1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do? Forum

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SgtHammer

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1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do?

Post by SgtHammer » Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:51 pm

I am typing this sort of in a panic attack so please forgive me if I sound a little crazy.

I am a 1L at a T20 law school and I literally just received my grades a while ago. I was honestly expecting something in the 3.4-3.6 range, but the actual number is 3.22.

To be honest, I feel very crushed. Obviously, everybody wants to do well and get good grades, but for me, something I always wanted to do is to transfer to NYU, since my girlfriend is working in NYC and we've been together for two years. I believe from last year's stats, NYU Law has a median GPA requirement of 3.6 for transfers, which means to do that I would have to get close to 4.0 next semester.

And forget about all the 1L summer positions I applied to firms... I don't think I have any chance with this number.

Now, I have a few options in my head:
(1) drop out, reapply or do something else;
(2) stay, deal with the fact but forget about transferring (at the risk of my relationship ofc);
(3) transfer to Fordham, which I'm not even sure would be an option due to my grades;
(3) stay, but work the f out of myself to get those grades I need to transfer, (which probably means that I will not do anything else other than studying, probably have to skip all those career events too)

I am looking for advice and suggestions from people here. Please share your insight and wisdom since I would appreciate any input. Thank you all very much.

cam1992

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Re: 1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do?

Post by cam1992 » Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:04 pm

I was in a very similar situation except my GPA was closer to a 3.0. At least in my experience, I found that my first semester grades were not reflective of what I could accomplish in law school. If it gives you any hope, I finished my second semester well into the top 25% of my class (for that semester). I would suggest immediately meeting with all of your professors and seeing what you did wrong. Yes, it can be very uncomfortable, but it absolutely necessary. For me I learned that I knew/understood all the information, I was just not writing the exams correctly. I intensely focused on exam writing strategy my second semester and was very pleased with the results. Also, take a good look at your study habits and whatnot. For me I released that even though I was in the library constantly, I was usually distracted by other people or technology. I started studying alone (study groups don't do it for me) and would leave my phone in my locker and turn off the wifi on my computer, this helped me immensely. It can be extremely demoralizing and depressing, but just know you are more than your grades and that you can turn them around!

Stackitup

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Re: 1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do?

Post by Stackitup » Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:51 pm

SgtHammer wrote:I am typing this sort of in a panic attack so please forgive me if I sound a little crazy.

I am a 1L at a T20 law school and I literally just received my grades a while ago. I was honestly expecting something in the 3.4-3.6 range, but the actual number is 3.22.

To be honest, I feel very crushed. Obviously, everybody wants to do well and get good grades, but for me, something I always wanted to do is to transfer to NYU, since my girlfriend is working in NYC and we've been together for two years. I believe from last year's stats, NYU Law has a median GPA requirement of 3.6 for transfers, which means to do that I would have to get close to 4.0 next semester.

And forget about all the 1L summer positions I applied to firms... I don't think I have any chance with this number.

Now, I have a few options in my head:
(1) drop out, reapply or do something else;
(2) stay, deal with the fact but forget about transferring (at the risk of my relationship ofc);
(3) transfer to Fordham, which I'm not even sure would be an option due to my grades;
(3) stay, but work the f out of myself to get those grades I need to transfer, (which probably means that I will not do anything else other than studying, probably have to skip all those career events too)

I am looking for advice and suggestions from people here. Please share your insight and wisdom since I would appreciate any input. Thank you all very much.
Did you transfer to NYU? What GPA?

QContinuum

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Re: 1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do?

Post by QContinuum » Tue Feb 05, 2019 11:16 pm

Stackitup wrote:Did you transfer to NYU? What GPA?
Did you read the original post? This is a current T20 1L with a 3.2 first-semester GPA whose dream is to transfer to NYU. The original post was made last month. This 1L absolutely does not know, right now, whether they will be able to transfer to NYU. They will not know their chances until second-semester grades come out, and if they then apply to transfer, they will not know the outcome until even later.

Stackitup

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Re: 1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do?

