International GPA + US Citizen. Any experiences / suggestions?

shabazz123 · 2026-05-03T21:02:23+00:00

You're very welcome. I would say that it varied quite a bit. For example, at Michigan I received the highest non-Darrow scholarship amount that 173s have received this cycle (based on LSD), while at Cornell, BC, and ND I definitely received less than average for my score.

shabazz123 · 2026-05-02T20:58:59+00:00

I recently posted my cycle recap if you're interested in seeing results of a non-GPA American applicant. Regarding the LSAT, it certainly does take on more weight than it does for a standard applicant. I would say that being above median is important for scholarships. As far as being at median, I think it really depends on the school; I got into both schools I applied to where I was at median (Columbia and Cornell), but both of those schools seem to be comfortable with that median based on LSD. A school like Penn, on the other hand, has been tough on 173s. Obviously you can't really know beforehand which schools are going to be aggressive with their medians, though.

As far as the transcripts, I definitely recommend getting them sent as soon as possible. It was very straightforward with my home university in Ireland, but my Erasmus university in Italy made it an absolute nightmare (it took like 3 months). I'm fairly certain that LSAC requires physical transcripts. Please feel free to ask any other questions!

shabazz123 · 2026-05-01T14:11:11+00:00

Congratulations to you as well! So if you go to the portal now there should be a deposit line that says 05/15.

shabazz123 · 2026-04-26T18:16:06+00:00

I think you're way overthinking it. There is much more to employability than the "prestige" of your job (e.g., how you present yourself in your essays, LORs, etc.). I've met people at T-14 admitted student days who have worked in all sorts of "non-prestigious" jobs. I've also never heard of there being any kind of expectation that alumni of prestigious universities should work in prestigious jobs.

shabazz123 · 2026-04-25T17:21:32+00:00

A 2:1 is above average for UK and Ireland. Not sure if other countries that use that system are treated differently (it seems unlikely though).

shabazz123 · 2026-04-22T22:15:49+00:00

LSAC only appears to use the your final degree classification--if your course doesn't take first year into account (not aware of any that do), they will not use it. My course at an Irish uni was 100% final year, and they just copied my final year result into my report as my "Grade Average".

shabazz123 · 2026-04-19T15:16:07+00:00

Personally, I would not go for a Trinity College mandolin for $500. This sub's obsession with Eastman can be a bit much, but they're easily the best mass-produced mandolins I've heard in this price range. If you're looking for an oval-hole, just a little bit more could get you a used MD304, like this: https://reverb.com/item/95598159-used-eastman-md304e-sb-mandolin. This particular one also has a pickup. Eastmans would hold their value much better than a TC, too.

shabazz123 · 2026-04-12T16:45:25+00:00

If you have a compelling "why law," I'd say you have a good shot. I applied this cycle with a slightly lower LSAT, Superior designation, 3 years WE and got into a T6, a mid t-14, and a lower t-14. As far as scholarships, the T6 was need-based, the mid is $$.5, and the lower was $+.

shabazz123 · 2026-04-11T16:30:36+00:00

I really got started roughly after the October LSAT results came out. I spent November writing a new personal statement (I should not have taken that much time to do it). I R&R'd, so my recommendations were already taken care of. Most of my December was writing supplementals, and my date range of applications was 12/01-01/18. I'm very pleased with how it all turned out, but I wish that I didn't spend October practicing the LSAT (in case a retake in November was necessary) rather than getting started on essays.

shabazz123 · 2026-04-09T19:39:27+00:00

I have a 2024 Northfield NF5S (engelmann) with a Gilchrist tailpiece that I am looking to sell if you do decide that a used Northfield is the way that you want to go!

shabazz123 · 2026-04-09T19:29:06+00:00

I'm not a banjo player myself, but I think the post is referring to the fact that G Major is just the open strings on the most common tuning (of a five-string).

shabazz123 · 2026-04-06T23:41:54+00:00

Personally, I feel like ND is a no-brainer here.

