Hi everyone,

Would someone that has been to the whole process or it is still working on the process in order do get in to a LLM program, answer me about the letters of recommendation?

I have not been in touch with my formers teachers for more than a decade, and I am not sure If they will or not to write a letter of recommendation for me.

Do you guys think or know if the schools would accept these letters from my formers bosses? I have people from the legal field that could write a letter for me and I have people from the financial department that also could write one for me.

Any suggestion and inputs would be very appreciated.

Sonia

Basically the best LoRs will come from your professors. If that isn't possible OR they won't be very strong letters from your teachers, then by all means use your former bosses. I could only get one LoR from a professor but I had others (4 in total) from well respected partners at firms I worked for. I was accepted into every school I applied to (including Harvard) so don't focus on not being able to get LoRs from professors only.

IF, and I do mean IF, you are not going to get a STRONG letter of recommendation from someone, don't even bother trying to get it. Better nothing than something mediocre or a letter that damns you with faint praise.

Wavshrdr,

What do you think it helped you the most to be accepted at Harvard University? Your grades? Your LOR ? Your personal Statement? Your TOEFL score? How did you do at the TOEFL test? Please share with me.

Can I use the same LOR's and personal statement to send to all the schools that I am interested?

What does the LSAC do for me?

I do appreciate your honest answers.

Sonia - see my reply regarding LSAC in another thread.

I'll give you an idea of the basic scoring criteria schools use as I understand it. It is about 30% LoRs, 30% Grades (including class rank), 30% Essays and 10% intangibles (such as background, work history, etc.). As for TOEFL it is basically a pass/fail amount. Either you qualify (or are very close) or you don't.

The emphasis on each area can vary a bit by schools so don't think these are absolute values by any means. While you can't see your LoRs as they are supposed to be sealed and signed by the people you ask and sent to LSAC (or some schools directly), I think my LoRs were very strong. My grades were extremely high in my home country and I was in the very top of my class rank as well. I took the TOEFL one time without prep and did very well but not perfect.

They'll look at your overall package so you could be a bit down in one area and make up for it in other areas. You do have to be strong in all areas for the top schools.

PM if you want more input.

Thanks a lot Wavshrdr, and I will pm you for more inputs.

I am really happy for people like you that get to study in one of the top school in USA, if not the best one.

I will be in touch by PM, because I can learn a lot from you for sure.

Thanks again.
Sonia

I agree with almost everything that @Wavshrdr said (we know each other well from other topics) , except for the TOEFL scores. Even though most Universities tipically ask 100 (except for Columbia - who asks 105), the higher your TOEFL scores are, the higher are your chances of getting into a top University.

I think the higher you are above the minimum the school requires in ANY area, the better your chances are. I guess I should have been more clear about that. What I was attempting to say is that if you don't meet the minimum on the TOEFL, most schools won't even look at your application.

The coursework is rigorous and there is a lot to learn in one year so English comprehension is VERY important. English isn't my native language so I know I may have to put in extra time during my studies to make sure I understand things properly.

Good luck on your studies. Start working on your personal statement now! Make sure it is very well crafted. It is your one chance to tell a story that the schools can't see from just reading your CV or other areas. I like to think of the personal statement as adding color to what otherwise might just be black and white.

Hi everyone, help me if you can. I do appreciate everyone's input.

I live in USA, and I am finding a hard time to understand the process of LOR. What are the sequence of happenings for them? How can I control, manage this process from USA? It seems very complex to me, maybe because I haven't done yet. Help, please, to unveil this part of the process. It is being a big deal for me. :(

Can my former professors and former bosses write the LOR in English? Does it have to be sent to LSAC or to Harvard the version of these letters in my native language and its versions in English (translated by a certified company)?

I want to make sure that I don't burn my chances with the top schools by no providing the letters in Portuguese too. Some people are advising me to ask my professors and bosses to write it in English, so it wouldn't be necessary to be translated or even notarized. What do you guys think about it?

Do I have to get the certified that I am a current licensed lawyer and send it to LSAC? Would this help me with the schools?

What documents do I have to send to LSAC completely sealed, and what documents don't?

Thanks in advance for all the answers.

Sonia

Basically most everything needs to be sent to LSAC sealed so as to eliminate tampering. IF, your professors can write well in English, it would simplify the process a lot. Otherwise I believe you need to have the sealed letter from them taking to a translator and then have that letter sealed and then sent to LSAC.

I just asked for my LoRs in English if possible and that is what I received. I am glad I didn't have to deal with the LoRs in another language. I would suggest checking on LSAC's site as it was so long ago I don't remember.

FYI - if you do apply to Harvard, you will need one set of LoRs for them and another set for LSAC. You can't copy them or duplicate them. So if you think it is worth the hassle of applying to Harvard, then plan ahead. In retrospect it wasn't worth the additional effort on my part. While Harvard is a great school, its much large class sizes and less of a focus on the areas I am interested in meant it was just a lot of extra work for me. I found it difficult enough getting one LoR from a professor but when I asked him to for another one, it was really asking to much.

I agree, Harvard is the most stressful application. I did apply to Harvard. Even though I didn't get in, I put a lot of effort in to it. It means that you have to plan your personal statement in advance(750 words) and defent an idea or topic related to your area of interest (another 750 words), adittionally you have to tell them a very detailed story about what you expect from your future in 5-10 years.