<p>So I´m considering studying law in the US after finishing high school(I think that´s the most appropriate translation for “Gymnasium”), and while I was researching some information about applications and what they need to include, it became obvious to me, how important the “little” things beside the SAT and grades are. And it would be great if some people with experience could sum the most important criteria up</p>
<p>At present I´m sure about the importance of the following informations:</p>
<p>SAT (a lot of colleges seem to prefer it to the ACT)
TOEFL (for foreign students with another mother tongue than english)
Grades in high school (I´m not sure how the colleges evaluate grades from another educational system than the north american system)
Extracurricular activities (what can one include here, e.g does an exchange count?)
and of course the essay</p>
<p>It depends on the type of schools you’re applying: the most selectives colleges require the tops in grades and academic performance and potential. </p>
<p>Ability to pay is a big factor most anywhere.</p>
<p>Some less selective schools readily welcome full-pay international students so admittance to those won’t be difficult.</p>
<p>One thing to note is that in the US, you can’t study law directly after completing your grade schooling. First, you’ll need to get a Bachelor’s degree in something.</p>
<p>I also have a new question, most schools say they´re looking for people who had good grades all the time and so on. So does that mean you´re basically screwed if your secondary school report includes weaker grades from earlier years even if your grades during the last years were very high? I mean it´s obvious(correct me if this assumption is wrong) that the ivy league schools probably won´t take you if others have a better secondary school report, but are there other colleges that don´t pay that much attention to earlier high school years?</p>