- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 9010
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Fri Apr 10, 2020 12:43 pm
#74763
Below is a law school question from a student, Michele, and a response by PowerScore CEO Dave Killoran.
Michele: "Hi,
I am currently at a law school ranked at 100 with a full academic scholarship. I have received my grades for the fall semester and have ranked top 5% and hope to either maintain or improve on that during the upcoming spring semester.
I was wondering your thoughts on transferring to a better ranked school, my options would include Columbia, NYU, and Fordham, as I would like to remain in NY. I am aware that transfers do not have the ability to be considered for scholarships so I would have to pay the full tuition at any of the schools previously listed (current tuition looks to be roughly $70k a year at Columbia and NYU and slightly less at Fordham). I would have the ability to live at home and commute to any of those schools so room and board are not monetary factors that need to be considered. Although money is a huge factor, I was looking for opinions on whether the switch would be worth it. I do not have a preferred field after graduation but I am not opposed to big law in NYC, and am quite interested in possibly pursuing a job in academia.
I also know that if I were to transfer my ranking would likely drop, I am hoping not below top 30%. Would you suggest transferring and would the drop in ranking impact job prospects despite the prestige that comes with the better ranked school?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!"
Dave Killoran: "Hi Michele,
Thanks for the message. There’s no “right” answer here, only what works best for your career path. Graduating at the top of most any school will open some doors, but obviously the name-brand power of a T6 school does the same. And if you did graduate in the top quarter, you’d be looking at some excellent offers, so for me the drop in ranking isn’t a major worry. The question is, can you deal with the debt? I can’t answer that for you since I’m not the one who would have to pay it, but I would advise you to look carefully at the monthly on such a debt vs the likely salary you’d be looking at. It could easily be that moving to a T6 school would be financially sound, but only you know your exact finances and costs. I
I can see positives from either situation, so it’s about what feels best for you personally. I know that’s not definitive, but I hope it helps. Good luck!"
Michele: "Hi,
I am currently at a law school ranked at 100 with a full academic scholarship. I have received my grades for the fall semester and have ranked top 5% and hope to either maintain or improve on that during the upcoming spring semester.
I was wondering your thoughts on transferring to a better ranked school, my options would include Columbia, NYU, and Fordham, as I would like to remain in NY. I am aware that transfers do not have the ability to be considered for scholarships so I would have to pay the full tuition at any of the schools previously listed (current tuition looks to be roughly $70k a year at Columbia and NYU and slightly less at Fordham). I would have the ability to live at home and commute to any of those schools so room and board are not monetary factors that need to be considered. Although money is a huge factor, I was looking for opinions on whether the switch would be worth it. I do not have a preferred field after graduation but I am not opposed to big law in NYC, and am quite interested in possibly pursuing a job in academia.
I also know that if I were to transfer my ranking would likely drop, I am hoping not below top 30%. Would you suggest transferring and would the drop in ranking impact job prospects despite the prestige that comes with the better ranked school?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!"
Dave Killoran: "Hi Michele,
Thanks for the message. There’s no “right” answer here, only what works best for your career path. Graduating at the top of most any school will open some doors, but obviously the name-brand power of a T6 school does the same. And if you did graduate in the top quarter, you’d be looking at some excellent offers, so for me the drop in ranking isn’t a major worry. The question is, can you deal with the debt? I can’t answer that for you since I’m not the one who would have to pay it, but I would advise you to look carefully at the monthly on such a debt vs the likely salary you’d be looking at. It could easily be that moving to a T6 school would be financially sound, but only you know your exact finances and costs. I
I can see positives from either situation, so it’s about what feels best for you personally. I know that’s not definitive, but I hope it helps. Good luck!"