<p>I'm a transfer student to USC from an european university. Basically, all my freshmen grades from overseas are transferred at USC as CR (credit, no letter grades due to the fact that european institutes use numeric grades). My GPA at USC is 3.91, and I'll be starting my senior year in August, and will be taking the LSAT in September. Assuming that I will score 170+ on the LSAT, will Harvard Law School look down on me because I didn't start my undergrad in the states? </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>If you score above 165, I'd say go for it. I don't know your reasons for moving to the states -- but since you are planning to pursue a law degree, I assume you are immigrating. Your international background should allow you write interesting personal statements. So, go for it.</p>
<p>...Where in Europe? I am curious. Feel free to PM if the info is personal.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<p>WF</p>
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<p>I didn't start my undergrad in the states? </p>
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<p>They won't care about this at all.</p>
<p>Yo, if you get a 174 and hae a 3.9, you're virtually guaranteed admission at Harvard.</p>
<p>No one is guaranteed admission to Harvard Law School. Plenty of people with perfect LSAT scores and top GPAs are rejected every year. Does having a perfect LSAT score and top GPA give you a shot? Absolutely. But be prepared to join an applicant pool that mostly has scores and grades just like yours.</p>
<p>I really don't think all that many perfect LSATs get rejected by Harvard. It's not like the SAT at all. Given HLS' size, they need to accept most of the 175+ applicants they get.</p>
<p>hahah, right. Dude, trust me. If he gets a 174+ combined with a 3.9, he's in.</p>
<p>There has been inflation in the interquartile range of LSAT scores for a while now, due to static student slots but a 37% increase in LSAT takers in the last decade. Harvard has moved from about 170-174 to 170-176 recently.</p>
<p>174's are no longer good enough for sure admits due to the increase in LSAT takers since there are more people comprimising each percentile rank of the LSAT.</p>
<p>that is true diogenes, but a 174 coupled with a 3.9, Harvard virtually has to take all of these people.</p>
<p>The fact that USC doesn't count the grades you got in Europe is irrelevant. LSDAS calculates a gpa; it does NOT just use the one the diploma-granting institution uses. So, it is probable that those European grades WILL BE COUNTED by LSDAS and it will "convert" them to a 4.0 scale. </p>
<p>The fact that you began your education in Europe will NOT hurt you. The grades you earned will probably count though.</p>
<p>Why not? All you have to lose is the app fee.</p>
<p>A 3.9 will not move Harvard's 75th percentile for GPA, and a 174 won't move it either, but it will keep the 25th percentile GPA and LSAT up, so while I say you would have a good chance, if you are anti-social and not active, I wouldn't give you a very good chance at all. If his LSAT were 176 or above, I would say yes, because a high LSAT is much harder to find than a high GPA.</p>
<p>On the contrary, having nothing but numbers would actually be beneficial to harvard since the candidate would not likely be admitted to Yale. There is an intense cross admits battle with Yale winning very very handidly. That is why harvard admits some 850+ people. A 3.9/174 will get in every single time. Compare the 174 and 3.9 or above candidates on LSN. EVERY SINGLE one of them admitted to harvard in 2003,2004, and this year's cycle. There are two exceptions 1 waitlist in early march where the person does not post to indicate whether he/she got off the waitlist and a deferral in january that does not update the profile after that. Most likely both of these candidates were admitted as well. </p>
<p>Harvard has to accept these people. Mathmatically they really can't afford to reject these individuals unless they are criminals are in someway unfit for the practice of law.</p>
<p>Yes, apply</p>
<p>I sure as hell know I will NOT get into Harvard Law school, even though I am doing my completely undergrad in America at Berkeley. I am simply applying because my dad wants me to, I think "why the heck not," and there's not much to lose. </p>
<p>Also, if you aren't taking it seriously, and they interview you, you can have a bit of fun at the interview- or at least i will since i have no chance--by doing something ridiculous and potentially shocking them.</p>
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<p>you can have a bit of fun at the interview</p>
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<p>HLS doesn't interview, and even if it did, it wouldn't have the resources to interview people who have "no chance." The only school I'm aware of in the top 14 that interviews a lot of people is Northwestern.</p>
<p>Hey it can't hurt.....what's the worst that can't happen, you get rejected?</p>
<p>Northwestern? Ive never considered applying there prior...so what ridiculous thing should I do at the interview besides go in my jammies?</p>
<p>Harvard interviews likely admits. I was interviewed a week before being admitted, as was everyone else admitted prior to april.</p>
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<p>I was interviewed a week before being admitted</p>
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<p>You mean those phone calls from Toby? I thought that those were basically a recruitment technique, not "interviews."</p>
<p>yeah, I guess so. A couple of people interviewed were waitlisted though....</p>