Science to Law Transition Forum

[rumi_desi]

I'm sure this forum has seen a ton of threads like this one and I cringe at having to add to the total, but being a science undegrad and only recently deciding to apply to law schools I'm not very well versed with the admissions dynamics. My stats are 3.45/171

I have the following softs and I was wondering if I could get some feedback on them

1) Stem Cell Research at Cornell (8 months)

2) Diabetic Retinopathy Research U Penn (4 months)

3) Alzheimer's Research Columbia University (4 months)
2 and 3 resulted in publications

4) Research at Centre for International Governance Innovation (Policy think tank) (8 months)
Resulted in a publication

5) Research in Health Economics (8 months)
Resulted in a publication

6) Editor of International Development Journal in Canada

Any feedback would be highly appreciated

[JazzOne]

Which undergrad? Not that it matters much, but I'm wondering if it's a US university. That makes a difference.

[rumi_desi]

University of Toronto

[ptblazer]

Impressive stuff. I have a science undergrad degree too. I think that the law schools can respect all the softs (research) you have, but they will have a more difficult time evaluating it compared to a science graduate department. My advice for you is to show in your application how those research projects you've been apart of translate to law (like your career path).

Basically, If you want your softs to have the impact they deserve, avoid just listing your research projects in your resume. The science departments specifically look for that kind of stuff, but for law schools you'll need to showcase them.

[JazzOne]

University of Toronto

Well, I'm out of the discussion then. I thought I could help you out because I have a science background with lab experience and a publication. However, admissions differ for foreign applicants. If I understand it correctly, foreign GPAs are not factored into the equation like they would be for a student with a US degree. So, your admissions cycle will largely ride on your LSAT score. However, someone else will need to fill in the details.

[rumi_desi]

University of Toronto

Well, I'm out of the discussion then. I thought I could help you out because I have a science background with lab experience and a publication. However, admissions differ for foreign applicants. If I understand it correctly, foreign GPAs are not factored into the equation like they would be for a student with a US degree. So, your admissions cycle will largely ride on your LSAT score. However, someone else will need to fill in the details.

Interesting. I was under the impression that Canadian schools are looked in the same if not almost similar light as US schools. But if what you say is true, I guess it would be a good thing for me considering my LSAT score? I may consider retaking it if its worth it.

[Chouchous]

University of Toronto

Well, I'm out of the discussion then. I thought I could help you out because I have a science background with lab experience and a publication. However, admissions differ for foreign applicants. If I understand it correctly, foreign GPAs are not factored into the equation like they would be for a student with a US degree. So, your admissions cycle will largely ride on your LSAT score. However, someone else will need to fill in the details.

Interesting. I was under the impression that Canadian schools are looked in the same if not almost similar light as US schools. But if what you say is true, I guess it would be a good thing for me considering my LSAT score? I may consider retaking it if its worth it.

Canadian GPAs are considered just the same way U.S. GPAs are. It's another story for foreign (read outside North America) applicants. FWIW I'm Canadian and am applying to US law schools this cycle.

[rumi_desi]

Any other recommendations on which school are best for my situation?

[Chouchous]

Any other recommendations on which school are best for my situation?

If you know some French, I would go to McGill. New York Big Law recruits there and it is a LOT cheaper than top U.S. schools.

If you want U.S., go to the highest ranked school you can get into (T14). If you're more debt averse, apply more broadly (outside T14) to maximize chances for scholarships.

To get an idea how competitive your numbers are check out lawschoolpredictor.com