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During my sophomore year, I got an internship. I decided to try to get credit for it, but given my busy schedule, wasn't able to get the hours needed to receive political science credit towards my major. Therefore, it shows up as a U on my transcript. This grade is not factored into my undergraduate GPA, but I'm worried that it may be factored into my LSAC GPA. I contacted both the head of the political science department and the pre-law adviser, and both said that it shouldn't be punitive. However, LSAC obviously has the last word on this. I'll contact them to try to get an answer, but if the pre-law adviser writes a note saying that it's not punitive, will that count for anything? Sorry, majorly stressing out about this at the moment.

i don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer on this, but it seems like the professor/registrar would have to go out of their way to make that a punitive grade and not just a regular "incomplete" (that's what your "U" indicates, right?). punitive grades usually come from something more severe like dropping a class in the last couple weeks, no?

moonman157 wrote:During my sophomore year, I got an internship. I decided to try to get credit for it, but given my busy schedule, wasn't able to get the hours needed to receive political science credit towards my major. Therefore, it shows up as a U on my transcript. This grade is not factored into my undergraduate GPA, but I'm worried that it may be factored into my LSAC GPA. I contacted both the head of the political science department and the pre-law adviser, and both said that it shouldn't be punitive. However, LSAC obviously has the last word on this. I'll contact them to try to get an answer, but if the pre-law adviser writes a note saying that it's not punitive, will that count for anything? Sorry, majorly stressing out about this at the moment.

It sounds like you failed the class. If you took it but at the end they didnt award you a passing grade and you didnt withdraw? It has to be.

At my school, withdraws, the non-punative ones, are indicated by a W, which normally means you withdrew after a few weeks in. I've never heard of a U.

Yeah dude there was a thread a couple weeks back with a guy who had a U that his university didn't count as punitive but the LSAC decided to make count as 3 credits of a 0.0. That freaked me out. I have something that says "Voluntary Withdrawal," which is not punitive per my UG. I'm hoping that since it says "withdrawal" that there is not ambiguity like there is with a U. I feel your anxiety though, so much is riding on this BS.

The U stands for unsatisfactory. It wasn't a class, just a way for me to get my internship to count for 2 credits towards my poli sci major. It's a bit of a unique situation, since it is a U and not a W, so I realize that insight may be limited. I was curious as to how much weight my pre-law adviser saying that it's non punitive has on whether or not LSAC will count it towards my LSAC GPA.

moonman157 wrote:The U stands for unsatisfactory. It wasn't a class, just a way for me to get my internship to count for 2 credits towards my poli sci major. It's a bit of a unique situation, since it is a U and not a W, so I realize that insight may be limited. I was curious as to how much weight my pre-law adviser saying that it's non punitive has on whether or not LSAC will count it towards my LSAC GPA.

check with your school's registrar ('s website?) to see if non-punitive U's even exist. to me an "unsatisfactory" sounds like a failing grade by definition. but every school is a little different.

horrorbusiness wrote:

moonman157 wrote:The U stands for unsatisfactory. It wasn't a class, just a way for me to get my internship to count for 2 credits towards my poli sci major. It's a bit of a unique situation, since it is a U and not a W, so I realize that insight may be limited. I was curious as to how much weight my pre-law adviser saying that it's non punitive has on whether or not LSAC will count it towards my LSAC GPA.

check with your school's registrar ('s website?) to see if non-punitive U's even exist. to me an "unsatisfactory" sounds like a failing grade by definition. but every school is a little different.

Thats is so true. OP need to do his / her deligence here before asking the question.

I'd try to fight off a 0.0 factored into my LSACGPA at any cost. Contact your UG, relevant professors, administrators, anyone who can write a letter to LSAC. Get them to write you a letter that properly focuses your argument. I'm still confused, though. This was a sanctioned course credit internship? Or an internship you tried to finagle into credit? The way you describe it, it doesn't sound like a normal school provided internship. Maybe giving you a "U" was just the easiest grade they could use for the purpose, but not necessarily the most appropriate. Also, try to get someone with the place you interned at to write you a letter if they will work with you. Of course, leaving it this late is a major problem...

It may be an uphill battle, but it is worth fighting. I have a 3.91 GPA, a 0.0 factored in would take it to about a 3.7.... it's worth the fight.

BarcaCrossesTheAlps wrote:I'd try to fight off a 0.0 factored into my LSACGPA at any cost. Contact your UG, relevant professors, administrators, anyone who can write a letter to LSAC. Get them to write you a letter that properly focuses your argument. I'm still confused, though. This was a sanctioned course credit internship? Or an internship you tried to finagle into credit? The way you describe it, it doesn't sound like a normal school provided internship. Maybe giving you a "U" was just the easiest grade they could use for the purpose, but not necessarily the most appropriate. Also, try to get someone with the place you interned at to write you a letter if they will work with you. Of course, leaving it this late is a major problem...

It may be an uphill battle, but it is worth fighting. I have a 3.91 GPA, a 0.0 factored in would take it to about a 3.7.... it's worth the fight.

U = unsastifactory = failed. example. you did not get submitted your homework / paper.

The best for OP talk to the professor. I think only the professor can change the grade. otherwise, it is consider as failed in that class.

Well I at least have information that might make you feel better.

I had health/depression problems during study abroad and basically never went to class, so I ended up getting 4 U's during a semester in Spain (before and after my GPAs have been good). Those U's are not reflected in my GPA as calculated by the school, I just didn't earn any credits, and I explained this as a supplement to my law applications. I am assuming the LSAC did not factor the 4 0.0's into my GPA...otherwise I highly doubt I would have gotten into the schools that I did.

Hope this relieves some stress! You should be fine.

Thank you, everyone, for the help. I contacted LSAC this morning. While they couldn't give me too specific of an answer since they don't have my transcript, my feeling is that it will be considered punitive. Unfortunate, but it's only 2 credits, so hopefully it won't bring my GPA down too much. And just for clarification (since this was not a typical class), the way it worked was you get a political-science related internship on your own, sign up to receive two credits towards your political science degree, and receive an S or U based on whether or not you meet the requirements. Back in sophomore year, I had no idea that these kinds of things could be factored into my LSAC GPA (I didn't even know there was such a thing as an LSAC GPA!), and since it wasn't factored into my undergraduate GPA, I didn't worry about it too much. Very foolish on my part, but nothing I can do now but move forward and get good grades to compensate for this. I still have a glimmer of hope though that for some reason they won't count it, but I'm almost positive they will.