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Yes i guess the best thing we can do is to ask professors to mention about that in the LoRs...
what's the addendum for btw?

xqhp82 wrote:Yes i guess the best thing we can do is to ask professors to mention about that in the LoRs...
what's the addendum for btw?

The addendum is used for any issues you may want to address or any extra points about your application you may want to expand upon.

I used my addendum to establish the rank of my UK undergrad institution/program and to give details as to how UK undergrads are assessed. Assessment methods in the UK are VERY different from a US undergrad and in many ways are very similar to how LS assessment is conducted. I used this as a positive in my addendum and discussed how I was already familiar with a grading system and the accompanying demands which go with a assessment methods similar to (but of course not the same as) the LS setting. I also discussed how the transition from an American HS to a UK university was a difficult challenge and how my first year marks may have suffered because of it. It's been my experience that individuals applying from the UK (or any foreign undergrad) really need to help the adcomms put their qualifications and undergrad experience into perspective. I feel like in a couple instances this really helped me get into or waitlisted at schools where I honestly could have been rejected.

I think a lot of times calling up the admissions offices at schools you're interested in and asking what information they might need is helpful. This is what I did.

thanks thats a very good advice indeed..i think i'll call them up over the summer to make sure what sorts of things i need to turn in.

i just hope that if i supply them with an explanation of the grading system they wouldn't think i'm trying to make a huge point out of it/thinking they're too stupid to know the difference and hence become counter-productive. cause you seem to have a pretty good reason for writing the addendum (US HS to UK undergrad affecting your overall grades) whereas I don't have anything to talk about.

edit: oh and btw, how is the UK system similar to LS system?

xqhp82 wrote:thanks thats a very good advice indeed..i think i'll call them up over the summer to make sure what sorts of things i need to turn in.

i just hope that if i supply them with an explanation of the grading system they wouldn't think i'm trying to make a huge point out of it/thinking they're too stupid to know the difference and hence become counter-productive. cause you seem to have a pretty good reason for writing the addendum (US HS to UK undergrad affecting your overall grades) whereas I don't have anything to talk about.

edit: oh and btw, how is the UK system similar to LS system?

I guess there is that worry that you'll be telling them something they already know, but when I called each school I was looking at I asked if information regarding how I was assessed in the UK would be useful. If they said yes, I included it in the addendum. If not, I left it out. I think pretty much every school said it would be helpful though. I seriously doubt a school would have a negative impression of you for giving information about the UK grading system even though they might already know that info. If they do, frankly they're nitpicking and probably wouldn't have admitted you regardless. At least that was my perspective.

I think that you would have a compelling reason to write an addendum as well. Even just setting the context in which they should view your overseas transcript can be very helpful. For example, the grades received by US undergrads are usually made up by one or two large exams, a few paper(s)/project(s), and several smaller assignments (or some combination of these elements). Because of this it's much easier to build up your grade in the US through smaller, "easier" assignments. In contrast, in the UK, your mark for any given module is typically the result of a single exam or essay, or one of each in the case of year-long modules. (Forgive me if this isn't the case for you but this is how I was assessed at my university, in my degree program.) The way LS in the US is assessed is more closely related to the way undergrad in the UK is graded as opposed to US undergrad. Often your mark in LS is from a single final exam (possibly a mid-term as well) or paper depending on the course and school.

The reason I discussed this in my addendum is twofold: 1) It established that my transcript unlike my US-educated counterparts, was not padded by small assignments or homework points which could be used to boost my GPA. It was purely reflective of my ability to do well in 3-hour analytical, written exams and/or long research papers. I had no small assignments in which I could get "easy points" to boost my grade. Because of the UK system, every piece of assessed work you do is crucial to your overall degree mark. 2) It established that having gone through a system which is very similar to the LS setting, I have already adapted to and learned to work within such parameters. I'm in no way saying my undergrad experiences are identical to the workload I will have in LS, my point is merely that I have already learned to work with the stress level and demands of a system in which one exam or one paper is your final grade for the course. This is something US-educated undergrads say is very difficult to adapt to. I personally think this is a valid point to make for someone who has gone through the UK university system, however, you must be very careful how this is worded. You do not by any means want to come off as over-confident or implying that LS won't be a challenge for you. I feel like this is a valid and important point to make as long you can do so without implying what I've said above.

thank you so much!!! i'd never have thought about that, and yes it's very true, i do think our undergraduate system is more rigorous compared to theirs (except for the extremely lack of contact hours which i'm also not complaining). We'd never have imagined things like 'extra credit' or 'short answers' or 'take home exams' exist.

now i just want to start working on my application!!! there seems to be so much to prepare for.....but stupid final exams are on the way...arghhhh

just one more question...when should i ask for LORs? i am planning to start talking to professors before term ends since summer vacation lasts from june to october, i don't want to wait til then...but if they have the letters ready, will LSAC process the letters even if they receive them before the application cycle starts? can i just have them secured in my account say in july?

Thanks again webbylu87! since i haven't started preparing for applications i might have more specific questions to ask later on as i get into it...would really appreciate your help.

xqhp82 wrote:just one more question...when should i ask for LORs? i am planning to start talking to professors before term ends since summer vacation lasts from june to october, i don't want to wait til then...but if they have the letters ready, will LSAC process the letters even if they receive them before the application cycle starts? can i just have them secured in my account say in july?

Thanks again webbylu87! since i haven't started preparing for applications i might have more specific questions to ask later on as i get into it...would really appreciate your help.

