Transcript from Study Abroad

[esslee]

Hello,

I am currently in the process to apply for acceptance in Fall 2019. I had a question about the transcripts required by LSAC.

So I spent my junior year studying abroad at LSE and I was directly enrolled in their General Course program. Additionally, because I didn't need the credits for graduation, I didn't actually get the credits transferred over to my home institution in the US. I was told that I don't need to submit the transcript unless it's longer than a year. Does that mean that I shouldn't submit my study abroad transcript? Would the school be confused as to why there's a year long gap in my home instutition's transcript?

(Also I did end up not doing very well on two of the classes from study abroad. If it isn't needed, would it be better to just not post it?)

Thank you!

[Dave Killoran]

Hello,

I am currently in the process to apply for acceptance in Fall 2019. I had a question about the transcripts required by LSAC.

So I spent my junior year studying abroad at LSE and I was directly enrolled in their General Course program. Additionally, because I didn't need the credits for graduation, I didn't actually get the credits transferred over to my home institution in the US. I was told that I don't need to submit the transcript unless it's longer than a year. Does that mean that I shouldn't submit my study abroad transcript? Would the school be confused as to why there's a year long gap in my home instutition's transcript?

(Also I did end up not doing very well on two of the classes from study abroad. If it isn't needed, would it be better to just not post it?)

Thank you!

Hi Esslee,

Thanks for the question! Just as a reference for anyone else reading, LSAC's international transcript policy is here: https://www.lsac.org/applying-law-schoo ... ranscripts.

The key question is the year-long period. It looks like your time there was equivalent or less than a year's worth of work, right? LSAC's policy states that you have to submit if, "the total amount of work you completed at all of these institutions combined is the equivalent of more than one year," and then later they say do not submit if "the total amount of work you completed at all international institutions combined is equal to or less than the equivalent of one year of undergraduate study in the United States" (italics added for emphasis). On this basis, I'd say you do not have to submit the LSE transcripts. I'd strongly suggest you confirm that with LSAC just so you have full confidence, but I suspect they will indicate it's not necessary.

The question about the gap is a reasonable one, and what you can do is either have a recommender mention you were at LSE for a year, or you can add an addendum that mentions it.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

[esslee]

Yes! Thank you very much!