GPA specifications for international applicants? Forum

[markovchain]

Hello guys, I am new to the forum and am just starting to prepare for law school admission. It would be great if you could guys give some feedback on my inquiry regarding the transcript assessment.

1. At my school, transcript does not show GPA but only grades and credits (A+, A... F; and 1-4 credits per subject) so GPA is calculated by applicants.
Some are required for graduation, some are not. Does the cumulative GPA include non essential subjects?

2. My major GPA is higher than my cumulative GPA if calculated simply by (addition of grades)/(total # of credits). Is it possible to indicate this on my application?

3. The school does have its independent ranking system weighing certain major subjects over the others. How does the law school assess this difference when my transcript is sent?

It is very difficult to get information here, so it would be very helpful if some of these become clear.

[icechicken]

Canada or overseas?

[markovchain]

Canada or overseas?

Hey ice, I'm overseas.

[Piggy11]

You don't have to do anything except have the transcript (original language and official translation) sent by your school directly to the LSAC.
The LSAC uses an evaluation service that is allegedly familiar with grading systems in different countries to convert your grades into an evaluation (the evaluations are Superior, Above Average, Average and Below Average).

[markovchain]

You don't have to do anything except have the transcript (original language and official translation) sent by your school directly to the LSAC.
The LSAC uses an evaluation service that is allegedly familiar with grading systems in different countries to convert your grades into an evaluation (the evaluations are Superior, Above Average, Average and Below Average).

I see. I am a bit worried though as numbers tend to get lower for engineering majors (~3.8/4.3 for highest ranked individuals in my major.)

I suppose I should try to make up with high LSAT and toefl.

[Piggy11]

I suppose I should try to make up with high LSAT and toefl.

I wouldn't worry about the TOEFL - you just need to be above whatever the specific school requires, but beyond that, a higher score won't help. The LSAT will be king.
The lack of a reportable GPA is a double edged sword. On the one hand, if you have an above median/ above 75% LSAT and somehow your evaluation comes back as only "above average", it won't be as much of a disadvantage as a numerical GPA below the median, because it doesn't get reported and counted in the rankings.
On the other hand, if your LSAT is at or below the median you can't count on a high GPA to pull you through.
Numbers wise, you'll live or die by your LSAT. The rest will just be soft factors, including, to some extent, your GPA evaluation.

[icechicken]

I wouldn't worry about the TOEFL - you just need to be above whatever the specific school requires, but beyond that, a higher score won't help. The LSAT will be king.

This is basically true, but it's worth noting that the TOEFL cutoff is usually pretty strict. Most schools require 100, often with a specific minimum for Writing and some are even a touch higher. If you've been speaking English for 10+ years that's not a difficult score by any means but some international applicants will find it pretty tough.

[Piggy11]

Icechicken is right - apologies for being unclear, I didn't mean to imply "don't worry about the TOEFL, you'll be fine". The TOEFL is absolutely something you need to do well enough on to pass the school's requirements. It's been many years since I took it and it's a completely different test now, so I can't judge how difficult the requirements are, but from what I've gathered in these forums, they are not trivial for someone who doesn't speak English on a regular basis. Depending on your circumstances and level of comfort with English, you might need to put a lot of effort in meeting the minimum requirements or you might be able to walk into the test and ace it with minimum prep.
It's just that in the eyes of AdComms it's more of a Pass/Fail test - once you are over the threshold extra points won't really improve your chances. On the LSAT, on the other hand, each point can be worth extra acceptances and extra scholarship money.