33 year old Latino, UGPA 2.90/150 practice LSAT
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:23 am
Hello everyone!
This is my first time posting so I hope I'm in the right section. I would like to get some feedback from other URMs or others more knowledgeable in the law school admissions process.
My particular education and life history is the following: My family and I arrived to California from Mexico in 1988 when I was 11 years old. I didn't speak a word of English and I struggled in school. For several reasons, but primarily due to the language barrier and culture shock, I dropped out of the 9th grade. About seven years later I returned to school and obtained my GED and began attending the local community college. The first several years at JC were disastrous for me and my academic record reflects that. I had to learn many of the foundational subjects others learned in high school while working part time and trying to figure out how college worked.
I was able to transfer to a University of California campus and did well in my last two years while working full time as a immigration paralegal. Even though I was able to graduate with honors from UC (GPA 3.83), my JC academic record has left my cumulative LSDAS UGPA in the gutter. These JC grades are from the early 2000s and the grades I received while at UC were all As and only one B.
Since I can't really do anything about my low UGPA, should I apply only to those schools that are within my GPA range, or should I apply to others and include and addendum explaining the specific circumstances? I am confident that I can at least bring up my LSAT to about the mid 160s range.
The specific schools I have in mind are: Santa Clara University, UC Berkeley, Hastings, USC, UCLA University of New Mexico, NYU, University of Wisconsin.
I would greatly appreciate any constructive feedback. Thank you.
A few more notes. I majored in Latin American Studies and have a very strong background in the social sciences and humanities. I have secured an excellent letter of rec. from the Latin American studies chair and professor as well as two others from my current employers who are immigration attorneys.
Thanks.
This is my first time posting so I hope I'm in the right section. I would like to get some feedback from other URMs or others more knowledgeable in the law school admissions process.
My particular education and life history is the following: My family and I arrived to California from Mexico in 1988 when I was 11 years old. I didn't speak a word of English and I struggled in school. For several reasons, but primarily due to the language barrier and culture shock, I dropped out of the 9th grade. About seven years later I returned to school and obtained my GED and began attending the local community college. The first several years at JC were disastrous for me and my academic record reflects that. I had to learn many of the foundational subjects others learned in high school while working part time and trying to figure out how college worked.
I was able to transfer to a University of California campus and did well in my last two years while working full time as a immigration paralegal. Even though I was able to graduate with honors from UC (GPA 3.83), my JC academic record has left my cumulative LSDAS UGPA in the gutter. These JC grades are from the early 2000s and the grades I received while at UC were all As and only one B.
Since I can't really do anything about my low UGPA, should I apply only to those schools that are within my GPA range, or should I apply to others and include and addendum explaining the specific circumstances? I am confident that I can at least bring up my LSAT to about the mid 160s range.
The specific schools I have in mind are: Santa Clara University, UC Berkeley, Hastings, USC, UCLA University of New Mexico, NYU, University of Wisconsin.
I would greatly appreciate any constructive feedback. Thank you.
A few more notes. I majored in Latin American Studies and have a very strong background in the social sciences and humanities. I have secured an excellent letter of rec. from the Latin American studies chair and professor as well as two others from my current employers who are immigration attorneys.
Thanks.