What are my chances on HLS? Forum

[roranoa]

So here's my status....

I'm at a foreign institution and I have a 4.0/4.3 GPA
I have 2 yrs of WE with the local govt. and was in the debate team for around 2 yrs.
I'm still in school and if I get a satisfying score on my Oct. LSAT this year I can apply this year.
Because I worked so hard on my GPA for law school I wish my LSAT score to match that (hopefully a 172 -175)
and wish to get into my dream school (HLS). However, currently my PT scores don't look so good (mid 160's) and
I seem to be a slow learner.


Here's the twist: Through some connections I have got a chance to work with the law review at my institute.
But the workload is....well.....substantial. So obviously if I decide to do this I'll lose time preparing for the LSAT.
The upside is that I can add something significant to my resume and probably would be able to get a nice recommendation from the advising professor of this law review.

So what do you think I should do? My goal being HLS, do you think I'm better off just focusing on my lsat from now and over the summer or take this chance and bring up my softs a little bit. Plus, how much chance would I have on HLS if I get only a 172(I feel this is what I'll probably end up with) without the law review experience? (And what about my chance on CLS? This is my next best choice)

Do you think there would be some considerable difference in having a 172 with just what I've got and having a 172 with some law review experience as a undergrad?


Plz help!! I really need some opinions on this one.

[suspicious android]

In terms of importance in determining your chances of HLS:

LSAT score >> GPA >>>>>> legal journal thing

I'd rather have a 172 with no journal than a 170 and the journal.

Not gonna speculate about your chances because it's pointless until you have an actual LSAT score. But you're in a good position with your great GPA and early prep scores. Good luck!

[roranoa]

In terms of importance in determining your chances of HLS:

LSAT score >> GPA >>>>>> legal journal thing

I'd rather have a 172 with no journal than a 170 and the journal.

Not gonna speculate about your chances because it's pointless until you have an actual LSAT score. But you're in a good position with your great GPA and early prep scores. Good luck!

This is a helpful response! I have suspected that my priorities should lie on honing my LSAT skills. However, is the level of importance really show that much gap as you say? I know that the LSAT is way important than your GPA, but there's like
6 >'s between GPA and journal thing. Is this really like this?

[roranoa]

bump

[20121109]

First of all, gorgeous GPA!!!

But until you have a LSAT score, its quite pointless to speculate. Everyone can hope for a 172-175 score, but its another thing to actually get it. But keep working hard and do the best you can. If you feel that the journal will get in the way of the your prep time, I would probably reconsider. The LSAT is the single most important factor in the admissions process. No soft will compensate for that.

Also, try to be mindful of the forum in which you post!! The LSAT Prep and Discussion Forum is usually reserved for just that. Next time, try the What are My Chances? Forum

Good Luck!!

<3

[tesoro]

I know that the LSAT is way important than your GPA, but there's like
6 >'s between GPA and journal thing. Is this really like this?

Yes. Yes it is.

[GATORTIM]

Take LSAT and then apply to HLS. The admissions office will give you a much more reliable answer than any of us.

[vanwinkle]

I know that the LSAT is way important than your GPA, but there's like
6 >'s between GPA and journal thing. Is this really like this?

Yes. Yes it is.

For HLS, you need both a strong LSAT and GPA. However, LSAT+GPA >>>>>> journal is credited.

[roranoa]

Also, try to be mindful of the forum in which you post!! The LSAT Prep and Discussion Forum is usually reserved for just that. Next time, try the What are My Chances? Forum

Oh, sorry about that. I honestly didn't know there was such forum

[jman77]

OP, when you say you are at a foreign institution, do you mean you are studying at a foreign school, or are you studying at a US school but currently doing a study abroad thing?

If it's the former, your LSAT becomes even more important because your GPA, gorgeous as it is, will not count at all (other than perhaps another "soft" factor). So it's basically your LSAT score that will determine where you will get in. Take it from me (also went to an international institution for undergrad).

[09042014]

173+.

Your Gpa doesn't count because it is foreign.

[roranoa]

173+.

Your Gpa doesn't count because it is foreign.

But I am a foreigner. An international student. How can it not count?

[roranoa]

OP, when you say you are at a foreign institution, do you mean you are studying at a foreign school, or are you studying at a US school but currently doing a study abroad thing?

