly 90% of law school students graduate with student loan debt.
Maybe you are looking to transfer because your current law school is too expensive, or maybe you’re upgrading to a higher-ranked school that also comes with higher costs. Either way, student loan refinancing can help get your law school debt under control.
What Is Student Loan Refinancing?
Student loan refinancing involves getting a single new loan from a private lender to pay off all your existing student loans. You can refinance both federal and private loans. Your new loan comes with a single payment, a new loan term, and an interest rate.
Lenders will generally evaluate factors including your credit score, credit history, and income, among other personal factors to help determine the loan terms. It is possible to refinance student loans with bad credit, but this can be more challenging or result in a higher interest rate or less favorable terms. That’s why some borrowers may consider adding a cosigner to strengthen their application.
Refinancing without a cosigner is also an option. Borrowers with limited history or low credit scores may want to spend some time building credit before refinancing if they do not want to rely on a cosigner.
Recommended: Guide to Establishing Credit
But, should you refinance your student loans? The answer is deeply personal, but being an informed consumer can help you make the decision. A major draw of refinancing is to secure a more competitive interest rate, which could help you save money over the life of the loan. You can get an idea of how refinancing can influence your loans by using SoFi’s student loan refinance calculator.
If you think refinancing may be a fit for you, shop around and compare terms to find the best rates and terms available to you. On your way, consider refinancing student loans with SoFi.
While refinancing can help borrowers tackle their student loan debt, doing so does eliminate any federal loans from federal protections like deferment or loan forgiveness options.
The Takeaway
There are a lot of reasons students may want to transfer law schools. Typically, this happens after a student has completed their 1L year. Admissions committees will generally evaluate factors including a student’s 1L grads, the letter of recommendation, their resume and any law-related extracurriculars, and the student’s personal statement, among other factors as determined by the school.
Nearly 90% of law students graduate with student loan debt. Student loan refinancing might be right for you if your current loans have high-interest rates and if you have a solid credit score. Keep in mind that if you refinance federal loans, you give up the opportunity to take advantage of income-based repayment plans or federal relief offerings such as deferment or forbearance. You can consider refinancing your undergrad loans while in law school, or once you have a steady job after law school, you can refinance your undergrad and law school loans.
You may also consider taking out a private student loan with SoFi to finance the rest of your law school experience. SoFi offers flexible repayment plans and a quick application with no fees.
SoFi offers competitive options for both private student loans and student loan refinancing. You can find out in just a few minutes if you pre-qualify.
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SoFi Student Loan Refinance
If you are looking to refinance federal student loans, please be aware that the White House has announced up to $20,000 of student loan forgiveness for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for qualifying borrowers whose student loans are federally held. Additionally, the federal student loan payment pause and interest holiday has been extended beyond December 31, 2022. Please carefully consider these changes before refinancing federally held loans with SoFi, since the amount or portion of your federal student debt that you refinance will no longer qualify for the federal loan payment suspension, interest waiver, or any other current or future benefits applicable to federal loans. If you qualify for federal student loan forgiveness and still wish to refinance, leave unrefinanced the amount you expect to be forgiven to receive your federal benefit.
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Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income-Driven Repayment plans, including Income-Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.
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