In last week’s post, I began a discussion of two situations that some law school applicants find themselves in during this time of year. In one situation, an applicant has received admission to some schools, but none of his or her top choices. In the other, the applicant has been accepted at one of his or her top choices and received a lucrative scholarship offer from a lower school.

In both these cases, many applicants decide to attend a lower-tier school with the intention of transferring to a top-choice school after their first year.

Having previously outlined three do’s for students in this situation, I will finish the discussion by focusing on three things that prospective transfer students should not do during their first year of law school.

[Learn how to stand out as a law school transfer applicant.]

Note that these tips are directed primarily at future first-year students, or 1Ls, who intend to transfer to schools that are ranked significantly higher than the schools they initially attend. Some students, however, transfer to be in the geographic area of their choice or for other reasons. For such students, a lateral transfer to a similarly-ranked school will generally be easier.

1. Don’t be unrealistic about your chances of transferring: Although I encourage people who are attending a school that is not their top choice to consider transferring after their first year, remember that transferring to a top-tier school is a very difficult proposition. Most top schools save very few spots, if any, for transfer students. So spots in these schools open up only when current students drop out or take a leave of absence.

If you are planning on transferring to a school outside of the top tier, there will likely be more transfer spots available to you, but you will still face an uphill battle.

My purpose is not to discourage you from transferring or from entering law school with the intention of transferring, but rather to remind you that you that you will be competing for very few spots, so preparation for 1L year and dedication to your academic success are imperative.

Remember that law school is different from any other type of schooling in the U.S. education system, both in terms of the way you are expected to think and how you are evaluated.

[Explore the 2016 Best Law Schools infographic.]

2. Don’t take any steps toward transferring until you have received your first semester grades: It is important to not cloud your mind too much with thoughts of transferring until you know whether your grades will be strong enough to allow you to.

If you have one foot out the door, you will likely be less engaged in the broader law school community. This will make it more difficult to participate in extracurricular activities and make meaningful connections with professors, both of which are important building blocks toward a strong transfer application.

3. Don’t alienate yourself from your current school: Even if you have plans to transfer, you should not make those plans public. If you mention your plans to transfer to fellow students, you risk being labeled as a “gunner” — a pejorative term often used in law school to describe students who transparently and aggressively seek the highest accolades — or as someone who does not want to be part of the community.

[See the 10 law schools that get the most full-time applications.]

Mentioning your transfer plans will affect your social life and your ability to integrate into the community. More importantly, it will likely affect your grades.

A large part of studying for law school is collaborative. Most students create study groups to share notes, discuss the material in depth and help each other with areas of weakness. If you do not have these resources available to you, your grades will likely suffer.

Furthermore, if you don’t end up transferring, you will make your second and third years much less comfortable having alienated yourself from your peer group.

Are you considering transferring law schools? Let me know in an email or tweet me @shawnpoconnor.

More from U.S. News

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3 Don’ts for New Law Students Planning to Transfer originally appeared on usnews.com