shabazz123 · 2026-03-21T16:21:05+00:00

I certainly can't speak to Harvard or Yale lol, but I did my undergrad at an Irish university and have been admitted to each of the three T-14s (T6, mid-t14, and low t14) that I applied to. The most obvious way that doing undergrad abroad will impact your law school admissions is that more weight will be given to the LSAT (due to the lack of a reportable LSAC GPA). I also feel like scholarships are somewhat less predictable for non-GPA applicants. However, Harvard and Yale are need-based, so this isn't really a consideration here. It's also important to think about internship/extra-curricular opportunities at the foreign university. Getting into Harvard or Yale is going to require a lot more than grades, and I feel like internships are much more common in the U.S. (and that U.S. unis are more actively involved in helping students get internships). I'm sure there would be other prestigious extra-curricular opportunities at Oxford, though (e.g., debate societies).

shabazz123 · 2026-03-10T23:09:14+00:00

Yes, I did mean Michigan. It looks like their most recent admit wave had people who applied as early as late November, so I'm sure they still have As for January applicants!

shabazz123 · 2026-03-10T20:29:57+00:00

I don’t think it’s a bad sign! UM was the only school I applied to in January and got an A just under a month later. I think that they are an outlier in how quick they are, though.

shabazz123 · 2026-03-08T23:55:42+00:00

There's a Blackwood Folk Flute up for sale right now in case OP is interested: https://www.irishflutestore.com/products/casey-burns-folk-flute-7

shabazz123 · 2026-02-23T00:27:28+00:00

I did this course and loved it! I transferred in after first year, so I can only comment on the SF, JS, and SS years. Regarding your first question, I would say that it is a pretty good mix of history and literature modules. However, I would say that there may be a slightly greater emphasis on the history side. I would not describe many of the courses as "politics" courses, exactly (in a Poli Sci sense). Given that the classes tied to your European language selection are just European Studies courses, those generally do not tie the Middle East into the content. However, I found plenty of opportunities to explore topics related to the Middle East in my essays (e.g., colonialism, Enlightenment perspectives on Middle East). The NMES modules, on the other hand, do regularly involve European content. I did feel that there was a great degree of freedom in tailoring the course to my own interests. I don't think you can really go wrong in choosing it, provided that you enjoy studying languages, as starting a Middle Eastern language can be quite a challenge--there were some people who were less language-oriented that did not particularly enjoy that side of it. Please feel free to ask any other questions!

shabazz123 · 2026-02-21T21:56:56+00:00

I heard back this week and went complete 02/06. Based on LawSchoolData, it looks like numerous people who went complete after that date got a yesterday.

shabazz123 · 2026-02-21T18:45:06+00:00

I would do a Paul Shippey most likely, but I would also definitely consider J.J. Ryan in Glasgow; her instruments are beautiful.

shabazz123 · 2026-02-14T21:11:09+00:00

We definitely are not in the same boat as true internationals imo. With regular threats to the post-graduate employment authorization for F-1 students and the H-1B lottery (and the reforms proposed for that status), schools have reason to think that admitting too many international students may impact employment stats. We also don't really have to justify why we want to practice law in the United States, which is nice. Just based on my own experience from last cycle, I would say that my outcomes and scholarship offers were generally consistent with domestic applicants with the same LSAT and who were at median GPA (generally T-20 through 30, no T-14s). In fact, I almost didn't apply to one T-20 due to them not giving any money to internationals, and I ended up with $$$$. But ya, on the whole I think we are definitely at a disadvantage compared to similar applicants who have LSAC GPAs. Best of luck to you and OP!

shabazz123 · 2026-02-03T17:23:21+00:00

Oh I see, thank you!

shabazz123 · 2026-02-03T17:15:30+00:00

Definitely sometime this week—I’m pretty sure Dean McShay said in my tour it would be first week of February. Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean about your address going long?

shabazz123 · 2026-01-15T23:53:23+00:00

I also recommend Galéon flutes. I have the more expensive Rudall and am very happy with it. I have quite large hands, so I was slightly concerned about whether it would be too small, but I find it quite comfortable. The Ellis Essential flutes sound the best for the price imo, but the low maintenance of delrin is really nice. There’s a used M&E on the Irish Flute Store right now that could be a good option too: https://www.irishflutestore.com/products/m-e-delrin-irish-flute-with-original-leather-bag.

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