Official Foreign Applicants Thread 2011-2012 Forum

[piccolittle]

I believe antipodeanphil means below average instead of above average

Point: I withdrew from being waitlisted at a T6 with an LSAT below the 25th percentile

From what I've seen, nobody gets a "below average." Generally HYS accept people with "superior" only, not even "above average" (at least, that's what happened in my cycle). So I think antipodeanphil meant exactly what he wrote.

[AntipodeanPhil]

I believe antipodeanphil means below average instead of above average

Point: I withdrew from being waitlisted at a T6 with an LSAT below the 25th percentile

From what I've seen, nobody gets a "below average." Generally HYS accept people with "superior" only, not even "above average" (at least, that's what happened in my cycle). So I think antipodeanphil meant exactly what he wrote.

Indeed. As far as I'm aware, all of the internationals accepted at HYS on TLS and LSN have have "superior" evaluations.

The other point doesn't surprise me. Columbia and NYU have accepted internationals with below median LSAT scores before, according to LSN. And since the medians might drop this cycle or next, it would definitely be worth applying to those schools for this coming cycle if you're two or three points below the LSAT median.

[dingbat]

I believe antipodeanphil means below average instead of above average

Point: I withdrew from being waitlisted at a T6 with an LSAT below the 25th percentile

From what I've seen, nobody gets a "below average." Generally HYS accept people with "superior" only, not even "above average" (at least, that's what happened in my cycle). So I think antipodeanphil meant exactly what he wrote.

Indeed. As far as I'm aware, all of the internationals accepted at HYS on TLS and LSN have have "superior" evaluations.

The other point doesn't surprise me. Columbia and NYU have accepted internationals with below median LSAT scores before, according to LSN. And since the medians might drop this cycle or next, it would definitely be worth applying to those schools for this coming cycle if you're two or three points below the LSAT median.

Ah. I was thinking only of below average/above average LSAT, not the evaluation. sorry, my confusion

[canon1845]

I was just wandering about the job prospects for us "internationals" upon graduation. With the US legal market in such awful condition, wouldn't it be even more challenging for us to get a legal job in the U.S. after we graduate?

Depends on whether or not you have work authorization (e.g. green card)

So if you don't have a green card or other work authorization by the time you graduate are you screwed?

[danitt]

I was just wandering about the job prospects for us "internationals" upon graduation. With the US legal market in such awful condition, wouldn't it be even more challenging for us to get a legal job in the U.S. after we graduate?

Depends on whether or not you have work authorization (e.g. green card)

So if you don't have a green card or other work authorization by the time you graduate are you screwed?

And as an addition to that, is PI work even an option?

[zomginternets]

I was just wandering about the job prospects for us "internationals" upon graduation. With the US legal market in such awful condition, wouldn't it be even more challenging for us to get a legal job in the U.S. after we graduate?

Depends on whether or not you have work authorization (e.g. green card)

So if you don't have a green card or other work authorization by the time you graduate are you screwed?

And as an addition to that, is PI work even an option?

You need someone to sponsor you for a work visa (either H1B, or E3 if you are Australian). H1B lasts 3 years and can only be renewed twice, E3 lasts 2 years but I think it can be renewed infinitely. You could ask for an employer to sponsor a greencard for you too, but my understanding is that this is a long and expensive procedure (takes a year or two to process). I doubt that many employers want to go through this hassle considering US citizen lawyers are a dime a dozen. Your other greencard options are through an immediately relative that's a US citizen (i.e. marriage), or green card lottery.

Theoretically, non-fed. gov PI work can be done, but I'm highly doubt you'll find a PI gig that's willing to sponsor you.

[AntipodeanPhil]

Your other greencard options are through an immediately relative that's a US citizen (i.e. marriage), or green card lottery.

When I was on a student visa, I heard a rumor that the government will sometimes deny student visa applications or renewals if the person has entered the green card lottery. People on student visas are not supposed to have an intent to immigrate to the US, and apparently applying for a green card under the lottery scheme is taken as evidence of that intent. This might just have been the foreign student equivalent of an urban myth, though.

