should i write a gpa addendum or not? Forum

[lawschool111]

LSAC calculated my LSAC Cumulative GPA as 3.5, and my Degree GPA as 3.00.

Some background information:

I started my undergraduate career at a very early age. I graduated high school when i was 15. When I transferred over to Haas School of Business, I was actually supposed to be a sophomore in university. I was a year ahead of my grade; the competition and curve took me by surprise, which slightly contributed to my drop in GPA.

A 3.5 GPA is sufficient enough to get me into a top 20 law school, which is what I am aiming for, assuming that I get above the 160's on my LSAT.

BUT, I was thinking about writing an addendum to explain why I received a 3.00 GPA. I attended University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business and as a business major, a majority of my classes were curved. Outside of the classes that I was required to take for my major, I received mostly B+'s and A's. If you have heard about the HAAS Curve, you would know that it is something every business major at UC Berkeley dreads.

The average GPA for core courses for HAAS business students is 3.12.

With this being said, I find myself to be at a disadvantage when it comes to my Degree GPA as there are English, Legal studies and etc majors, applying whose classes do not follow a strict curve.

Is this worth writing an addendum for, or do law schools tend to focus more on Cumulative GPAs? Should I avoid talking about this...perhaps law schools understand that students who graduate from elite business schools have to deal with strict curves?

Personally, I feel like it can go either way. It's subjective, the committee could either feel like I am nagging and looking for an excuse or they could understand my situation and realize that a 3.5 Cumulative GPA is a better reflection of where I stand academically.

If law schools will only use my LSAC GPA which is 3.5, then I guess writing an addendum wouldn't be necessary?

[rad lulz]

No addendum. No one gives a crap ab your major GPA.

[SumStalwart]

Hey, sorry to hear about that.

Other than you being young and taken by surprise by undergraduate, are there any other reasons (e.g. medical, socioeconomic...)? What you have accomplished is impressive, but, based on what you have said, I wouldn't advise on an addendum. You might be turning a small issue into a big thing.

Was there a noticeable increase with your GPA as you got familiar with the program? If so, trust that the adcomms will be able to discern that from your transcripts. Many people, including myself, suffer from poorer initial grades. Also, a 3.5 cumulative, is not bad. Just do well on the LSAT (retake if you must), and write a bad ass PS-- noting your accomplishments.

Good Luck with your cycle!

[bp shinners]

and write a bad ass PS-- noting your accomplishments.

I'm with the others - don't write the addendum.

However, also don't list your accomplishments in your PS. They should come across in your resume. Listing them in the PS creates a boring essay that no one wants to read. Focus it on a single story that highlights an important moment in your life/change in the way you view the world - that'll make you more of a person to the reader, which is what the PS is all about (it's NOT about noting your accomplishments, a common misconception).

[SumStalwart]

Oh, I didn't mean to advise him/her to singularly focus on his/her accomplishments, but rather to weave them into it (if possible). I guess that I was assuming, because of his younger age, that these accomplishments are a very fundamental part of who he/she is as a person and can be linked into his/her PS rather seamlessly.

I agree with bp shinners, do not solely list your accomplishments. If you are unable to note some of them without restating your resume, just avoid it altogether.