Post by Stackitup » Wed Feb 06, 2019 9:28 am

cam1992 wrote:I was in a very similar situation except my GPA was closer to a 3.0. At least in my experience, I found that my first semester grades were not reflective of what I could accomplish in law school. If it gives you any hope, I finished my second semester well into the top 25% of my class (for that semester). I would suggest immediately meeting with all of your professors and seeing what you did wrong. Yes, it can be very uncomfortable, but it absolutely necessary. For me I learned that I knew/understood all the information, I was just not writing the exams correctly. I intensely focused on exam writing strategy my second semester and was very pleased with the results. Also, take a good look at your study habits and whatnot. For me I released that even though I was in the library constantly, I was usually distracted by other people or technology. I started studying alone (study groups don't do it for me) and would leave my phone in my locker and turn off the wifi on my computer, this helped me immensely. It can be extremely demoralizing and depressing, but just know you are more than your grades and that you can turn them around!
Did you transfer to NYU? What GPA?

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albanach

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Re: 1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do?

Post by albanach » Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:40 am

SgtHammer wrote:I am typing this sort of in a panic attack so please forgive me if I sound a little crazy.

I am a 1L at a T20 law school and I literally just received my grades a while ago. I was honestly expecting something in the 3.4-3.6 range, but the actual number is 3.22.

To be honest, I feel very crushed. Obviously, everybody wants to do well and get good grades, but for me, something I always wanted to do is to transfer to NYU, since my girlfriend is working in NYC and we've been together for two years. I believe from last year's stats, NYU Law has a median GPA requirement of 3.6 for transfers, which means to do that I would have to get close to 4.0 next semester.

And forget about all the 1L summer positions I applied to firms... I don't think I have any chance with this number.

Now, I have a few options in my head:
(1) drop out, reapply or do something else;
(2) stay, deal with the fact but forget about transferring (at the risk of my relationship ofc);
(3) transfer to Fordham, which I'm not even sure would be an option due to my grades;
(3) stay, but work the f out of myself to get those grades I need to transfer, (which probably means that I will not do anything else other than studying, probably have to skip all those career events too)

I am looking for advice and suggestions from people here. Please share your insight and wisdom since I would appreciate any input. Thank you all very much.
You have a great reply from Cam1992. I would add that you should be realistic about your options. Don't write off a transfer, but it's going to take a small miracle.

Assuming your GF wants to remain in NY, I would take Cam's advice and work on grades and talk to career services about what you can do to be best positioned for the NY market. Forget about paid 1L summer associate positions - they're the exception anyway. If you can afford the cost of living, there would be plenty of unpaid opportunities in NY for your 1L summer.

gaddockteeg

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Re: 1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do?

Post by gaddockteeg » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:45 pm

Don't panic. I had a similar situation, 3.17 after 1st sem at a T20. Felt crushed and considered dropping out and giving up too. But I doubled up on my efforts and pulled my GPA out after 2nd sem. Ended up graduating with everything i wanted (big law).

You're in the hole, but really think critically about where you went wrong and step it up. I find the semesters get easier as school progressess too tbh, the kids who crushed 1st sem. are going to take their foot off the gas and a lot of kids in similar positions to you give up and stop trying. Not many people worked harder second sem. compared to first.

cam1992

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Re: 1st sem 3.2+ GPA at T20 - What to do?

Post by cam1992 » Fri Feb 08, 2019 11:16 am

Stackitup wrote:
cam1992 wrote:I was in a very similar situation except my GPA was closer to a 3.0. At least in my experience, I found that my first semester grades were not reflective of what I could accomplish in law school. If it gives you any hope, I finished my second semester well into the top 25% of my class (for that semester). I would suggest immediately meeting with all of your professors and seeing what you did wrong. Yes, it can be very uncomfortable, but it absolutely necessary. For me I learned that I knew/understood all the information, I was just not writing the exams correctly. I intensely focused on exam writing strategy my second semester and was very pleased with the results. Also, take a good look at your study habits and whatnot. For me I released that even though I was in the library constantly, I was usually distracted by other people or technology. I started studying alone (study groups don't do it for me) and would leave my phone in my locker and turn off the wifi on my computer, this helped me immensely. It can be extremely demoralizing and depressing, but just know you are more than your grades and that you can turn them around!
Did you transfer to NYU? What GPA?
I apologize if my response was misleading. I did not intend to transfer to NYU, I was referring to being a student at a T20 who did poorly the first semester and needing to vastly improve my GPA. I was/am at my #1 school, UT, so I do not know anything about the transfer process. Best of luck to you though!!

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