TL;DR (Too long, didn't read) version: Had some hardship first few years of College, created working for Internationally for a Non-Profit, currently in the Peace Corps.
So here are the details, you tell me if any of this actually matters.
Anyways. I'm 26, white, male, History/International Studies major, who had a 3.49 GPA. But my GPA was significantly higher in my last 2 years (like 3.8-9ish). Why the low GPA in the beginning? Well, I dropped out of high school at 15, was living on my own at 16. Started School at 19, so I went from 9th Grade Algebra, 4 year break, then BAM Pre-Calculus, Triginometry, etc. Worked full time for $8 an hour, supporting myself (paying for rent/food). It took me 5 years to finish my first 2 years of College, as I couldn't qualify for Financial Aid (not an independent until you're 24!), so could only take as many classes at community College as I could pay for, but as soon as I turned 24, I enrolled in University, and finished my last 2 years in well, two years, and my GPA shot up as I was able to work less. So there's the GPA addendum.
As for my softs, excluding the "lots of hours volunteering/tutoring" stuff that most people have...
Worked as the Program Director for a Non-Profit in Colombia (the country, not the school
- worked there for 6 months Post-Graduation). Created programs outside of Bogotá for English Education in Emerald Mining villages, reforestation of old coffee lands, and providing support for people affected by drugs/narco-trafficking. Also kept existing projects in Bogotá going, for things like Elderly Care for old women abandoned on the streets, Childcare at an orphanage, Feeding the Homeless.Currently serving in the Peace Corps in Rural China (which is making studying for the LSAT reeeaaaaaal fun), Teaching English to students studying to be English teachers, and volunteering on the weekends to teach at an Orphanage.
I speak English, Spanish, and Intermediate-Chinese (it's....getting better!). Both Foreign Languages were learned as an adult..... (Do Foreign Languages even matter for Law School?)
Anyways, pursuing Law in the hopes to work in Public Interest, focusing on Human Rights, International Development, and Advocacy - for whatever that may be worth to someone reading my personal statement.
Okay. That was way longer than anticipated - sorry! So the question. Does any of this really matter? Or does it really come down to LSAT/GPA and nothing else. Should I still expect a "Weak Consider" to be a "Nah-uh" and a "Consider" to be "Better hope that guy who scored 2 points higher than you on the LSAT goes somewhere else"?
