International Student, hence no GPA Forum

[Lord Flashheart]

Hi, all,

I'm looking at applying for Fall 2015, aiming for YHS, but am a little concerned as to my chances, seeing as how I lack a GPA. My background breaks down like this.

- Undergraduate degree: Classics (first-class), top-10 UK university. Using a GPA calculator and a UK-US conversion resulted in a GPA equivalent of 3.91, but I recognise that I will only be listed as "superior" on the application.
- Masters degree: History, thesis based on legal history. Ivy League (not HYP).
- LSAT - 177

Softs
- Fluent in French and Spanish, advanced Italian and Latin, intermediate Czech and German.
- Worked for three years as a linguist for a V100 firm, translating contracts, memos and opinions.
- Formed a non-profit offering support and advice for victims of sexual abuse.
- Played soccer for a Premier League academy before injury ended my career at 15.
- Formed a language school at the age of 23.

I've got a couple of questions, if I may:

1) Are there any international students here applying to or attending YHS? If so, did you provide an addendum explaining your undergraduate grades, perhaps offering a conversion to US grades?
2) I know Yale puts a lot of emphasis on softs; would my softs be considered competitive?
3) So far as I can see, Stanford puts a little less emphasis on the LSAT - will my lack of a GPA disadvantage me?
4) I'm focusing on HY as they offer loans to international students without a co-signer. I've not been able to find any information on Stanford in this regard as to whether they also over loans to replace federal loans to international students. I imagine they might, in order to remain competitive with their peers, but I have been unable to find confirmation.

As I'm still only looking for 2015, I felt it might be a little early to start pestering their admissions office, so I thought I'd ask you if you have any insight into my situation.

Thank you all for any help you might be able to offer

Lord Flash

[danitt]

I can speak to the first question. It doesn't matter. LSAC does the conversion, school know by now that the British system doesn't have a GPA and that's fine. As long as you're above average - superior you have a shit at T-10.

[midwest17]

Conventional wisdom is that for internationals, the LSAT is super important. You have a very very awesome LSAT. I predict good things in your future.

More specifically, I can't imagine H turning you down. And you probably have as good a shot as anyone at YS.

[Lord Flashheart]

Thank you both for your help. Hopefully I'll get in at at least one of them. So far as I can see, these would be my only options for law school (apart from a full Darrow at Michigan) as I'm ineligible for federal loans.

[ColShRo]

I wouldn't be surprised if you were offered a full ride from several of the T-14 schools. With that LSAT score, a superior on your transcript, and an MA in legal history, you might get a Ruby at Chicago, for instance. There's the Hamilton at Columbia too.

[Lord Flashheart]

I've thought about the Ruby and the Hamilton, but so far as I can see there's no living allowance included, right? I'd need to find I guess USD 20,000 per year for food, rent, etc., but I'd be ineligible for loans.

I'm assuming I'd be on an F-1 or J-1 visa, which would limit my chances for any jobs not related to my studies, so working part-time to pay my living costs might be difficult.

Just a thought - if I got a Ruby/Hamilton, I'd not need to go through a need-based application for loans, right? In that case, any money I earned from a Summer Associate position would be mine, as opposed to being swallowed up by a lower need-based grant, as it would at YHS. Therefore, I might perhaps be able to pay my 2L and 3L living expenses through SA positions. However, that's a huge gamble as I'd be counting on getting SA positions for both summers.

Of course this is all entirely hypothetical for the moment, but it's helpful to know what options are out there.

[jbagelboy]

I've thought about the Ruby and the Hamilton, but so far as I can see there's no living allowance included, right? I'd need to find I guess USD 20,000 per year for food, rent, etc., but I'd be ineligible for loans.

I'm assuming I'd be on an F-1 or J-1 visa, which would limit my chances for any jobs not related to my studies, so working part-time to pay my living costs might be difficult.

Just a thought - if I got a Ruby/Hamilton, I'd not need to go through a need-based application for loans, right? In that case, any money I earned from a Summer Associate position would be mine, as opposed to being swallowed up by a lower need-based grant, as it would at YHS. Therefore, I might perhaps be able to pay my 2L and 3L living expenses through SA positions. However, that's a huge gamble as I'd be counting on getting SA positions for both summers.

Of course this is all entirely hypothetical for the moment, but it's helpful to know what options are out there.

Its not common, but I know Columbia can do institutional loans, and would probably be highly open to it for a Hamilton recipient ineligible for fed loans.

However, its worth noting the purpose of Ruby/Hamilton/other fully schollies is to increase BOTH medians (especially UChi, which has successfully employed the Rubenstein to increase its GPA median by a wide margin), and depending on the specific policy, it may be unlikely that they would grant it just for a high lsat.

That being said, I think you'll have a great cycle!