Hello everyone ,

I have completed my Bachelor of Law degree in Turkey with an CGPA 2.82. I also had full tuition scholarship from Turkish government based on my success on Turkish University exam which covered full tuition. 1st year of college I had a gap year because of I was accepted to an cultural exchange program called AFS (American Field service) and completed last year of high school in Belgium. During this program I have learned Dutch and English fluently and managed to pass last grade of Belgian high school in Dutch. After a year I went back to Turkey and started my law bachelor education. 1st year of college I had a great GPA but after 1st year I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The healing process and all the pills I have used and changed caused a significant change in my GPA in a bad way. But I managed to complete the college in 4 years. If I haven’t had it could cause to lose my scholarship. During the college years I have been working as a waitress. With the salary I got I managed to attend two different volunteer internships in Philippines(focused on human trafficking problem) and South Korea(focused on bullied multicultural kids) . I also attend several college groups and activities. As a supervisory board member of Erasmus student network I have written the bylaw. I was a vice-president of Music and art club and almost every year I was singing and playing violin in special occasions of university such as international women’s day. I was also a member of university Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot group which we were planning to participate. Also with a special program called “sharing success” I have been working for a faculty member in college women’s right office. 5 years, Since I graduated I have been running my own business as an attorney specialized in immigration law. Last year I won my fight against borderline and healthy physically and mentally. I am married since last year and because of my husband is foreigner I am the only one who works and support family for now. After a long time I an finally decided to follow my dream and passion about developing my legal knowledge. So I have been searching LLM options in ADR with full scholarship in U.S. But as there is no one I know to ask about some questions about application process,

I would like to ask you guys the following questions:

Is my CGPA of 2.82 , gonna be a problem in the application process ?
Some people I know says social background, volunteer works etc. has an important role of application process. Is it true ?
Honestly I can say that my mental illness and healing process is the biggest reason of my low GPA. During my research of LLM application process, ı have read some articles saying “ If you have a reason of why you have low GPA such as illness, disability, supporting family financially write it in your personal statement” Because my main reason was my “mental” illness I am hesitating if I should write it down or not. I am afraid if it can make a bad impact on me. What do you guys think about it?
Except of my GPA, I had always tried to develop myself . I didn’t waste my time, attend many college activities groups, learned language, worked and travelled, did volunteer work and tried to balance it with my education. So I have a strong social background. Do I really have a chance of being accepted for an LLM with full scholarship in America ?
Thanks for reading it. Any further recommendations is welcome. Have an amazing day !

If your 2.82 GPA is equivalent to an American GPA out of 4/4.33 which would put you at a low B-, then you have virtually no chance of a full scholarship in the US. Certainly not at any school worth attending. Your struggle with mental health may help explain your grades, but they aren’t going to offer you a full ride because of that.

That said, LLMs are not super competitive in the US for a variety of reasons. Aside from HYS and maybe CCN, which would be tough for you to be accepted, look at schools in the rest of the T14 and 20 and see what appeals. You won’t get a full scholarship, but you might get accepted. See if you can get funding from the Turkish government, any partial scholarships for mental illness, women, savings, etc. Please note tuition in the US is often high and schools view LLMs as cash cows, so do your research and make sure you know what you’re getting into.

GPS is usually one of the main criteria when it comes to scholarships, but given the sheer amount of scholarship types among different schools, it's worth a shot doing some deep research to see if you find anything that would apply to someone like you. In any case, congratulations on your story and what you've managed to accomplish given your setbacks.

You can find some general information on scholarships here https://llm-guide.com/articles/usa-scholarships-for-international-llm-students

Hi Aylin,



I agree with Sebastian: it is worth trying!



While you might struggle with acceptance for top tear schools, many other reputable schools are willing to accept and offer partial scholarships (maybe 20%* top) for late applicants or those with lower GPAs, specially during the last stages of admissions. Reviewers, in fact, are likely to consider your application as a whole and not solely rely on your GPA, particularly if you prepare a strong statement and have other strong elements to your profile. I'd suggest submitting a suplemental letter explaining your particular situation: keep it simple, factual, and use a compelling tone.







I always look forward to broadening my network, so feel free to connect and shoot me a message on LinkedIn ➼ LinkedIn.com/company/LINGO-for-lawyers





????????︎ I look forward to connecting.



Best of luck!




Vanessa Sarmiento

[Edited by Hilda on Nov 15, 2024]

Ciao Aylin!



thank you for sharing your story!



I've done my LLM at Harvard a few years ago and then a PhD at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. I've been working as an admissions consultant and have also sat on the admissions committee.



I have to say that with a GPA like that it's going to be really tough. Usually, GPA is the round of selection, and everything else only matters if you meet the university's requirements on academic criteria.



That being said, I'd still try.



Generally, I write a lot about the LLM application process, especially about crafting personal statements, CVs, and scholarship applications, on my blog, you can find the link in my bio.



Hope it helps and good luck to you with your applications!

[Edited by daria.lev on Oct 25, 2024]