Hi forum. I'd like to apply to a top LLM program, but my grades are a bit worrying as an admission factor. I had to deal with some personal challenges while studying, which negatively impacted my grades. I have a few years of experience now in a legal firm, good letters of recommendation, etc. I'd like to know if anyone's got any advice or input as to how much my grades would impact my application to a top school Is it possible to make up for it by excelling in other factors, or would this be a disqualifying factor? Thanks.

Grades are of course an important factor, but schools also value well-rounded profiles. Of course, when it comes to another candidate with a similar profile but better grades, you'll pale in comparison, but that wouldn't be the aim anyway.

Given your professional experience and strong recommendations, you have factors that can help offset lower grades. You can use your personal statement to explain the context behind your academic record and emphasize growth and resilience.

If possible, highlight any achievements at work that showcase your skills and commitment. Strong essays, clear career goals, and a compelling story can make a big difference and can offset average grades in some cases.

[quote]Hi forum. I'd like to apply to a top LLM program, but my grades are a bit worrying as an admission factor. I had to deal with some personal challenges while studying, which negatively impacted my grades. I have a few years of experience now in a legal firm, good letters of recommendation, etc. I'd like to know if anyone's got any advice or input as to how much my grades would impact my application to a top school Is it possible to make up for it by excelling in other factors, or would this be a disqualifying factor? Thanks. [/quote]

Hi mariatt!

In my experience of sitting on the admissions committee, grades are indeed important. I wish I could tell you otherwise.

However, there are a few considerations to note.

• First, the caliber of your previous university(-ies) matters, but not as much you think it does. If you didn't attend a top university, you can still gain into a great LL.M. program.

• Second, grades matter more than the caliber of your university. Excellent grades from a good university are better than poor grades from a top university.

• Third, the most important grades are those for core courses and those relevant to the program you’re applying to.

Usually, schools will have different thresholds for applicants from different countries. For international programs, the adcoms are typically quite knowledgeable about the grade systems around the world, especially for countries from where they get a lot of applicants.

When I evaluated LL.M. and Ph.D. applications at the European University Institute, I received clear and thorough guidelines regarding the required GPAs, reputable universities, and resources to look up additional information.

I'd also say that grades are a bigger challenge for scholarships than admission. You might get admission, but securing a full scholarship may be harder.

As someone who's been on the admissions committee and regularly talks to representatives of law schools in my capacity of the admissions consultant, I've got to say that the universities are very unlikely to disclose they grade thresholds to applicants.

The reason is that it is in the school's interest to encourage as many people as possible to apply, because it increases the competitiveness of the program and positively affects their reputation.

On the other hand, grades are the only quantitative part of the application, and each application is assessed holistically. Equally important, for international programs applicants are usually evaluated against other applicants from the same country (not everybody in the same pool).

This means that even if you grades are below the standard threshold, you'll have a higher chance of success, and other parts of your application are important. You can also use other parts of the application, such as essays and recommendations, to highlight what prevented you from gaining higher grades.

Generally, I write a lot about the LLM application process, you can read about it on my website (link in the bio).
I also have a guide on the core components of an LLM application and the relative weight of each.

Hope it helps and good luck! ;)

Thank you for the honesty, I really appreciate it. I guess I'll take a look at more realistic options for me so I can focus my energy more intelligently. I'll take a look at your website for sure! I'd of course like to aim for something a bit outside of my reach, in case an excellent application gives me some odds, but I don't want to be aiming for options where I stand no chance.