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I have one summer semester and two more full semesters left at college and I’ve been considering what my course of action will be with my last year. At the moment I am scheduled to take 4 classes over the summer. 3 are going to be easy ... and then there is Calculus II. Next fall I am taking a hair over 20 credits and it is going to include both Physics and Chemistry classes. My question is this: I am very weak in the areas of math and science. I could easily expect to see a lower GPA for the summer with Calculus II and in the fall with the two sciences. Would it benefit me in any way to put off my Calculus and Physics class until my last semester and take a couple easier classes in their place? My last semester will be quite light as far as credits go (12-15). I plan on applying to law schools either just before the end of fall semester or just after. If I apply with a GPA and then in my last semester of school I get a couple of C's and it drops my GPA a bit, how much of a difference will that make? I assume that I will have already been accepted somewhere. In the experience of those here, is it common for a law school to look at the final undergraduate GPA of a student after they have been accepted? How many of you received conditional acceptance based on final undergraduate GPA?

Thanks in advance!

Ok here is what I think you should do:

First of all move all your difficult classes to your last semester.
Second apply as soon as you have your lsat score or even earlier and send in your fall GPA when it becomes available. You willl do yourself much much harm applying after fal semester.
Your last semester courses won't generally matter but your summer and fall ones likely will.

When are you planning on taking the lsat?

calicocat wrote:Ok here is what I think you should do:

First of all move all your difficult classes to your last semester.
Second apply as soon as you have your lsat score or even earlier and send in your fall GPA when it becomes available. You willl do yourself much much harm applying after fal semester.
Your last semester courses won't generally matter but your summer and fall ones likely will.

When are you planning on taking the lsat?

I don't know if I'd suggest loading up on classes that will give you trouble in any semester, let alone your last one. There's the risk you'll be overwhelmed and the senioritis factor, especially if you get your decisions and make your choice early in the semester.

However, if you'll be taking the LSAT in June or October, I'd suggest moving Calc to next spring. That way you can put more energy into studying for the LSAT.

thalassocrat wrote:

calicocat wrote:Ok here is what I think you should do:

First of all move all your difficult classes to your last semester.
Second apply as soon as you have your lsat score or even earlier and send in your fall GPA when it becomes available. You willl do yourself much much harm applying after fal semester.
Your last semester courses won't generally matter but your summer and fall ones likely will.

When are you planning on taking the lsat?

I don't know if I'd suggest loading up on classes that will give you trouble in any semester, let alone your last one. There's the risk you'll be overwhelmed and the senioritis factor, especially if you get your decisions and make your choice early in the semester.

However, if you'll be taking the LSAT in June or October, I'd suggest moving Calc to next spring. That way you can put more energy into studying for the LSAT.

But schools won't be caring about your last semester grades and OP sounds like he wants to update his transcript i the fall. Having a C on there would be suicide.

calicocat wrote:

thalassocrat wrote:

calicocat wrote:Ok here is what I think you should do:

First of all move all your difficult classes to your last semester.
Second apply as soon as you have your lsat score or even earlier and send in your fall GPA when it becomes available. You willl do yourself much much harm applying after fal semester.
Your last semester courses won't generally matter but your summer and fall ones likely will.

When are you planning on taking the lsat?

I don't know if I'd suggest loading up on classes that will give you trouble in any semester, let alone your last one. There's the risk you'll be overwhelmed and the senioritis factor, especially if you get your decisions and make your choice early in the semester.

However, if you'll be taking the LSAT in June or October, I'd suggest moving Calc to next spring. That way you can put more energy into studying for the LSAT.

But schools won't be caring about your last semester grades and OP sounds like he wants to update his transcript i the fall. Having a C on there would be suicide.

Well, if he pushes all three back then he might end up being overwhelmed and completely failing, especially if they're as hard for him as he says. Obviously he'd be more likely to know the risk of that than I. Pushing calc back is probably credited, and doing the same with physics as said in the OP probably isn't a bad idea either. I just know I wouldn't want three problem classes at once.

Going back to the OP, they mostly look to make sure you graduate afaik. I did receive a conditional acceptance from UVA but it's not common; it seems to mostly happen to current undergrads they're admitting to boost their GPA range. It's not something to worry about as long as you do graduate.

calicocat wrote:Ok here is what I think you should do:

First of all move all your difficult classes to your last semester.
Second apply as soon as you have your lsat score or even earlier and send in your fall GPA when it becomes available. You willl do yourself much much harm applying after fal semester.
Your last semester courses won't generally matter but your summer and fall ones likely will.

When are you planning on taking the lsat?

I am taking the lsat in October. Thank you so much for the input. I think I will put off Calculus and Physics for the last semester and keep Chemistry for fall. I would not expect to fail either Calculus or Physics. I would expect a B or C.

Stack them all in your last semester. I tanked my last semester, never updated LSDAS, and it was no problem.

10second wrote:

calicocat wrote:Ok here is what I think you should do:

First of all move all your difficult classes to your last semester.
Second apply as soon as you have your lsat score or even earlier and send in your fall GPA when it becomes available. You willl do yourself much much harm applying after fal semester.
Your last semester courses won't generally matter but your summer and fall ones likely will.

When are you planning on taking the lsat?

I am taking the lsat in October. Thank you so much for the input. I think I will put off Calculus and Physics for the last semester and keep Chemistry for fall. I would not expect to fail either Calculus or Physics. I would expect a B or C.

Have your applications ready before you write the LSAT and send them in as soon as you get your score back. Good luck!!!