That is exactly what I would do. Give them a month or so but I would ask for them to post them by mid-July (with the understanding that they'll probably be late). I'd definitely make it clear you'd like the LOR posted by the end of July at the latest. It takes a week to get there and then 2-3 weeks for LSAC to process your LOR and put it on your account (I think it took about a month for one of mine). As long as you've signed up and paid for LSDAS, then you can start getting your LORs sent into LSAC as soon as possible. Bear in mind that you'll have to provide your recommender with an official form (which you'll get when you generate an LOR request letter through LSDAS) so if you aren't able to give them that form in person, mailing it to them may take some extra time.

No problem with the help. I'll be starting 1L in August so not too sure how much time I'll have after that but I'll do my best to help. PM me if you have any specific questions.

Hey when you guys registered for the LSAT did you register for the CRS? Definitely seems like something that would be helpful but it looks like you can only do it if you went to school in the states or canada. Anyone have any advice on this? Thanks

FlanAl wrote:Hey when you guys registered for the LSAT did you register for the CRS? Definitely seems like something that would be helpful but it looks like you can only do it if you went to school in the states or canada. Anyone have any advice on this? Thanks

I'm registered for CRS, and I went to school in the UK. I'm fairly certain that's how you get fee waivers.

Hey thanks I guess I'll look at it again. It just looked like from the territory drop down menu outside of us or canada was not an option. But I didn't look that close. Thanks for the reply

FlanAl wrote:Hey thanks I guess I'll look at it again. It just looked like from the territory drop down menu outside of us or canada was not an option. But I didn't look that close. Thanks for the reply

Sorry I couldn't be more help, its been a while since I registered, so I don't remember the process. I also don't remember it being a problem, so you should be fine.

Hi guys...wonder if your results for this academic year are released yet?

well mine is....and i'm not so happy about it. i got 69%, again, same as my first year.....i'm forever cursed for not getting a first i swear!!! so now, what impact is this 2:1 mark going to make???? are the adcoms gonna see my grade just as 'another average uk applicant'???

xqhp82 wrote:Hi guys...wonder if your results for this academic year are released yet?

well mine is....and i'm not so happy about it. i got 69%, again, same as my first year.....i'm forever cursed for not getting a first i swear!!! so now, what impact is this 2:1 mark going to make???? are the adcoms gonna see my grade just as 'another average uk applicant'???

my results have been released as well.Just finished my first year and i also got a 2:1. Adcoms consider 2:1s average??

Mrs. Stark wrote:

xqhp82 wrote:Hi guys...wonder if your results for this academic year are released yet?

well mine is....and i'm not so happy about it. i got 69%, again, same as my first year.....i'm forever cursed for not getting a first i swear!!! so now, what impact is this 2:1 mark going to make???? are the adcoms gonna see my grade just as 'another average uk applicant'???

my results have been released as well.Just finished my first year and i also got a 2:1. Adcoms consider 2:1s average??

hmmm i think they call it 'above average' but even in that category a 60% and 69% can be so different...what i worry is that they don't take this difference into account and see all 'above average' as the same, since i assume many people obtain 2:1 in UK unis.

xqhp82 wrote:

Mrs. Stark wrote:

xqhp82 wrote:Hi guys...wonder if your results for this academic year are released yet?

well mine is....and i'm not so happy about it. i got 69%, again, same as my first year.....i'm forever cursed for not getting a first i swear!!! so now, what impact is this 2:1 mark going to make???? are the adcoms gonna see my grade just as 'another average uk applicant'???

my results have been released as well.Just finished my first year and i also got a 2:1. Adcoms consider 2:1s average??

hmmm i think they call it 'above average' but even in that category a 60% and 69% can be so different...what i worry is that they don't take this difference into account and see all 'above average' as the same, since i assume many people obtain 2:1 in UK unis.

That's true but i guess the schools you apply to have the opportunity to look at your transcript which has actual grades and percentages on it. Do you think that the LSAT holds much more weight than gpa for UK applicants?

Mrs. Stark wrote:

xqhp82 wrote:

Mrs. Stark wrote:

xqhp82 wrote:Hi guys...wonder if your results for this academic year are released yet?

well mine is....and i'm not so happy about it. i got 69%, again, same as my first year.....i'm forever cursed for not getting a first i swear!!! so now, what impact is this 2:1 mark going to make???? are the adcoms gonna see my grade just as 'another average uk applicant'???

my results have been released as well.Just finished my first year and i also got a 2:1. Adcoms consider 2:1s average??

hmmm i think they call it 'above average' but even in that category a 60% and 69% can be so different...what i worry is that they don't take this difference into account and see all 'above average' as the same, since i assume many people obtain 2:1 in UK unis.

That's true but i guess the schools you apply to have the opportunity to look at your transcript which has actual grades and percentages on it. Do you think that the LSAT holds much more weight than gpa for UK applicants?

Just to share my experience again. A 2:1 is seen as "above average." There is not stratification within the 2:1 classification as interpreted by LSAC. A 60 is worth the same as a 69. I graduated with a 2:1 and this always irked me but alas there is nothing to be done about it.

Having gone through two LS admissions cycles I can say for certain that for those applying with foreign qualifications, the LSAT is most definitely more important. Not only in admissions but also in obtaining scholarship money. My cycles were fairly unpredictable as were my scholarship allocations. Really choose where you apply well. On the whole, I would say large scholarships for UK applicants are unlikely. Expect to be paying a large chunk of money for your LS education (although who doesn't?) unless you graduate with a First or score above a 170.

Just my thoughts. Feel free to PM me with questions. I'll do my best to help!