On the broader topic: IMHO, your best chance of getting a job is big law, since big law is most likely to be willing and able to spend the money to file the paperwork and pay the fees, and big law has international clients.

[bbsg]

Your other greencard options are through an immediately relative that's a US citizen (i.e. marriage), or green card lottery.

When I was on a student visa, I heard a rumor that the government will sometimes deny student visa applications or renewals if the person has entered the green card lottery. People on student visas are not supposed to have an intent to immigrate to the US, and apparently applying for a green card under the lottery scheme is taken as evidence of that intent. This might just have been the foreign student equivalent of an urban myth, though.

On the broader topic: IMHO, your best chance of getting a job is big law, since big law is most likely to be willing and able to spend the money to file the paperwork and pay the fees, and big law has international clients.

I actually entirely believe that. My friend (Not a 'friend of a friend,' I mean 'my friend') was grilled *hard* when he was doing his masters at Columbia and got married to an American he met in his undergrad in Canada. The official took the fact he was marrying someone he met in Toronto (they moved to NYC together after undergrad for his masters) as evidence that he first met her there, and then when they filed for his green card after marriage they took that as evidence that he was intending to marry her even before he took up studies at Columbia and therefore he had moved to NYC with the ultimate intent to immigrate. I don't know what the particulars were, but it ended up delaying his green card by almost a year and he needed to work with some immigration lawyer.

[vishwanath15]

ok.. 165 lsat and, 'superior' grade in cas report. Which colleges do i have a chance at? what range of gpa is represeted by 'SUPERIOR"? how do the colleges evaluate this grade by CAS?

[BlackadderIn]

.

[hjacmcaca]

Hey guys,
I am a Chinese applicant for the 2013-2014 cycle. I got 164/superior, applying for schools generally sitting between 28th to 41th. I studied in a top-ranked Japanese University, one-year exchange in a U.S. liberal arts college with 3.63 GPA. Well, I am quite worried about my GPA in actuality because my thesis instructor, who is also my strongest author for one recommendation letter (Dartmouth BA, Yale JD), told me that foreign transcripts would always been disadvantaged in the whole process of application review, comparing to those American ones. Just wanna get my worries diffused through this website from you experienced applicants. At least from my point of view at this point in time I could not discern any difference between a "above average" and "superior."

[Redamon1]

Hey guys,
I am a Chinese applicant for the 2013-2014 cycle. I got 164/superior, applying for schools generally sitting between 28th to 41th. I studied in a top-ranked Japanese University, one-year exchange in a U.S. liberal arts college with 3.63 GPA. Well, I am quite worried about my GPA in actuality because my thesis instructor, who is also my strongest author for one recommendation letter (Dartmouth BA, Yale JD), told me that foreign transcripts would always been disadvantaged in the whole process of application review, comparing to those American ones. Just wanna get my worries diffused through this website from you experienced applicants. At least from my point of view at this point in time I could not discern any difference between a "above average" and "superior."

You're in a good position with a "superior" transcript. Because adcoms can't tell as much from your transcript, they'll put more emphasis on your LSAT score. 164 is not a bad score, but have you considered retaking? I know it sucks and it's a lot of work, but add 5+ points and I believe you'd be in solid T14 territory. Also, apply widely because foreign applicant cycles are less predictable.

[NapoleonXV]

Hey guys,
I am a Chinese applicant for the 2013-2014 cycle. I got 164/superior, applying for schools generally sitting between 28th to 41th. I studied in a top-ranked Japanese University, one-year exchange in a U.S. liberal arts college with 3.63 GPA. Well, I am quite worried about my GPA in actuality because my thesis instructor, who is also my strongest author for one recommendation letter (Dartmouth BA, Yale JD), told me that foreign transcripts would always been disadvantaged in the whole process of application review, comparing to those American ones. Just wanna get my worries diffused through this website from you experienced applicants. At least from my point of view at this point in time I could not discern any difference between a "above average" and "superior."

Retake.

Judging from previous Chinese students application record, you will have some serious chances at GULC if you raise 4 more points

[falbader]

Hey all.

I'm an international student from Kuwait checking in, but I am doing my undergrad in the U.S.