Still nervous and anxious about LSAC screwing me over Forum

[IntlstudentSweden]

I'm sorry if I'm posting to many new threads. I realize a lack of experience, relating to my situation, may be yielding few responses to my questions. But I'm hoping more of you have experience waiving the LSAC evaluation.

The LSAC does not seem to be able to award me a fair evaluation, due to the Swedish system:
Grade system: Fail (F), Pass (P) or Pass with distinction (PD).
No class ranks.
No student evaluations by professors.
No averaging of grades (i.e. no "GPA").
No way of telling why you passed with distinction rather than just passed.
No nothing.
Horrible, I know. But we're socialists.

Although I still haven't received a response to my email, other evaluation centers indicate that the Swedish system simply does not lend itself to a LSAC evaluation. It is, according to them, far to ambiguous.

Question: Could I ask the schools to waive the LSAC? I would then just send them the transcripts with an addendum. Has anyone done this? Or does someone come from a country where the grading system is similar to the Swedish system?

Personal Details:
Ethiopian female (born and raised in sweden), hopefully I can claim URM.
23 yrs old.
LSAT 174 (1st time) taking another and aiming for 180.
Softs; active local politician, writer, lobbyist; mainly focused on education, documentary filmmaker.

Thank you.

[Tom Joad]

I wish you the best of luck. You sound like a very impressive applicant, but why do you even want to go to law school in the US?

[IntlstudentSweden]

Thank you Tom. When comparing the UK, US, Australia and Sweden (the only countries where I could study law, due to language barriers), the legal education in the U.S. seems a lot more well-rounded. A law degree in Sweden would force me to pursue an LL.M somewhere else, this in order to pursue the kind of work I'm interested in. I figure I'd cut the middleman out, and get a well-rounded law degree from the U.S.

[nsbane]

Who has told you that LSAC doesn't have a policy for evaluating Swedish transcripts? I do not think you will be the first Swedish citizen applying to USA law schools.

I don't think schools will waive the LSAC grade report. Your best bet is to send everything to LSAC, see how they process your transcripts, and then write an addendum if you think they were unfair.

[Tom Joad]

In the US, schools are ranked primarily by US News & World Reports. Since law is so competitive and prestige driven, these rankings mean a lot to schools and applicants. The main components of those rankings are GPAs and LSAT scores of incoming 1L. Since many international applicants don't have US style GPAs, I believe the schools only report those applicants' LSAT scores. Really you are in an enviable place if you are just judged on a 174 and your softs.

[IntlstudentSweden]

@nsbane: I realize I'm not the first Swedish citizen to apply, but I have tried to research the way LSAC may review my transcripts and failed. The Swedish government agency in charge of higher education has informed me that they believe the evaluation to be tricky, but have decided to do some research before giving me their experience and advice. I have contacted LSAC, and will hopefully receive an answer soon.

The main reason I'm still asking the forum is because first-hand, genuine, knowledge is priceless in my case.
At the end of the day, if a waiver isn't possible, I'll of course send my transcripts to LSAC.

Thank you for your response.

@Tom: I'm not sure they rank foreign students solely on the basis of the LSAT. There are national systems in the world that award grade averages similar to the GPA in the US. However, i my case an evaluation will most likely be a very subjective one, but I don't know that for sure.

[nsbane]

LSAC is a terrible organization to get any response from. I went to one of the Universities of California, the largest university system in the united states. I studied abroad for a year, and LSAC would not process the study abroad grades. It took me 9 months working with the UC system for LSAC to finally accept them.

The first time I called LSAC, the receptionist didn't even wait to let me talk, said I needed to look on their website, and hung up on me. I still get annoyed when I think about that. I immediately called back and let him have it.

So do not hold your breath; there is a good chance they will never respond to your e-mail. My advice:

1) Send your transcripts to LSAC.
2) See how they process your grades
3) If you think they didn't do it right, write an addendum.

I'm pretty sure copies of your swedish transcripts will be sent by LSAC to every university you apply to. So the schools will have the LSAC summary report, as well as your original socialist swedish grades, where you are assigned a pastel color for your class performance. In the addendum, you can explain what your straight violets really mean.

[IntlstudentSweden]

@nsbane: That is frustrating, 9 months is too much. Other forums also seem to think that the organization is far from forthcoming. I'm not going to hold my breath then. Thank you for the advice.

[nsbane]

Yeah, 9 months. And I went to the largest public university system in America. LSAC's customers are not students; they are universities. LSAC doesn't care about helping you.

However, universities admissions offices are awesome. They usually respond within 2-3 days. Your numbers will get you into the top 6 schools. I recommend you e-mail all of their admissions office with your situation. See what they say.

[IntlstudentSweden]

Exellent! That seems to be the overriding consensus from the forum .
If Californa = 9 months, Sweden must be at least 11 yrs.

If admission boards are as great as you say, LSAC don't matter much. I guess I've been unwilling to believe that the GPA/undergraduate is related to ranking and not academics. Seems unfair and unethical. But maybe that's just the swede in me

I will definitely start emailing.
Thank you!

[Tom Joad]

Yeah, 9 months. And I went to the largest public university system in America. LSAC's customers are not students; they are universities. LSAC doesn't care about helping you.

Consider bringing a lawsuit against LSAC.









TLS joke, not real advice

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

Get through the LSAC red-tape and you won't remember it when your HYS diploma is in hand

[IntlstudentSweden]

@FloridaCoastalorbust: Haha, that sounds great. But I'm hoping for NYU.

[nsbane]

If your goal is NYU, i wouldn't bother retaking. You'll be accepted with a 174 LSAT. If you want Yale, then retake. But I even think you have a good shot at Harvard with a 174.

[IntlstudentSweden]

I don't want Yale .