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I've seen a bunch of applicants with a gpa that is different than their LSAC gpa...how is this possible? Does LSAC weight grades differently?

KingJames6 wrote:I've seen a bunch of applicants with a gpa that is different than their LSAC gpa...how is this possible? Does LSAC weight grades differently?

A+ - LSDAS GPA reflects A+ grades as a 4.33, while some universities cap their UGPAs at 4.0
Academic forgiveness programs - Soem schools give you the opportunity to retake a class and get the original grade removed from GPA calculations. LSDAS GPA includes all grades on transcript, including those your university may not have counted toward GPA.
3.33 and 3.67 vs. 3.3 and 3.7 - Some universities factor plus grades as a .3 instead of LSAC's .33, and minus grades as a .7 instead of LSAC's .67
Punitive withdrawals - LSAC makes their own determination as to whether a withdrawal is punitive. If it is, it torches your GPA.
Transfer credit - LSDAS GPA reflects it, UGPA typically does not.

Also, some people get pissed because their LSDAS GPA is different from their graduate school GPA or their major GPA. Those people have bigger problems than their GPA.

KingJames6 wrote:I've seen a bunch of applicants with a gpa that is different than their LSAC gpa...how is this possible? Does LSAC weight grades differently?

Undergrad policies: often excuse low grades after re-takes, do not include study abroad or community college grades, give slightly different values for + or -s, award but do not give more points for A+s compared to As, do not count some classes of withdraw in GPA calculation

LSAC policies: count every grade they can see even if expunged or taken at community college/pre-transfer, penalizes some forms of withdraw (usually withdraw-failing notations), has its own policies for the points associated with grades and how to handle A+ grades

For many people, their transcript isn't effected. For others it can be a dramatic difference.

Law schools only care about your LSAC standardized GPA. That results in potentially unfair results for many, but schools clearly favor the bright line rule.

How does the LSAC determine an A+ from an A if the class didn't allow students to receive a higher grade than an A?

How do withdrawls (W's) on a transcript translate to grades?

KingJames6 wrote:How does the LSAC determine an A+ from an A if the class didn't allow students to receive a higher grade than an A?

How do withdrawls (W's) on a transcript translate to grades?

1) They don't, you aren't understanding. There are three kinds of schools: The first kind awards A+ grades and A grades, counts A+ as 4.3 (or 4.33) and As as 4.0. The second kind of school does not award A+ grades. At both schools there will be no (major) difference between UG transcript and LSAC GPA with respect to A+ grades. At a third type of school (Duke does it this way) they will award A+ grades but not count them as over 4.0 when calculating GPA. Thus a person with 10As and 10A+s will have a 4.0 at duke but a 4.15 LSAC GPA..

2) Read their policy, it's a little convoluted. Basically if there is any indication that the withdraw was punitive, you will have the grade counted as an F, and if not, it will not be counted at all.

KingJames6 wrote:How does the LSAC determine an A+ from an A if the class didn't allow students to receive a higher grade than an A?

If your UG doesn't give A+, then you can't get 4.33. Simple as that.

I have a question about my ug gpa vs. lsac gpa. I think this conversion might hurt me.
My UG GPA:
Hours counted: 100
Total grade points: 391
GPA=3.91

This does NOT include 3 summer school classes taken at a community college. These three classes were not counted in my UG GPA. I received 2 Cs and 1 A. These were the only Cs I ever received (because I knew they wouldn't count!) Now it seems like that is coming back to get me. So am I correct that lsac will calculate my gpa as follows?

Hours counted: 109
Total grade points: 399
GPA=3.66 ?? Yikes! a .3 drop!?

Also, since my UG didn't at the time differentiate between A+ and A-, how will this affect my LSAC GPA?

Thanks.

jaws wrote:I have a question about my ug gpa vs. lsac gpa. I think this conversion might hurt me.
My UG GPA:
Hours counted: 100
Total grade points: 391
GPA=3.91

This does NOT include 3 summer school classes taken at a community college. These three classes were not counted in my UG GPA. I received 2 Cs and 1 A. These were the only Cs I ever received (because I knew they wouldn't count!) Now it seems like that is coming back to get me. So am I correct that lsac will calculate my gpa as follows?

Hours counted: 109
Total grade points: 399
GPA=3.66 ?? Yikes! a .3 drop!?

Also, since my UG didn't at the time differentiate between A+ and A-, how will this affect my LSAC GPA?

Thanks.

That's not how you do it.

It's (credit hours) * (grade points for class) / (total credit hours)

So when you add '8', you're not actually including credit hour weight. You have to add (assuming each was a 3 credit course) (2*3) + (2*3) + (3*4) to your grade points, giving you 419 grade points. Divide by 109 and you get 3.81.

Your UG not differentiating between A- and A will have no effect.

disco_barred wrote:

jaws wrote:I have a question about my ug gpa vs. lsac gpa. I think this conversion might hurt me.
My UG GPA:
Hours counted: 100
Total grade points: 391
GPA=3.91

This does NOT include 3 summer school classes taken at a community college. These three classes were not counted in my UG GPA. I received 2 Cs and 1 A. These were the only Cs I ever received (because I knew they wouldn't count!) Now it seems like that is coming back to get me. So am I correct that lsac will calculate my gpa as follows?

Hours counted: 109
Total grade points: 399
GPA=3.66 ?? Yikes! a .3 drop!?

Also, since my UG didn't at the time differentiate between A+ and A-, how will this affect my LSAC GPA?

Thanks.

That's not how you do it.

It's (credit hours) * (grade points for class) / (total credit hours)

So when you add '8', you're not actually including credit hour weight. You have to add (assuming each was a 3 credit course) (2*3) + (2*3) + (4*4) to your grade points, giving you 419 grade points. Divide by 109 and you get 3.844.

Your UG not differentiating between A- and A will have no effect.

Almost... (391 + 6*2 + 3*4) / 109 = 415 / 109 = 3.81, a 0.1 drop.

Oops

Thanks! It's been a few years since UG. I can deal with a .1 drop. Seems like nothing after thinking it was .3!