How much does this hurt me? Forum

[vsl89]

I have a 4.0 GPA, which is the strongest part of my app, but it turns out that 8% of my graduating class has a 4.0 at a large public university. This is largely due to the fact that we don't have +/- system, so anything over a 90 is considered an 'A'. Will schools really care or not so much since my transcript shows rigourous courses at a top department (my major dept is ranked second in the nation) and since US News doesn't care for our UG ranks?

[fatduck]

It might be a tiebreaker between you and someone else with a 4.0. In other words, don't worry about it.

[im_blue]

Might be a slight consideration at schools like Chicago and Penn that value UG prestige, but otherwise shouldn't make any difference.

[bk1]

Might be a slight consideration at schools like Chicago and Penn that value UG prestige, but otherwise shouldn't make any difference.

[Sandro]

Sometime in the future there will open up a school called PLSU - Pre Law School University. The university will allow infinite retakes and will erase all previous retakes from your transcripts. You will also get to choose which 5 grades you want kept on your final transcript -the rest will be erased. And anything over an F results in an automatic A.

[WestOfTheRest]

It won't hurt your chances.

Now for a bit of a rant. 8% of your class has a 4.0? WTF. There are people on TLS who bitch about A+s, and yet this guys school gives out 4.0s like nobodies business. WTF?! Honestly, in a given year at my university there is like one person who graduates with a 4.0 and I'm in a huge university. This shit is garbage. I'm sure you worked plenty hard for your 4.0, but 8% of the school. COME ON!

[fatduck]

Sometime in the future there will open up a school called PLSU - Pre Law School University. The university will allow infinite retakes and will erase all previous retakes from your transcripts. You will also get to choose which 5 grades you want kept on your final transcript -the rest will be erased. And anything over an F results in an automatic A.

And the law schools still won't care. 4.0 is 4.0.

[imbored25]

automatic rejection, dont even bother applying

[RTFM]

This is largely due to the fact that we don't have +/- system, so anything over a 90 is considered an 'A'.

You're lucky. My grad school doesn't do +/-, and you need a 93 is considered an A.

[AreJay711]

I certainly agree that pumping out 4.0's like that is unfair but there is a reason WHY law schools can't put too much weight on grade distributions. I have a 3.93 and found to my surprise that I had a GPA less than or equal to 6% of the law applicants at my school. In most of the classes I've taken only 2 or 3 people get A's. But there are three important things to consider:

1) Majors vary a lot -- Calc III and Econometrics compared to Intro to Political Research or Comm Studies are in no way similar in difficulty.

2) Usually the people who apply to law school are skewed toward overachievers -- no one outside of like elementary education majors get 3.9's or higher without trying (especially in "soft" majors that require a lot of memorization and not a lot of thinking).

3) Adcomms don't have the time to make meaningful distinctions based on 1 and 2 so they generally just take your GPA as is and let the LSAT control for the differences.

[firemed]

Selection bias could account for this. How much of OP's classmates got above the 95th percentile on LSAT? If it was also 8%, then good to go... if it was 2%, then grade inflation is a serious issue, yes?

[vsl89]

Selection bias could account for this. How much of OP's classmates got above the 95th percentile on LSAT? If it was also 8%, then good to go... if it was 2%, then grade inflation is a serious issue, yes?

8% also got 95% & up on LSAT. So, I guess that helps?

And, I agree w/ people on here...my school does hand out A's a little too liberally.

[fatduck]

Selection bias could account for this. How much of OP's classmates got above the 95th percentile on LSAT? If it was also 8%, then good to go... if it was 2%, then grade inflation is a serious issue, yes?

I believe the OP was saying that 8% of his entire graduating class has a 4.0, not that 8% of the law school applicants from his college have a 4.0.

[firemed]

Selection bias could account for this. How much of OP's classmates got above the 95th percentile on LSAT? If it was also 8%, then good to go... if it was 2%, then grade inflation is a serious issue, yes?

I believe the OP was saying that 8% of his entire graduating class has a 4.0, not that 8% of the law school applicants from his college have a 4.0.

Good point... I re-read... and I am still not clear on that.

Let's face it though... Ivy schools are well know for grade inflation... so, OP, if you went to an Ivy then the answer to your question is "Not at all." Because you went to a fricking IVY.

Now, if you went to T2 -T4 State school and you weren't basing this off an academic summary from LSAT but rather some other source from your school... then you might be boned.

[rundoxierun]

Selection bias could account for this. How much of OP's classmates got above the 95th percentile on LSAT? If it was also 8%, then good to go... if it was 2%, then grade inflation is a serious issue, yes?

8% also got 95% & up on LSAT. So, I guess that helps?

And, I agree w/ people on here...my school does hand out A's a little too liberally.

Yeah.. I think this comment indicates that the OP is referring to the info on his/her Academic Summary Report. This info pertains specifically to law school applicants, not the entire school. 8% of law school applicants having 4.0 is not at all uncommon for a school.

[WestOfTheRest]

Selection bias could account for this. How much of OP's classmates got above the 95th percentile on LSAT? If it was also 8%, then good to go... if it was 2%, then grade inflation is a serious issue, yes?

8% also got 95% & up on LSAT. So, I guess that helps?

And, I agree w/ people on here...my school does hand out A's a little too liberally.

Yeah.. I think this comment indicates that the OP is referring to the info on his/her Academic Summary Report. This info pertains specifically to law school applicants, not the entire school. 8% of law school applicants having 4.0 is not at all uncommon for a school.

This is still uncommon. If 8% of law school applicants in general have 4.0s, then hys would likely have WAY higher gpa medians. I can't agree with you on this at all tkgrrett?

[vsl89]

Selection bias could account for this. How much of OP's classmates got above the 95th percentile on LSAT? If it was also 8%, then good to go... if it was 2%, then grade inflation is a serious issue, yes?

8% also got 95% & up on LSAT. So, I guess that helps?

And, I agree w/ people on here...my school does hand out A's a little too liberally.

Yeah.. I think this comment indicates that the OP is referring to the info on his/her Academic Summary Report. This info pertains specifically to law school applicants, not the entire school. 8% of law school applicants having 4.0 is not at all uncommon for a school.

I'm so sorry for causing confusion! But yes, I was referring the academic summary report...my bad. I thought that was a composition of my entire school, not just law school applicants from my school. Sorry again!