Apply now or wait until a winter term courses comes in to boost my GPA? Forum

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Law School Native

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Apply now or wait until a winter term courses comes in to boost my GPA?

Post by Law School Native » Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:57 pm

As the title says, should I apply in early January when my last LOR will be done or should I wait until the end of January for a grade from the winter semester to come in (Should be an A as it is a 100 humanities course I am taking to get into an upper level course next semester.)?
I am a URM if that changes anything.

icechicken

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Re: Apply now or wait until a winter term courses comes in to boost my GPA?

Post by icechicken » Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:21 am

What is your GPA now, and what are you anticipating it will be?

Waiting is a good idea if you can make your application materially stronger, but a ~.01 boost is unlikely to make a huge difference.

Law School Native

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Re: Apply now or wait until a winter term courses comes in to boost my GPA?

Post by Law School Native » Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:51 pm

icechicken wrote:What is your GPA now, and what are you anticipating it will be?

Waiting is a good idea if you can make your application materially stronger, but a ~.01 boost is unlikely to make a huge difference.
3.46 and I am fighting to change one of my grades this semester from an A- to an A which would bring me to a 3.48. So waiting for this course would either bring up my gpa to a 3.48 or a 3.5.

icechicken

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Re: Apply now or wait until a winter term courses comes in to boost my GPA?

Post by icechicken » Fri Dec 29, 2017 2:39 pm

Law School Native wrote:
icechicken wrote:What is your GPA now, and what are you anticipating it will be?

Waiting is a good idea if you can make your application materially stronger, but a ~.01 boost is unlikely to make a huge difference.
3.46 and I am fighting to change one of my grades this semester from an A- to an A which would bring me to a 3.48. So waiting for this course would either bring up my gpa to a 3.48 or a 3.5.
I would just apply now; you're not traversing many medians with that jump (which isn't guaranteed anyway) and applying later will hurt your chances. If and when your GPA improves you can always update schools you're applying to, which might help you jump off a waitlist. If you don't like your results then the correct answer is to get some spring grades and apply at the beginning of the next cycle. Waiting till late January is just the worst of both worlds.

Law School Native

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Re: Apply now or wait until a winter term courses comes in to boost my GPA?

Post by Law School Native » Fri Dec 29, 2017 2:48 pm

icechicken wrote:
Law School Native wrote:
icechicken wrote:What is your GPA now, and what are you anticipating it will be?

Waiting is a good idea if you can make your application materially stronger, but a ~.01 boost is unlikely to make a huge difference.
3.46 and I am fighting to change one of my grades this semester from an A- to an A which would bring me to a 3.48. So waiting for this course would either bring up my gpa to a 3.48 or a 3.5.
I would just apply now; you're not traversing many medians with that jump (which isn't guaranteed anyway) and applying later will hurt your chances. If and when your GPA improves you can always update schools you're applying to, which might help you jump off a waitlist. If you don't like your results then the correct answer is to get some spring grades and apply at the beginning of the next cycle. Waiting till late January is just the worst of both worlds.
Thanks! Will do.

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