<p>Hi guys, I'm an international student currently looking to transfer to the States. Currently, I'm doing in the Law major as an undergradute in my country (not UK though). Last year, I did apply to some schools in the States, but I got rejected from my most fav. schools. This year, I want to try my luck again. The problem I currently have is the GPA stats. I've seen around the forum that the magic number for transfers is 3.5+ GPA. However, to be honest, getting a 3.5 GPA is quite impossible for Law majors here (especially first years here). I'm looking at a 3.2-3.4 GPA for the first sem. I just want to ask, will I have any chance at all in transfering? That target GPA sure does look shabby and all =( Also, how will they look at my major (Law is the hardest major here, behind medicine)? Will they take into consideration the rigor of the major courses I'm doing?</p>
<p>"Last year, I did apply to some schools in the States, but I got rejected from my most fav. schools. This year, I want to try my luck again."</p>
<p>You need to seriously re-consider your list of schools. Which schools did not reject you? Why did you decide to reject them? Just exactly what is it that you want to study in the US?</p>
<p>Personally, I think your biggest problem is that schools in the US do not offer undergraduate degrees in Law. Therefore, most of your law courses probably do not easily transfer. Here in the US, law is a graduate program one takes after completing the undergraduate degree. </p>
<p>The second big problem you have is that most undergraduate programs want you to take the prerequisites for the major you plan to transfer into. This means taking stuff like English Composition, Calculus, Philosophy, Psychology, Fine Arts, Public Speaking/Communication, and usually one to two science courses and one to two foreign language courses. Also, it means taking the lower level courses in the major.</p>
<p>The third problem you have is that if you are trying to transfer to a Law program, besides the problem of not having an undergraduate degree (mentioned above in the first paragraph), you also are taking the types of law courses that won't help you much in passing the law exams here in the US. In the US, the courses in US Constitutional Law, and US Criminal Procedure and US Civil Procedure are all required first year courses--yet I'm sure you are not taking any of those in your country--so how do you expect to be as far along as any person in the states who has already finished those courses?</p>
<p>My suggestion for you is to finish your law degree where you are, or else plan to apply as a freshman to a US college. Quite simply, the problem is that you are unlikely to be able to transfer a single course (and therefore unlikely to be accepted to a single program) as an upper classman in the US coming directly out an international law program--even though I agree with you that those are considered to be the toughest programs to get into overseas.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help.</p>
<p>Firstly, I'm not thinking of studying Law if I am transfering. In fact, one of the reasons I''m trying to transfer so that I can study something else. I want to study International Relations/Stiudies or something along that line. Moreover, there are no similar majors avaliable here in my country. </p>
<p>Last year, I did get into 2 schools I applied to(out of six). However, even if I was eager to leave, my parents would not let me, simply because I got into the Law undergrad program (stupid mindset). This year, I'm aiming to transfer so that I can prove something else suits me better. I'm prepared to start again as Freshmen as welll, if they let me trasnfer. </p>
<p>As for the other problems, thats why I'm very worried. I don't know how the Admissions officers would measure what I have done in my LLB course, compared to those who have done the pre-reqs in the CC in the States. </p>
<p>Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>Admissions officers who deal with international students have seen candidates like you before. Each school will have its own way of determining what credits to award you. Pick schools that are interesting to you, contact the international admissions and transfer admissions officers, and see what happens.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot. So I should contact each Admission office one by one and ask them about my situation? I'm very worried that due to my major/school system, I'll be at a disadvantage in the transfer applicant pool.</p>
<p>Believe me, the transfer admissions officers have seen absolutely everything. Contact each of the schools that interest you. If your major/school system is a problem for any given school, they will let you know and you can just scratch that school off your list.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help. Just last question. I applied to some schools last year as Freshmen but got rejected. The reason was motly because my essays weren't that great and my school is known for their laziness in writing goood recs. This year, I'll be sure to fix these two problems. Do you think I'll still be at a disadvantage in reapplying to those schools this year?</p>
<p>You have no way of knowing why those schools rejected you last year unless the admissions officers who actually did the rejecting have told you their reasons. Do not expect that better essays and/or better letters of recommendation will make a difference. And, while you may be able to write better essays, who is it exactly who is going to write those better letters of recommendation for you? The same people who wrote them last year? If so, do they really have anything new to say?</p>
<p>One suggestion I have read about reapplying, is that you contact the schools that have rejected you and ask them what you need to do to make yourself more competitive as a transfer student. If you do reapply, many schools will find your old application in their files and take another look at it when you send the new one.</p>
<p>If you are dead set on reapplying, go ahead. I know people who have been successful the second time around. However, I also think that you should carefully consider your options, and find schools that suit you now, not the you you were this time last year.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your reply. Someone else also suggested that I should contact the admission officers and ask them on how to improve my application. However, I was doubtful as I thought it would be strange. Should I really contact the schools?</p>
<p>About the recs, I was told by one school that they did play at my disadvantage (as due to school's internal troubles had to find new fresh teachers to write them). My high school is notorious for the lack of effort in writing the recs. The reasons 1) there is only one teacher to write all the overseas app recs (including the States) 2) subject teachers usually don't know how to write recs (like they just list out what you have done). This year, I'm getting my professors to write them. Hopefully, they'll write me better ones. </p>
<p>Lastly, thanks for the reminder on the list of schools. I'm only reapplying to two old ones, with adding two new ones.</p>