Should I send semester abroad transcript to LSAC? Forum

[IronSkadden]

Hi there,

I know LSAC doesn't require transcripts from study abroad if you only studied abroad for less than one year. But I have been told it is best practice to send them the study abroad transcripts anyways because schools want to see them. My study abroad grades are below my undergrad GPA and I would prefer not to send them.

What are your thoughts? Is the cost of not including a study abroad transcript and thereby looking sketchy/shady outweighed by the cost of including grades that will somewhat drag down my average?

Thanks for your insight!

[MumofCad]

Who issued the grades? The foreign institution or an American institution that ran the study abroad program?

If you direct enrolled or just transferred the grades to your UG as "T" then you can just avoid it if it's not favorable to your case, though Stanford will require them anyhow (there may be a few more, but I'm not sure, Stanford I know).

If you did a study abroad program through another US institution for the program, then you will have a transcript at that US institution with the actual grades and LSAC will force you to send it in.

[IronSkadden]

I direct enrolled in a foreign institution and they issued the grades. I'm applying to Stanford but don't think adding my study abroad transcript to my LSAC academic summary is worth the negative impact of the lower grades, providing Stanford is the only school that requires study abroad transcripts. Does anyone know how many other schools require study abroad transcripts from students who direct-enrolled?

Thanks.

[annyong]

I direct enrolled in a foreign institution and they issued the grades. I'm applying to Stanford but don't think adding my study abroad transcript to my LSAC academic summary is worth the negative impact of the lower grades, providing Stanford is the only school that requires study abroad transcripts. Does anyone know how many other schools require study abroad transcripts from students who direct-enrolled?

Thanks.

You'll need to have the transcript sent directly to Stanford, regardless.

[freestallion]

I studied abroad and I am not including my grades for the same reason. I think don't send it to LSAC. Just send it to Stanford.

Not to hijack your thread OP, but does Stanford average the study abroad GPA with the rest of your LSDAS GPA? If so, it may not even be worth applying since that would make my GPA drop.

[annyong]

Not to hijack your thread OP, but does Stanford average the study abroad GPA with the rest of your LSDAS GPA?

I think this is really going to depend on what type of program you did - to me, if you attended an international institution and was graded on their grading scale, it's not really fair to combine it with a US grading scale - this is why LSAC just assigns "superiors" or something to international transcripts...at least this is my impression, don't hold me to it, I have no idea about Stanford's admission process and I'm in the same boat you guys are...

[MumofCad]

I studied abroad and I am not including my grades for the same reason. I think don't send it to LSAC. Just send it to Stanford.

Not to hijack your thread OP, but does Stanford average the study abroad GPA with the rest of your LSDAS GPA? If so, it may not even be worth applying since that would make my GPA drop.

I am also uncertain what they do in terms of calculations. I doubt they would outright calculate them into your UG GPA though because of the diversity of grading systems/grade inflation out there.

Rather, I think they probably just use it as a "soft." I picture it like candidate went to X big state school and got a 4.0, but he's got this semester he spent at Oxford where he was significantly below average performance. Given that Stanford is an elite school, one might consider whether his performance at big state school or Oxford is going to be more indicative of his likely performance there.

I wonder if there is a significant disparity, if it might be worth writing an addendum to Stanford about your time abroad? You could possibly make it interesting with an anecdote from your travels throughout whatever country you were in, use that to explain why you primarily used the experience to engage the language/culture rather than viewing the opportunity as a purely academic exercise, etc. I don't know what the advice is on that, but it might be worth considering since Stanford is pretty unique in this regard.

As for other schools, I can't remember for sure, but I thought maybe Yale or Berkeley also sometimes requested them? I could be totally wrong though.

[minnesotamike]

You'll need to have the transcript sent directly to Stanford, regardless.

Do you have a cite for this? I don't think this comports with the the information in the Stanford thread or the Stanford admissions website:

Transcripts showing any coursework of less than one year completed at another institution (including but not limited to, community college, study abroad, consortium, exchange program, or language courses) and which are not clearly indicated on the home transcript must be sent directly to Stanford Law School.

Although my grades do not appear on my home transcript, the coursework is clearly indicated. It seems then that I satisfy Stanford's requirement without sending in the study abroad transcript.

[MumofCad]

You'll need to have the transcript sent directly to Stanford, regardless.

Do you have a cite for this? I don't think this comports with the the information in the Stanford thread or the Stanford admissions website:

Transcripts showing any coursework of less than one year completed at another institution (including but not limited to, community college, study abroad, consortium, exchange program, or language courses) and which are not clearly indicated on the home transcript must be sent directly to Stanford Law School.

Although my grades do not appear on my home transcript, the coursework is clearly indicated. It seems then that I satisfy Stanford's requirement without sending in the study abroad transcript.

They will want grades, that's what they mean by clearly indicated. I had the same thing because I transferred the coursework to my UG upon returning, but my UG just said they were "T" credits. Stanford asked for the foreign transcript anyhow, because they wanted the grades. They'll let you know for sure though when they get your application.

[IronSkadden]

Bumping the thread.

People who have already applied to the T14 without including a transcript of their grades from their semester abroad under direct enrollment: what T14 schools (or other schools) deemed your application incomplete without the semester abroad transcript and requested you send it in (besides Stanford)?

Thanks for the insight.

[gogogadgetlaw]

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