Submit Apps or Wait for Study Abroad Transcript? Forum

[emzizzle]

So I've got my LORs in and my PS is done. I can basically pull the trigger and submit all my apps, except my transcript from my study abroad school hasn't come in yet--I studied there for a semester--and I'm not sure when that transcript will get to LSAC. It could take over a month, because my UK school is notoriously slow about these things. Should I just submit all my apps on LSAC now, or wait for the transcript to come in?

My gut reaction is that the earlier, the better to submit--but then I stumbled across this quote from Columbia:

Columbia: Many of the all too common mistakes we see appear to have been discussed. The most important comment that I can make is not to overlook any part of your application. You simply do not know which aspect the reviewer will focus on the most—it often is not the numbers. For example, the importance of recommendation letters is sometimes underestimated, especially if you are a current student or recent graduate. If you belong in either category, you should definitely include a recommendation letter from an instructor who has been in a position to evaluate your work—not your hockey coach (unless that is supplemental), not a family friend who also happens to be a lawyer—but an instructor. Another component that is often neglected is the transcripts. Transcripts should be as complete as possible, meaning that if you have studied abroad, for example, and those grades are not included in your current institution’s transcripts, you should request them from the foreign school or risk delaying a decision.

The whole post is here: https://www.law.umich.edu/connection/a2 ... aspx?ID=20

Thoughts? Suggestions? Should I submit all? Or all except Columbia? Wait on all? Does anyone else have this dilemma?

Sidenote: I'm a newbie... so please don't troll me unless I said something really stupid

[meggylou]

I studied abroad for a semester too and I submitted my transcript to LSAC and was notified that any transcript from abroad study that is less than an academic year in unnecessary. Are your grades (or Pass/Fail credit) included in the credits you received at your undergrad uni? If they are, you don't need to wait for your transcript.

[emzizzle]

The credits for my study abroad are on my undergrad transcript, but the grades aren't listed. Does that make sense? I'm thinking it might be better to just submit everything now.

Does anyone know if I submit my apps now and LSAC gets my study abroad transcript a month later, will they pass it on to schools even if the CAS report has already been sent?

[meggylou]

Submit now. LSAC sends updated reports to the schools when they get new info. The schools will start reviewing your apps if they don't need the abroad transcript or will wait for it if they do.