International applicant, lsat171. Gpa 3.81 where to apply? Forum

[rachelwang712]

I used several predictors but one thing concerns me is that I dont think they hv a representative sample for stu like me.

Double degree in one Chinese univ and one Japan univ. Not URM.
China-born Chinese. I know ABC are good but we r different I think.

Pls, any advice will be appreciated.

[AntipodeanPhil]

I know ABC are good but we r different I think.

Huh?

You don't have a real GPA - only US students do, so don't think that 3.81 will give you much of an indication of your chances.

You should definitely apply to all of the schools ranked 7-14, as well as Columbia. You have a very slim chance at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Chicago - so whether you apply to those schools depends on whether you can afford to spend that much money for a slim chance at acceptance.

You should also apply to a couple of lower ranked schools, just in case things go badly for you.

[madvillain]

I know ABC are good but we r different I think.

OP is referring here to American-born Chinese, basically trying to say that although American-born Asian/Chinese applicants are generally treated just the same as non-URM's, OP is concerned that being an actual international Chinese might impact admissions chances. Of course in this regard it doesn't matter what country you come from, what matters more is the fact that there's no GPA, as AntipodeanPhil has mentioned. A well-written personal statement should rectify concerns about English ability, that's about the best you can do I feel on the application to address this issue.

[rachelwang712]

I know ABC are good but we r different I think.

Huh?

You don't have a real GPA - only US students do, so don't think that 3.81 will give you much of an indication of your chances.

You should definitely apply to all of the schools ranked 7-14, as well as Columbia. You have a very slim chance at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Chicago - so whether you apply to those schools depends on whether you can afford to spend that much money for a slim chance at acceptance.

You should also apply to a couple of lower ranked schools, just in case things go badly for you.

Thank you for advice.
Just to make sure I got u right, by "lower ranked schools", u mean below T14?

[rachelwang712]

I know ABC are good but we r different I think.

OP is referring here to American-born Chinese, basically trying to say that although American-born Asian/Chinese applicants are generally treated just the same as non-URM's, OP is concerned that being an actual international Chinese might impact admissions chances. Of course in this regard it doesn't matter what country you come from, what matters more is the fact that there's no GPA, as AntipodeanPhil has mentioned. A well-written personal statement should rectify concerns about English ability, that's about the best you can do I feel on the application to address this issue.

Thank u for helping me clarify.
It seems there is nothing I can about my gpa now. I just hv to wait for the CAS report.
Yes I am working on my ps. But would u recommend that i explain my gpa in ps? In case I get "above average".

[AntipodeanPhil]

Just to make sure I got u right, by "lower ranked schools", u mean below T14?

Yeah - perhaps a couple of schools a little below the T14.

[AntipodeanPhil]

Yes I am working on my ps. But would u recommend that i explain my gpa in ps? In case I get "above average".

Don't explain your GPA in your PS - that's not the purpose.

If you get a good evaluation, don't even mention it. If you get a bad evaluation, perhaps add a separate addendum explaining why you don't think the evaluation is representative.

[madvillain]

I know ABC are good but we r different I think.

OP is referring here to American-born Chinese, basically trying to say that although American-born Asian/Chinese applicants are generally treated just the same as non-URM's, OP is concerned that being an actual international Chinese might impact admissions chances. Of course in this regard it doesn't matter what country you come from, what matters more is the fact that there's no GPA, as AntipodeanPhil has mentioned. A well-written personal statement should rectify concerns about English ability, that's about the best you can do I feel on the application to address this issue.

Thank u for helping me clarify.
It seems there is nothing I can about my gpa now. I just hv to wait for the CAS report.
Yes I am working on my ps. But would u recommend that i explain my gpa in ps? In case I get "above average".

No problem- I'm a CBC myself. Yes, that's generally true, nothing you can do about the GPA now. Unfortunately whatever rating you will receive from the CAS report is the one you will have to live with, they don't respond to appeals or whatnot. Sometimes the system is strange and they give different ratings for different GPA's, so it's hard for anyone to say for certain what rating you'll get, also because the colleges you went to are pretty unique.

I don't have much experience with "true" international applications (since I have a US GPA), but I think that if you do indeed get an "above average" you should not talk about it in your personal statement. I feel like you should spend all your time on the personal statement talking about the positive aspects of your application, especially as an international candidate, where they may not be as familiar with the items on your resume. You have an option to send an additional addendum where you can explain why you feel you deserve a "superior," and I think this would be a better place for talking about your transcript evaluation. But I don't think you should put it in your personal statement because nobody can really say how CAS does their evaluations. Comparing different universities from different countries is going to be arbitrary no mater how you put it.