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I am a junior year biochemistry major. I transferred universities after my sophomore year. After one semester at my new school I have a 3.51...I have taken only science classes thus far: two A's, one A-, and I took a graduate-level biochemistry class and got a C+, which brought my gpa down significantly. How badly did I damage my chances at admittance to a top 30 school? I am anticipating raising my gpa to a 3.7 next semester, and ultimately to a 3.75 or 3.8 by graduation, to but that C+ is there to stay...

Also, do law school admission committees consider the difficulty of a major when determining applicant viability? Thanks.

If you're going to go to 3.7, I dont think you have much to worry about, at least with GPA. Just to take a couple random schools, Boston U's median is 3.68, Notre Dame's 75% is 3.69 and even Cornell's median is 3.67.

It seems like you're concerned about the C+ specifically, I don't think they will care if the rest of your grades are bringing your total GPA up.

As far as difficulty of major, its just one of many soft factors. Is a BioChem 3.7 going to "look" better than a History 3.7, no one can be sure.

Just an FYI, I'm not sure you are referring to your school GPA or LSDAS GPA, might want to check out this site if you havent worked out your LSDAS #.
http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/wp-co ... ulator.htm

Schools are insensitive to hard majors--to a point. They won't forgive you for a really low GPA, but they will take it into account. Adcomms aren't dumb they know how hard Biochem is, and yet you still managed to get a 3.6+ GPA in it. You will probably end up doing a little better than most people with your LSAT GPA combo who majored in grade inflating majors.

Thanks for the suggestions. Also, how does my transfer GPA affect my LSDAS gpa? Does it include only grades earned at my current school? Do adcoms focus on my current school's grades only, or will they manipulate both my transfer GPA and current GPA? Thanks...

tijames wrote:Thanks for the suggestions. Also, how does my transfer GPA affect my LSDAS gpa? Does it include only grades earned at my current school? Do adcoms focus on my current school's grades only, or will they manipulate both my transfer GPA and current GPA? Thanks...

Your LSDAS gpa takes into account every class you take before you get your first bachelors degree. So it counts everything. And they focus on LSDAS GPA almost entirely.

And they really won't give you any benefit for having a tough major. They won't care about the C+. Just the GPA as a whole.

A 3.5 will keep you out of HYS almost no matter what your LSAT is. For other schools you'll just need to get a slightly higher LSAT.

You better work your ass off, because I'm not sure how you can anticipate raising your GPA in biochem. Hard work isn't sufficient to get the A. Pick your courses wiseless. This isn't a good major for a future lawyer, but it is an interesting one.

I also have a scientific background, and based on my offers so far my somewhat low GPA has been forgiven in lieu of a solid LSAT score. In other words, I suspect adcomms are more forgiving with science splitters.

I used the LSDAS calculator for all my undergraduate credits, and factored in what I believe I will earn in future classes up to the semester I will submit my law school apps...it is just under 3.5.

Is a T14 out of the question, even with a 165 or higher lsat?

tijames wrote:Is a T14 out of the question

Absolutely not! If you can get a 170 on your LSAT, I'm sure you'll fare quite well with the lower half of the t-14.

How realistic is a 170?

No med school?

tijames wrote:How realistic is a 170?

Only you can tell us that. But, if you're in the 3.5-3.6 GPA range, a 170 is very much within reach; people get significantly higher LSAT scores with that GPA sometimes. Study a little and then take a practice test. That will help you know what your LSAT potential is.

tijames wrote:I used the LSDAS calculator for all my undergraduate credits, and factored in what I believe I will earn in future classes up to the semester I will submit my law school apps...it is just under 3.5.

Is a T14 out of the question, even with a 165 or higher lsat?

Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Berkeley are definitely out.

Chicago you'll need 175+ but even then its iffy.

Columbia 174+ puts you in the running, but its iffy.

NYU, a shot with a 172, in for sure with a 174+.

Penn 172,

UVA 170 for a shot, increasing chances with a higher score, but also chances of yield protection.

Michigan might sneak in with a 169, 170+ is competitive.

Northwestern: You'll get WL'd because you have no work experience, unless you have really higher number, in which case you are getting CCN anyway.

Duke 169 for a shot, 170 to be competitive.

Cornell 168 to have a shot. Increasing chances as your lsat gets bigger.

GTown 170

No, no med school. Originally that was my goal, but after talking to lots of doctors (most of whom strongly dislike thier profession) and studying the economics of the field, I've decided that at this point I am not going to pursue medicine. Maybe when I'm 45...

Thanks for the encouragment about the LSAT...I've just ordered my books so we shall see.

tijames wrote:No, no med school. Originally that was my goal, but after talking to lots of doctors (most of whom strongly dislike thier profession) and studying the economics of the field, I've decided that at this point I am not going to pursue medicine. Maybe when I'm 45...

