Top Law Schools

At my university in England our first year grades are not taken into account in regards to our overall degree classification. The classification is as follows;
2nd year- 30% of overall degree
3rd year - 70% of overall degree

I've spoken to the admissions office and they said they most likely will not be able to remove first year marks, will LSAC count my first year marks even though they don't count? is there anyway around this? Because it doesn't seem very fair that marks are getting taken into account considering they don't even count towards anything.

Thanks guys.

Yes. I was in the same situation with my English transcript. All of the grades you achieved throughout your time in undergrad will be used by LSAC in evaluating your transcripts.

Don't worry too much about it, though. LSAC won't give you a GPA anyway; they'll just classify you as below average, average, above average, or superior. Unless there's a really big difference, your first year grades are unlikely to negatively affect which category you fall into.

justwondering123 wrote:I've spoken to the admissions office and they said they most likely will not be able to remove first year marks, will LSAC count my first year marks even though they don't count? is there anyway around this? Because it doesn't seem very fair that marks are getting taken into account considering they don't even count towards anything.

Alas, LSAC isn't fair. Americans get screwed by LSAC regularly. If you can't change your transcript, all you can do is play the cards LSAC deals you.

If it's any consolation, the consensus on TLS is that LSAT matters much more for foreign applicants and degree rating matters much less.

Also, they call them 'grades' over here, not 'marks'

AntipodeanPhil wrote:

justwondering123 wrote:I've spoken to the admissions office and they said they most likely will not be able to remove first year marks, will LSAC count my first year marks even though they don't count? is there anyway around this? Because it doesn't seem very fair that marks are getting taken into account considering they don't even count towards anything.

Alas, LSAC isn't fair. Americans get screwed by LSAC regularly. If you can't change your transcript, all you can do is play the cards LSAC deals you.

If it's any consolation, the consensus on TLS is that LSAT matters much more for foreign applicants and degree rating matters much less.

Also, they call them 'grades' over here, not 'marks'

tvt86 wrote:Yes. I was in the same situation with my English transcript. All of the grades you achieved throughout your time in undergrad will be used by LSAC in evaluating your transcripts.

Don't worry too much about it, though. LSAC won't give you a GPA anyway; they'll just classify you as below average, average, above average, or superior. Unless there's a really big difference, your first year grades are unlikely to negatively affect which category you fall into.

so is it possible to get into Upenn etc with an 'above average'? or any other top 14 schools?

justwondering123 wrote:so is it possible to get into Upenn etc with an 'above average'? or any other top 14 schools?

Check that thread I posted a link to in one of our previous discussions. An above average / 178 or 179 got in to Columbia and NYU, which are ranked above Penn, and an above average / 170 got in to Georgetown. There might be more, but I don't have a perfect recollection. Evidence suggests that HYS are off-limits to the above average though - the only foreigners reported to have got in this cycle (to Harvard) had superiors and very high LSATs.