3.90 / 174
Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:41 pm
Hello! I'm a long time reader, but first time poster. I want to take a moment to thank this community. I attribute a large portion of my success on the LSAT to the advice and tips garnered from these forums. I highly recommend the system advocated here. I studied less than I wanted (8 weekends and 2 weeks full time) because of my full-time job as a professional accountant but still got what I consider to be a good score by getting the LG and LR bibles and doing a good amount of PTs.
Objective
Looking for my chances at all T14 with a particular focus on Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, Cornell and Chicago.
Other Info
- Only one LSAT score.
- Bachelors + Masters degrees.
- I'm not a URM.
- I have decent softs (full-time professional job, student government president for my department of ~1,500 students, led a significant change in student government at my school, among others).
- Strong reference letters from a prof and the director of my department who both know me well. I will be getting one from work too, which should speak very highly of me.
I have two concerns that I think may potentially have a debilitating effect on my chances:
1. I am Canadian and my school lists my grades as percentages on my transcript
In Canada, 80%+ is generally considered an "A", whereas that would still be in the "B" range in the US. The GPA posted above is the GPA computed by the Ontario Law School Application Service. I am concerned (based on posts I have seen elsewhere) that LSAC may not convert my grades in the same manner as OLSAS. Is this a legitimate concern?
2. My prior schooling was not "theoretically-oriented"
I majored in accounting and finance in university. However, I know that some schools have concerns about technically-oriented majors (for instance search "major" at the following link where the Stanford admissions dean Faye Deal outlines her concerns about the writing skills of engineering majors: http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/admission ... questions/). I took about 12 of 40 undergraduate courses in more traditional "Arts" classes.
How much will this hurt me and which schools will care?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts you can provide.
Objective
Looking for my chances at all T14 with a particular focus on Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, Cornell and Chicago.
Other Info
- Only one LSAT score.
- Bachelors + Masters degrees.
- I'm not a URM.
- I have decent softs (full-time professional job, student government president for my department of ~1,500 students, led a significant change in student government at my school, among others).
- Strong reference letters from a prof and the director of my department who both know me well. I will be getting one from work too, which should speak very highly of me.
I have two concerns that I think may potentially have a debilitating effect on my chances:
1. I am Canadian and my school lists my grades as percentages on my transcript
In Canada, 80%+ is generally considered an "A", whereas that would still be in the "B" range in the US. The GPA posted above is the GPA computed by the Ontario Law School Application Service. I am concerned (based on posts I have seen elsewhere) that LSAC may not convert my grades in the same manner as OLSAS. Is this a legitimate concern?
2. My prior schooling was not "theoretically-oriented"
I majored in accounting and finance in university. However, I know that some schools have concerns about technically-oriented majors (for instance search "major" at the following link where the Stanford admissions dean Faye Deal outlines her concerns about the writing skills of engineering majors: http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/admission ... questions/). I took about 12 of 40 undergraduate courses in more traditional "Arts" classes.
How much will this hurt me and which schools will care?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts you can provide.