If it's the former, your LSAT becomes even more important because your GPA, gorgeous as it is, will not count at all (other than perhaps another "soft" factor). So it's basically your LSAT score that will determine where you will get in. Take it from me (also went to an international institution for undergrad).

I heard that law schools check how international students fare after graduation and of course, while they were in law school and evaluate the level of their undergrad institutions.

So I thought, having quite a few alumni graduate top 6 law schools and land on big firms, my institutions' GPA would count as much as any other schools' GPA in the U.S.

[09042014]

173+.

Your Gpa doesn't count because it is foreign.

But I am a foreigner. An international student. How can it not count?

Because LSAC doesn't count foreign gpas, for a variety of reasons.

HLS will see your GPA, but it won't help their GPA median.

[DoubleChecks]

all of the above = good advice

focus on your LSAT, it matters more than the journal (or two or even three journals )

just make sure you're spending the extra time honing your LSAT skills and improving instead of just idling

[Burger in a can]

Sorry, but it's true that your GPA is more or less meaningless to HLS since you are a foreign applicant. And for much the same reason, any extracurricular experience or "soft factor" on your application is also nearly meaningless.

Harvard Law School, and every other law school, is looking for applicants who will raise their reportable medians. Your GPA is unreportable. Your law review experience is unreportable. Make no mistake- your LSAT score will absolutely be the MOST important part of your application, as it is the only element you can offer that has the capacity to work toward maintaining/improving Harvard's place in the rankings, and therefore its position in the legal world. In other words, in your situation your LSAT score will be the only thing of value to HLS.

Prepare for the LSAT, above all else.

[roranoa]

173+.

Your Gpa doesn't count because it is foreign.

But I am a foreigner. An international student. How can it not count?

Because LSAC doesn't count foreign gpas, for a variety of reasons.

HLS will see your GPA, but it won't help their GPA median.

This is very new to me, and I am very happy to know this. It makes it very clear for what I have to do until Oct.

Thank you.

[jman77]

173+.

Your Gpa doesn't count because it is foreign.

But I am a foreigner. An international student. How can it not count?

What they said about your GPA not counting towards the median, etc... Sorry, I feel your pain. Like I posted earlier, I also went to an international institution for my undergrad; I'm not a US resident/citizen, either, although I've been working here for over 3 years now.

I know my GPA would have helped me get into a couple of the schools I got rejected from if only it counted. Unfortunately, if you check my profile, you will see that my admissions results were determined virtually exclusively by my LSAT score. Retaking the LSAT this June to see if I can give myself better options.

Focus on your LSAT and get the highest score you possibly can.

[tesoro]

To those knowledgable:

Can OP push off graduation and take one online class over the summer, get an A, and have a reportable 4.0 GPA?

[DGLitcH]

Wow, so law schools doesn't really look at international student's GPA? This is news to me.

What would happen with a school like Berkley that is very GPA focused then? Does that mean a international student with low GPA can still get in to a GPA focused school with a high LSAT?

[Burger in a can]

To those knowledgable:

Can OP push off graduation and take one online class over the summer, get an A, and have a reportable 4.0 GPA?

If the online class is from an accredited US institution, then yes.

[Burger in a can]

Wow, so law schools doesn't really look at international student's GPA? This is news to me.

What would happen with a school like Berkley that is very GPA focused then? Does that mean a international student with low GPA can still get in to a GPA focused school with a high LSAT?

Yes.

[09042014]

Wow, so law schools doesn't really look at international student's GPA? This is news to me.

What would happen with a school like Berkley that is very GPA focused then? Does that mean a international student with low GPA can still get in to a GPA focused school with a high LSAT?

They look at it, but it doesn't help their numbers.

They still probably won't take you if they only want high GPA.

[roranoa]

Hmm......the journal thing I mentioned turned out to be our schools law review.


Would that make any difference. An undergrad in the law review?

[memaha]

Hmm......the journal thing I mentioned turned out to be our schools law review.


Would that make any difference. An undergrad in the law review?

No. HLS will not care. Sorry to be blunt, but everyone telling you to focus on the LSAT is TCR. Getting two points lower on the LSAT because you were spending time working with the law review is NOT going to help you.