(170/3.69) Worried about my lack of work experience & immigration status Forum

[cornflake]

I've been an undocumented immigrant throughout college and am just working on getting a visa come December/January 2017. It's been hard for me to find work legally due to many reasons on top of my immigration status, and I have a very unimpressive resume. I mostly did many part time work and my resume is filled with my involvement in organizations from my undergrad years. As a reference, I graduated college December 2014 so I have been out of college for 2 years by now. I've only recently received a work visa and have been able to find full time work.

I don't expect anyone to have any insight about how immigration status could play into admission chances, but does anyone know how big of an influence a crappy resume could have??

As mentioned in the title, I have a 3.69/170. I am First Generation/non-URM Female.

I've applied only within T14 because I thought I had a solid chance at at least one of them .. I know I may be jumping the gun, but I am beginning to get really anxious My applications for UMich, UVA, Georgetown, and Cornell were complete 10/14. No news from any of them. Duke put me on "Priority Waitlist". UPenn and Columbia were completed early November, and are both reach schools so I am less concerned about them. I'm planning on doing my online interview for Northwestern in a few days. (but I am beginning to realize how heavily they value work experience so my confidence with Northwestern is a bit shot). None were ED.

I'm pretty anxious because it sounds like people have been getting acceptance letters. Checking LSN, it seems like several acceptances had similar stats to mine :/ Anyway... any insight about work experience for T14 schools would be helpful..

[lymenheimer]

People have been getting acceptances. And people will continue to get acceptances. Just because you're not hearing back doesn't mean you're unqualified or getting dinged. How would your knowledge of the process and your attitude change if you didn't know about TLS/LSN? Operate under that patience, not the TLS neurotica.

Dunno about immigration status. As long as you've been doing something work wise, your resume is fine.

[guynourmin]

I am beginning to get really anxious My applications for UMich, UVA, Georgetown, and Cornell were complete 10/14. No news from any of them.

People are already hearing back who applied when you applied or even after, but that doesn't mean other people aren't waiting. According to mylsn, 1/3rd of acceptances who applied in Oct don't hear back til Dec or later; half for Mich; 100% for Cornell; and about a quarter for GULC.

[dabigchina]

I wouldn't worry about immigration status WRT to acceptances. There's a pretty good chance it will screw you at OCI though.

Also, I would make sure you are able to be licensed before investing in law school.

[cornflake]

I am beginning to get really anxious My applications for UMich, UVA, Georgetown, and Cornell were complete 10/14. No news from any of them.

People are already hearing back who applied when you applied or even after, but that doesn't mean other people aren't waiting. According to mylsn, 1/3rd of acceptances who applied in Oct don't hear back til Dec or later; half for Mich; 100% for Cornell; and about a quarter for GULC.

This is a bit relieving to know. Thank you for the info.

I wouldn't worry about immigration status WRT to acceptances. There's a pretty good chance it will screw you at OCI though.

Also, I would make sure you are able to be licensed before investing in law school.

My immigration status will be taken care of shortly. I will be a Permanent Resident by the time I begin school, so I'm not worried about my eligibility to practice law.

I suppose Northwestern will be a hard sell for me since they love full time work experience. I was considering writing an addendum explaining my situation but I also felt it wouldn't be a good enough justification for them....

[eck456]

.

[cornflake]

Hi I'm an immigration advocate/ former guidance counselor who is currently in policy school at Harvard Kennedy School... THIS SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE AN ADDENDUM TO YOUR APPLICATION AT EVERY SCHOOL. I'm also a Northwestern grad from undergrad and was accepted to the law school last year, so please believe me when I say that I am absolutely 100% certain you should be explicit about your situation and tell them why your resume looks the way it does. This makes you a radically different applicant than someone who made a choice to bum around/ not work for two years...it will make them look at your leadership experience and volunteer work as a more real version of who "you" are as a person, vs. work visa issues that you had that were out of your control. feel free to PM me but you should ABSOLUTELY be sending this to every school you applied to

PMed!!!

[nunumaster]

Yea if you're poor or had a rough upbringing, you should also apply for AnBryce @ NYU. This year's keynote speaker was an undocumented student and she worked at some of the most prestigious v5 law firms for 0L,1L, and 2L.

[lawsforeign]

Hi I'm an immigration advocate/ former guidance counselor who is currently in policy school at Harvard Kennedy School... THIS SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE AN ADDENDUM TO YOUR APPLICATION AT EVERY SCHOOL. I'm also a Northwestern grad from undergrad and was accepted to the law school last year, so please believe me when I say that I am absolutely 100% certain you should be explicit about your situation and tell them why your resume looks the way it does. This makes you a radically different applicant than someone who made a choice to bum around/ not work for two years...it will make them look at your leadership experience and volunteer work as a more real version of who "you" are as a person, vs. work visa issues that you had that were out of your control. feel free to PM me but you should ABSOLUTELY be sending this to every school you applied to

So, unlike OP, I am an International Student but I have no idea how use that in my favour in my applications. I am thinking about using my upbringing in another country (I am South American and moved to the US for college at 17) in my Diversity Statement, but it just sounds overrated. I have lots of diversity and international undergrad leadership experience but that is it since I was never able (or allowed due to visa status) to work off campus.



And OP, SO HAPPY FOR YOU FOR GETTING THE PR STATUS!! But I have a question, did you get i through and H1B visa, or how did you go about applying for the status? Curious because I am trying to find a path towards a green card, but there is no light at the end of the tunnel for whatsoever.

[cornflake]

And OP, SO HAPPY FOR YOU FOR GETTING THE PR STATUS!! But I have a question, did you get i through and H1B visa, or how did you go about applying for the status? Curious because I am trying to find a path towards a green card, but there is no light at the end of the tunnel for whatsoever.

I don't have PR yet but expect to be PR-Pending shortly. You can PM me for details. It has been a very brutal road for me.