application advice - undergrad with optional +/- grading Forum

[ron]

Hey everyone,

There seem to be a lot of helpful people on this forum so I'm hoping for some sage advice on this question . My issue revolves around the LSAC's use of the +/- system for GPA calculation and my school's inconsistency regarding it.

The school I attended for undergrad was "experimenting" with a plus/minus grading system, which means that it was *optional* for professors to give us +/- grades. The university did not take the +/- into account when calculating your GPA (A-, A, A+ all counted as 4.0). Because the university didn't take it into account, about half my professors graded on a +/- scale and the other half didn't (I would always ask). I am not sure if the university has since fully migrated to the +/- system.

However, the issue is that I have grades on my transcript that are +/- because some professors chose to grade this way, and for those grades that are right on the mark (A or B) it is impossible to tell if the professor was using a +/- system. I believe that this has worked against me somewhat, as I know for a fact that there are some As on my transcript that would have been A+s if the professor had been using a +/- system. I realize that the opposite could also be true, that there are some As on my transcript that could have been A-s if the teacher was using a +/- system, but I know of no such cases on my transcript, knowing what my class percentages were and having confirmed with professors.

So my question is, is this argument worth pursuing in some form in my applications? Or should this just be a live and let live situation, short of having signed statements from professors that they would have given me an A+ (kidding...)?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

ron

[DallasCowboy]

Everyone gets screwed by the LSAC conversion. I doubt you are going to have any reprieve.

[Woozy]

I think it is a very weak argument and will not reflect well on the person who makes it. There are many schools that do not give out A+ grades at all. It sucks but you should be happy you got some.

[WhyBother?]

Hey everyone,

There seem to be a lot of helpful people on this forum so I'm hoping for some sage advice on this question . My issue revolves around the LSAC's use of the +/- system for GPA calculation and my school's inconsistency regarding it.

The school I attended for undergrad was "experimenting" with a plus/minus grading system, which means that it was *optional* for professors to give us +/- grades. The university did not take the +/- into account when calculating your GPA (A-, A, A+ all counted as 4.0). Because the university didn't take it into account, about half my professors graded on a +/- scale and the other half didn't (I would always ask). I am not sure if the university has since fully migrated to the +/- system.

However, the issue is that I have grades on my transcript that are +/- because some professors chose to grade this way, and for those grades that are right on the mark (A or B) it is impossible to tell if the professor was using a +/- system. I believe that this has worked against me somewhat, as I know for a fact that there are some As on my transcript that would have been A+s if the professor had been using a +/- system. I realize that the opposite could also be true, that there are some As on my transcript that could have been A-s if the teacher was using a +/- system, but I know of no such cases on my transcript, knowing what my class percentages were and having confirmed with professors.

So my question is, is this argument worth pursuing in some form in my applications? Or should this just be a live and let live situation, short of having signed statements from professors that they would have given me an A+ (kidding...)?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

ron

I went to an undergrad that had A-s but no A+s. I also know that several of my As would have been A+s, so your situation isn't totally unique. While it sucks, I don't think I would address it in your applications or in an addendum. Honestly, it sounds kind of whiny, and there really isn't any hard proof to back it up. Whatever the small GPA difference might be (which law schools won't really care about anyway, since your LSDAS GPA is what matters for rankings) would be negated by how petty any argument for that would probably sound. You're better off focusing on the strengths of your application.

[im_blue]

Your LSAC GPA counts what it sees on your transcript. A better route would be to ask your school's registrar's office and the professors to approve some kind of retroactive grade change (after all, the +/- is experimental). DO NOT go whining to the law schools!