(Poll) Summer Firm Job and Really Bad Undergrad Transcript Forum

[Joga Bonito]

So a firm that I sent my resume to asked for my undergraduate transcript. The problem is my GPA is terrible (in the 2.'s) and I don't mean 2.9, 2.8, 2.7 or anything, its bad. I haven't seen my law school grades yet but they will be on average better than my undergrad transcript. I will be sending my law school grades as soon as I get them in the next couple weeks.

Should I wait 2 weeks to send my undergrad grades until I get my law school grades too or go ahead and send them now?

They asked today but said to send them at my convenience. If I send them now they will have 2 weeks to think about how awful of a student I was in undergrad and wonder how in the hell I got into law school (I can't send my lsat score to show I'm not stupid).

Should I send an addendum like i did for law school?

I would like feedback too, but thanks for voting btw.

[Lawl Shcool]

Are you certain your LS grades will come out in 1.5-2 weeks? If so, I would wait and send both at once. If not, you are going to need to bite the bullet and send them alone.

There are only a few situations I could see your UG grades mattering too much, 1) it's Cravath or 2) it's an IP job.

[Joga Bonito]

Are you certain your LS grades will come out in 1.5-2 weeks? If so, I would wait and send both at once. If not, you are going to need to bite the bullet and send them alone.

There are only a few situations I could see your UG grades mattering too much, 1) it's Cravath or 2) it's an IP job.

My law school grades should be out within 2 weeks, but it could be a couple days more. The firm's not Cravath or Wachtell or anything but since they asked I figured that meant they would look that them seriously and I don't want my first impression to be a bad one, that's why I wanna procrastinate with the undergrad grades.

[Renzo]

Once they see the grades, they are going to know they're bad. Withholding the grades just draws more attention to it, once they actually get them. Also, you would know better than I would, but two weeks from now seems insanely optimistic for getting grades back (at least it would be for my school).

[Joga Bonito]

Once they see the grades, they are going to know they're bad. Withholding the grades just draws more attention to it, once they actually get them. Also, you would know better than I would, but two weeks from now seems insanely optimistic for getting grades back (at least it would be for my school).

Well they said roughly within the next two weeks or so but it could be longer. Maybe I'll go ahead and send them but in theory it would be better to send my law school grades at the same time or before right?

[vamedic03]

Just send the transcript now. There's nothing you can do to change your undergrad grades. If you kicked ass your Fall Semester, then they'll see that in a couple weeks when you send your law school grades.

[Aqualibrium]

Are you certain your LS grades will come out in 1.5-2 weeks? If so, I would wait and send both at once. If not, you are going to need to bite the bullet and send them alone.

There are only a few situations I could see your UG grades mattering too much, 1) it's Cravath or 2) it's an IP job.

I think undergrad grades do actually come into play in some situations, especially when a firm actually asks to see them. What I've seen is that when a firm is familiar with the quality of student at a given university, they'll often extend an offer based on undergrad grades alone. I have a couple of friends who got 1L SA offers at NLJ 250 firms before ls grades came out because they had outstanding (I'm talking 3.9-4.0) undergraduate grades at well respected universities (of course the firm's perceived quality of the law school you're attending is important in this as well).

Even if it won't lead directly to an offer, I'm sure the firm uses them as a sort of early disqualifier because they know most people won't have law school grades when they apply. Every recruiter I've talked to says that they get so many apps that they look for reasons to not have to dive into all of them. A quick gpa check can disqualify a handful of applicants, thus making the pool that you have to evaluate when law school grades come out smaller.

All that said, if I'm op, I wait until law school grades come out...

[Joga Bonito]

Are you certain your LS grades will come out in 1.5-2 weeks? If so, I would wait and send both at once. If not, you are going to need to bite the bullet and send them alone.

There are only a few situations I could see your UG grades mattering too much, 1) it's Cravath or 2) it's an IP job.

I think undergrad grades do actually come into play in some situations, especially when a firm actually asks to see them. What I've seen is that when a firm is familiar with the quality of student at a given university, they'll often extend an offer based on undergrad grades alone. I have a couple of friends who got 1L SA offers at NLJ 250 firms before ls grades came out because they had outstanding (I'm talking 3.9-4.0) undergraduate grades at well respected universities (of course the firm's perceived quality of the law school you're attending is important in this as well).

Even if it won't lead directly to an offer, I'm sure the firm uses them as a sort of early disqualifier because they know most people won't have law school grades when they apply. Every recruiter I've talked to says that they get so many apps that they look for reasons to not have to dive into all of them. A quick gpa check can disqualify a handful of applicants, thus making the pool that you have to evaluate when law school grades come out smaller.

All that said, if I'm op, I wait until law school grades come out...

That's what I was afraid of. I don't see how sending them now can help me really, I mean my grades are terrible mostly C's, some F's especially in the beginning.

[Aqualibrium]

That's what I was afraid of. I don't see how sending them now can help me really, I mean my grades are terrible mostly C's, some F's especially in the beginning.

Yeah, like I said, I wouldn't do it. If you kill it fall semester, and those grades really do come out in one or two weeks, you're in a much better position. As is, you just have an unvarnished picture of your quality as a candidate. Waiting a week or two for your law school grades gives you the opportunity to offset that picture with something potentially positive. On top of that it's very unlikely that the recruiter is keeping track of how long it takes you to get the info in. He or she has too much other work to do.

Just wait.

[Anonymous User]

anonymous because everyone knows who I am...

This thread is slightly old but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents for other people. Had a 3.2/3.3(ish) in undergrad and I have been dinged by every firm I sent my undergrad transcripts to (they didn't even ask for/wait for law school grades). I go to a T14 but still no dice. Based on my experience I would say if your undergrad transcript isn't great, hold off on sending them until you at least have a couple fall semester grades.

[Anonymous User]

anonymous because everyone knows who I am...

This thread is slightly old but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents for other people. Had a 3.2/3.3(ish) in undergrad and I have been dinged by every firm I sent my undergrad transcripts to (they didn't even ask for/wait for law school grades). I go to a T14 but still no dice. Based on my experience I would say if your undergrad transcript isn't great, hold off on sending them until you at least have a couple fall semester grades.

In your boat, too, and I'm holding off. What range of undergrad?

[Joga Bonito]

anonymous because everyone knows who I am...

This thread is slightly old but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents for other people. Had a 3.2/3.3(ish) in undergrad and I have been dinged by every firm I sent my undergrad transcripts to (they didn't even ask for/wait for law school grades). I go to a T14 but still no dice. Based on my experience I would say if your undergrad transcript isn't great, hold off on sending them until you at least have a couple fall semester grades.

Thanks yeah, Im at a T20 and my GPA is in the 2's so if you were rejected by firms you sent your transcript too, I know I will. I've decided to wait or forget it.