To all LLM Guiders,



I studied at the State University of Rio de Janeiro for three years. I worked at the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice and now work at a corporate and civil law firm where I carry out jurisprudential research, prepare petitions, and monitor procedural due diligence.



In 2022, in addition to my training, I had the opportunity to represent my country as a Brazilian Delegate at the United Nations in New York and discuss sustainability and the 2030 agenda with young people from other countries. I was part of an NGO, Canal Novo Mundo, until last year, volunteering in beach cleaning and editing texts on environmental issues.



Additionally, I am a researcher at the Center for Research in International Law and Politics at my university, where each student develops an article discussing the politics of each country. I was also part of the constitutional law research group in which we addressed the crisis of democracy in Latin American countries. Furthermore, in May of this year, I participated as a speaker in the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition at American University, which allowed me to further my studies in international law, health law, and human rights.



Finally, I also participate in my university law journal, where I am part of the media and scientific article translation team. My interest in the master's degree is in the area of ​​human rights and international law.



Therefore, with my GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0), I would like to know if I could pass colleges like Yale and Harvard based on my experiences during college and even with a GPA below expectations.



Thanks in advance.

[Edited by Maria Eduarda Sosa on Nov 16, 2024]

No one has a cloudless path to any top law school, besides some programs that may have better outcomes. It is tied to your essay or even several factors that come every year (i.e., number of applicants from your country, similar profiles, among others).

When it comes to Yale or Harvard, while the former relies a lot on your teaching or researching experience, the latter focuses on the grades and ranks over other aspects. Thus, you may struggle with both processes, although you should definitely apply to both, along with the other t6/t14 schools.

However, since I have met some lawyers in the field, I would bear in mind that the two programs that shine in international law and human rights are the LLMs from Columbia and Georgetown. Besides the lay prestige (which ultimately is not so noticeable), both are superior to Harvard and Yale in terms of curricula and networking, considering also their locations (close to UN and CIDH).