Better to transfer in during 2L or reapply to 1L next year: Which has better chances?

[AWKWARDAWKWARD]

Hello Everyone!

 I had been accepted to QL (and provisionally accepted) for this year within Ontario but out of Toronto. Due to personal reasons I was forced to write my LSAT in February and had to be taken out of the running for a number of schools as a result.  Due to the same personal reasons I hadn't scored as well as I may have wanted to (158). I had been on the waitlist anxiously waiting for a spot to open for the last two months but it seems that with July 1st literally tomorrow -- it seems no longer possible.

My question is the following: If I were to attend QL this year, what are the pros and cons of applying for a transfer next year versus waiting to reapply? (i.e. Is it generally much harder to get into law school as a transfer applicant?) My question being because of the fact that Im not totally in love with the idea of having to wait another year before getting in, but I also am not sure how many years I can stay out of Toronto due to personal reasons. Hopefully whether reapplying or transferring, I would have the chance to apply early this time around.

cGPA 3.1; L2 3.85; L1 ~3.95; Strong EC's

[lawess]

following! i also had to take the feb lsat... it really did screw me over. thinking of reapplying this fall but i dont want to retake it!

[QueensDenning]

As someone who just finished 1L in Queen's (and lived there despite covid), it's not that far from Toronto and everyone goes back to Toronto for summer/some weekends. I don't think its worth waiting another year to MAYBE do better on the lsat and then MAYBE get into a Toronto school. I also think you lose out on much of the benefits of each school by transferring (harder to get into ecs for 2L if you transfer after 1L). Also, for the recruit, you don't get any Toronto school advantage if you transfer after 1L (ie. your grades will still be compared to those from your 1L year).

[Lawllapalooza]

Pros to attending QL/not reapplying: Queen's is a fantastic school, earlier entry into the workforce, no risk you won't be accepted next year, no retaking LSAT/paying app fees, anxious waiting etc.

Cons to attending QL/not reapplying: your transfer app may be declined, whatever your personal concerns are.

Neither a transfer nor a regular acceptance next year are guaranteed. Either way you're gambling. I think you need to determine for yourself what you're willing to risk. If you attended Queen's but weren't able to transfer after a year would you need to drop out for personal reasons? If so I would not recommend attending this year. On the other hand if continuing your studies in Kingston would be not ideal but still something you'd do if necessary then I'd suggest attending. Pushing your education and career back by a year for something that may not even happen is not recommended unless necessary for reasons only you can know. Compassionate grounds are a consideration for transfers to at least some schools, but they still are not guaranteed, and it's impossible to predict ahead of time whether your 1L grades will be strong, particularly relative to other applicants. 

From U of T's website: The Faculty of Law welcomes applications from students seeking admission to the second year of the JD program as transfer students. We expect that there will be from ten to twenty places to be filled every year. 

Admission to transfer into the second year of our JD program is based on a holistic assessment of a candidate’s profile, including undergraduate record (and, if applicable, graduate work), LSAT score, first year JD or LLB grades from a common law school, and a personal statement.  

Some applicants have compassionate grounds for seeking admission. As the Admissions Committee finds it extremely difficult to choose among deserving compassionate reasons, selection is not based on these factors.

 

From Osgoode's website: The number of openings in each category is dependent on the internal attrition rates at the Law School and is usually quite small. 

Decisions are generally made in accordance with the following priorities:

Up to one-half of the available positions will be awarded to applicants on the basis of the strength of their law school academic records to date. It is therefore critical that we receive an indication of an applicant’s standing relative to the rest of his or her class.

No fewer than one-half of the available spaces will be awarded to applicants who demonstrate compelling, compassionate circumstances that require them to transfer to Osgoode Hall Law School. Academic qualifications are not ignored in this subgroup but rather are used to aid in deciding between candidates who demonstrate comparable compassionate circumstances. Within this subgroup, priority will be given to: persons who must relocate to the Toronto area due to their own medical condition or that of an immediate family member; persons who would be separated from their dependents where separation to date has been extensive and commuting is not a viable option; and persons who demonstrate extreme financial hardship occasioned by study outside of the Toronto area.

I have no idea about transferring to Ryerson.

[MapleLeafs]

With that GPA, I'm not sure you have the best chances at Osgoode, even with a higher LSAT. Just go to Queens, it's a great school. 

[NowOrNever]

1 hour ago, MericGertlersTing said:

Hello Everyone!

 I had been accepted to QL (and provisionally accepted) for this year within Ontario but out of Toronto. Due to personal reasons I was forced to write my LSAT in February and had to be taken out of the running for a number of schools as a result.  Due to the same personal reasons I hadn't scored as well as I may have wanted to (158). I had been on the waitlist anxiously waiting for a spot to open for the last two months but it seems that with July 1st literally tomorrow -- it seems no longer possible.

My question is the following: If I were to attend QL this year, what are the pros and cons of applying for a transfer next year versus waiting to reapply? (i.e. Is it generally much harder to get into law school as a transfer applicant?) My question being because of the fact that Im not totally in love with the idea of having to wait another year before getting in, but I also am not sure how many years I can stay out of Toronto due to personal reasons. Hopefully whether reapplying or transferring, I would have the chance to apply early this time around.

cGPA 3.1; L2 3.85; L1 ~3.95; Strong EC's

What is your B3?

if you have 3.8+ B3 and 166+ LSAT you are good for UofT.

Otherwise going to Queen's is a wise decision.

[luckycharm]

5 hours ago, MericGertlersTing said:

Hello Everyone!

 I had been accepted to QL (and provisionally accepted) for this year within Ontario but out of Toronto. Due to personal reasons I was forced to write my LSAT in February and had to be taken out of the running for a number of schools as a result.  Due to the same personal reasons I hadn't scored as well as I may have wanted to (158). I had been on the waitlist anxiously waiting for a spot to open for the last two months but it seems that with July 1st literally tomorrow -- it seems no longer possible.

My question is the following: If I were to attend QL this year, what are the pros and cons of applying for a transfer next year versus waiting to reapply? (i.e. Is it generally much harder to get into law school as a transfer applicant?) My question being because of the fact that Im not totally in love with the idea of having to wait another year before getting in, but I also am not sure how many years I can stay out of Toronto due to personal reasons. Hopefully whether reapplying or transferring, I would have the chance to apply early this time around.

cGPA 3.1; L2 3.85; L1 ~3.95; Strong EC's

You are lucky to get an offer from Queens.

OZ is a GPA school and I don't think your GPA of 3.1 and 158 is competitive for general category.

I transferred from Ottawa to OZ. You need a very high 1 L GPA to get a chance unless you have a compassionate reason.