I want to attend law school at UH but I'm not a resident of Hawaii....I'm not even an American citizen! My LSAT was a 158 so I barely reached the 25th percentile for the school. I went to Northwestern for my BA and got a 3.60 GPA. UH is the only law school in Hawaii and I've heard that they give almost 100% preference to residents. I'm really into oceanic and environmental law and this is the school I wish to attend. Are there anyone out there from Hawaii that can give me advice on how I could make my application attractive to such an exclusive school?
2006-10-06 09:11:21 · 3 answers · asked by cj k 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
A few months is not enough. Generally schools require that you live in the state for at least 12 months before applying in order to establish residency. That said, I'm not sure whether or not you would be a valid Hawaii resident even after that time if you're not even a U.S. citizen. That's something you might want to call the admissions board to check into.
Could you take a prep course and re-take your LSAT? Maybe you can boost your score. That would help. You can't do anything about your college GPA, so instead I would suggest you focus on things you can change: your personal statement (I'd be sure to mention the fact that your passion is for oceanic and environmental law in your personal statement), your letters of recommendation (be sure to find credible sources for your letters of rec, and if they let you read the letters, give them input if you can suggest any ways to make them better), and work on your extracurricular activities.
If you can get a meaningful internship in your desired field or can pursue volunteer opportunities related to oceanography and/or the environment, that could also help. Colleges like to admit students who have demonstrated that they have skills and abilities relevant to their field of study and that will contribute to the diversity of their class. So I would suggest working on your work experience as well in the interim before applying to the UH law school.
Good luck!!!
2006-10-07 16:50:09 · answer #1 · answered by LB 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Easy...Move to Hawaii. Get a menial job for the summer. Within 3 months, you will be a resident of Hawaii!! Then apply to the law school. You seem to have the necessary credentials. A great job I recommend is Life Guarding at one of the beaches, if you have the credentials!!
2006-10-06 09:15:28 · answer #2 · answered by professortvz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What if you move there for a few months before you apply and make yourself a resident of Hawaii. Do you plan to start your citizenship paperwork? Maybe you should apply from there.
2006-10-06 09:16:58 · answer #3 · answered by Trish H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