I am currently in the second (i.e. penultimate) year of my undergrad degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics in the UK (non-Oxbridge but still Top 10 school). I am thinking of applying to US law schools at some point (most likely next year, and mainly Ivies), and I was hoping that someone could answer a few of my questions.
Firstly, how much emphasis do US law schools (especially Harvard, Yale and Columbia) put on stats? I am worried because the UK grading system is very weird, and all conversion systems I have encountered make your US GPA lower than the UK one (qualitatively speaking). I got 170 on the one LSAT I attempted, so I can get a pretty good score with practice – do you think that this could compensate for the potential lack of proper recognition of my grades?
Secondly, are your stats looked at in context at all? I have three part time jobs this year, on top of being on a scholarship, so I have not had as much time to study as I would have liked, and I know that my grades could be slightly higher if I wasn’t working. Will law schools care about this?
Finally, do law schools care about work experience and volunteering etc. at all? I have done work experience at the likes of Latham & Watkins and top UK firms, so would that help me at all? I have also done things like representing my uni in debating, and starting a non-profit in first year of ‘college’, and I was wondering if they are considered useful at all.
I tried to do research, but nothing that I found relates to my specific context, so I would appreciate some details. Apologies if this all sounds like uninformed rambling from a confused tea-drinker
It would be far cheaper to do a UK conversion course or whatever, get a job in a multinational firm, and then transfer to a US office, get an LLM in the US and take the NY bar. That’s the way most UK citizens I know ended up with a US bar admission.
Stats are definitely the most important thing, and US law schools should be able to look at your UK grades and know how good they are.
Work experience and volunteering don’t matter that much.
An easier path would be to attend a Canadian law school (depending what your actual gpa is as gpa is most important, then LSAT, at most Canadian law schools) and then you’d be eligible to write the bar in NY and MA.
@HappyAlumnus Thanks very much for your response It actually wouldn’t be cheaper for me, because if I get into a school from a specific list, I will get a stipend from the country I’m originally from (not the UK), so ironically enough, US law school would be cheaper. And also, conversion is really basic and consists solely of memorising UK law; I was hoping to actually study the law in-depth, hence I’m thinking about the US.
And with regards to stats, do they consider them in context at all? As in, there are people in my year who do literally nothing outside of studying and still get waaaay lower grades, but I do tons of stuff just to pay for my degree (parents’ income falls below UK poverty line), so would they not care about that at all?
You’re sure US law school is cheaper than a conversion course? The “retail price” for US law schools is about $50,000 per year, times 3 years, plus housing/living expenses. Some merit scholarships are available, but international students are viewed as dollar signs for law schools, so discounts on tuition (however obtained) will be difficult, and it’s worth attending law school in the US only if it’s a top law school, in my view.
Anything that shows that you’re overcoming challenging circumstances, such as a low income, will be helpful in getting in, but as far as I know, your grades and LSAT score matter most, with any other factors basically a tiebreaker if you’re a “maybe” admissions candidate.
What is the point in studying law in depth, if the studies don’t help get a better job? I use very little of what I learned in law school, which was mostly theoretical debating. You learn the real law on the job.
What I mean by saying that a US law school is cheaper, is that it would be cheaper for ME. Basically, there is an organisation in my home country which guarantees that it will cover your law school fees if you get into an Ivy (+ a few others, including UChicago, I think). So although the overall pricetag is higher for the US than Europe, less money would actually leave my pocket if I got into law school in the US.
That’s the problem. My grades are fine, it’s just that I don’t know if they’ll get recognised as such in the US (I’ve encountered about five different conversion systems, and there are huuuuge differences between then. I mean, 70% by US standards is terrible, but by UK standards 75% is the highest you can go in practice, and 70% already puts you in the top 10% of students in my year).
@UKwannabe_lawyer, it’s best to come to admissions office personnel (or anyone in the working world) with a solution, not a question. Being in the top 10% of your class won’t cut it for a top 10 law school; you would need to be in the top few percentiles.
The top law schools have enough experience with UK grading system to know how the grading system works- and they don’t use those online conversion systems. Are you predicted a first? with a first and a 170 LSAT you should at least make it through the first cut. They won’t pay any attention to your work experience etc until after the first cut. Also, don’t expect too much sympathy b/c you have to work and not all of your classmates do, but you get some interest based on your overall story.
It actually wouldn’t be cheaper for me, because if I get into a school from a specific list, I will get a stipend from the country I’m originally from (not the UK), so ironically enough, US law school would be cheaper. And also, conversion is really basic and consists solely of memorising UK law; I was hoping to actually study the law in-depth, hence I’m thinking about the US.