Thanks for the encouragment about the LSAT...I've just ordered my books so we shall see.

If you can pull a 3.5 in biochem and aren't a poor reader, you should be aiming for 180.

Desert Fox wrote:

tijames wrote:No, no med school. Originally that was my goal, but after talking to lots of doctors (most of whom strongly dislike thier profession) and studying the economics of the field, I've decided that at this point I am not going to pursue medicine. Maybe when I'm 45...

Thanks for the encouragment about the LSAT...I've just ordered my books so we shall see.

If you can pull a 3.5 in biochem and aren't a poor reader, you should be aiming for 180.

I'm assuming you WEREN'T a biochem major haha. I basically was. I did well on the SAT and ACT (33) in high school so I'm a pretty good standardized test taker. Instead of taking the MCAT, I took the LSAT and on the first time got a 164 after just taking old LSATs.

Biochem and any other similar science major is obviously filled with science courses, what does that have anything to do with the LSAT? It's actually a disadvantage, as I never took any literature courses and the only papers I wrote were lab reports. I got a 3.6 so I'm hoping strength-of-major will help me out too Plus it's different than your normal poli sci, history, sociology, etc.

Umm.. biochem requires... a lot of reading........ -__-

minkins wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

tijames wrote:No, no med school. Originally that was my goal, but after talking to lots of doctors (most of whom strongly dislike thier profession) and studying the economics of the field, I've decided that at this point I am not going to pursue medicine. Maybe when I'm 45...

Thanks for the encouragment about the LSAT...I've just ordered my books so we shall see.

If you can pull a 3.5 in biochem and aren't a poor reader, you should be aiming for 180.

I'm assuming you WEREN'T a biochem major haha. I basically was. I did well on the SAT and ACT (33) in high school so I'm a pretty good standardized test taker. Instead of taking the MCAT, I took the LSAT and on the first time got a 164 after just taking old LSATs.

Biochem and any other similar science major is obviously filled with science courses, what does that have anything to do with the LSAT? It's actually a disadvantage, as I never took any literature courses and the only papers I wrote were lab reports. I got a 3.6 so I'm hoping strength-of-major will help me out too Plus it's different than your normal poli sci, history, sociology, etc.

I majored in electrical engineering, I started off around 164, and finished at 176 on the real thing. I promise you I read and wrote less than even you did in undergrad. What I mean is that you are smart. Science majors do very well on the LSAT, especially with a lot of practice.

tijames wrote:How realistic is a 170?

I can answer that. 2% of test takers get that or higher.

e: also, don't do law school... look into the biotech industry

I'd like to get a JD/MBA and go into business, either pharm. or biotech. is it markedly more difficult to get into a JD/MBA program than just a JD program at the same school?

ughOSU wrote:

tijames wrote:How realistic is a 170?

I can answer that. 2% of test takers get that or higher.

e: also, don't do law school... look into the biotech industry

What biotech industry? Lawlawlawl.

tijames wrote:I'd like to get a JD/MBA and go into business, either pharm. or biotech. is it markedly more difficult to get into a JD/MBA program than just a JD program at the same school?

I looked heavily into getting a JD/MBA for a while. The main difficulty is that they look at two completely different criteria when evaluating applicants. There's some good info on that elsewhere on this site.

minkins wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

tijames wrote:No, no med school. Originally that was my goal, but after talking to lots of doctors (most of whom strongly dislike thier profession) and studying the economics of the field, I've decided that at this point I am not going to pursue medicine. Maybe when I'm 45...

Thanks for the encouragment about the LSAT...I've just ordered my books so we shall see.

If you can pull a 3.5 in biochem and aren't a poor reader, you should be aiming for 180.

I'm assuming you WEREN'T a biochem major haha. I basically was. I did well on the SAT and ACT (33) in high school so I'm a pretty good standardized test taker. Instead of taking the MCAT, I took the LSAT and on the first time got a 164 after just taking old LSATs.

Biochem and any other similar science major is obviously filled with science courses, what does that have anything to do with the LSAT? It's actually a disadvantage, as I never took any literature courses and the only papers I wrote were lab reports. I got a 3.6 so I'm hoping strength-of-major will help me out too Plus it's different than your normal poli sci, history, sociology, etc.

I got a similar ACT without studying...because the ACT was pretty much a joke. The LSAT requires more work to do well on. You have good potential, just study for it.

I think having a 3.5 in biotech rather than "majoring" in literature will help because you are used to actually studying.

tijames wrote:I'd like to get a JD/MBA and go into business, either pharm. or biotech. is it markedly more difficult to get into a JD/MBA program than just a JD program at the same school?

If you want the JD, just get the JD.