International student LSAC GPA evaluation Forum

[mostmon]

Hi,

Is the only way to figure out my foreign undergrad GPA evaluation result (below average, average, above average, superior) by registering to LSAC even though I'm not 100% sure will I apply to law schools in the US in 2017? Just want to see where I stand GPA wise.

Thanks!

[ihenry]

From what I've gathered there's no hard and fast formula to know it in advance. If you have straight A's, first class honors, 90+'s, or something like that, you'd expect "superior". But some people also reported 80's or second upper gets "superior" as well, while other people would say missing 0.01 marks will dock you from superior to above average. For schools giving GPA's out of 4, there are cases where 3.8X makes above average and 3.4X makes superior. But that really won't make significant difference unless you end up with "below average" or it's YS, but for top schools your undergrad name will make a difference also.

Edit: if your only issue is not applying to law school next year, pay $170 for CAS to see how the dice rolls.

[layamaheshwari]

Thank you for that, ihenry, but could someone else contribute to this as well? I'm eager to know how LSAC will convert my undergrad GPA. My university allotted both letter grades (F to A++) and a 4.0 GPA (but in its own way that makes no sense to anyone on the outside).

They won't actually start processing my transcripts (and the evaluation) till I submit ALL my transcripts, and the Master's program I'm in now won't send them for quite a while. So I'd love to hear some people's experiences with in the meanwhile.

[cakerusk]

I am not knowledgeable about LSACs foreign transcript evaluation methodologies but I was personally very disappointed with mine. I had a 3.63 from the best university in my country (accounting & finance major), placed on Dean's Honor List, A+ grades in some courses etc. I was expecting a Superior but ended up with an Above Average. I would be considered a top ranking student in my class but alas. I wonder if a "non-Superior" evaluation will hurt my chances at a T14 with a 170 LSAT. I will not be retaking.

[Hand]

There's no general answer to your question. I used to do this sort of thing for a living; they'll have both a general conversion scale for your country and may also have one specific to your institution. If you want an indication of what the scale for your country that AACRAO (the service used by LSAC for evaluating your transcript) will look like, you can look google around for the WES (World Education Services) page on the educational system of your country.