help! Bad grades and DUI in a CC, transfer to UC and got 3.8 Forum

[raptor24]

So, using the GPA calculator on law school predictor, I have a 3.5 overall with my community college grades. Without them I have a 3.8. My first year of college was at a community where I didn't take anything (or anybody) seriously. The summer after my first year at community, I got in a REALLY bad DUI car accident where I almost died. I was charged with a misdemeanor DUI. This happened 4 years ago.

Realizing that I should be dead, I decided to take life and school more seriously. I transferred to a UC that fall after the accident. I did the fraternity and sports stuff and got a 3.8.

Now I have two black marks on my record... the bad community college grades and the DUI. Do I explain this is an addendum? I figure I should try to work the whole "I almost died so I decided to grow up" thing into my essay; however, if there isn't a way for my to explain that in the essay should I make an addendum to my application about it?

Any comments/question/help would be appreciated! Thanks in ahead!

[im_blue]

Dunno about the addendum part, but your LSAC GPA will count the CC grades, so plan on having a 3.5 for admissions.

[AreJay711]

Might be a better PS statement if you really turned you life around. Talk about the transformative experience of nearly dying / killing someone else because of your own stupidity and how it has caused you to turn you life around. Addenda should be brief but it appears you have a lot to say and it could help your cause. Other than the DUI, which is going to be there anyway, it wouldn’t actually be a bad PS.

[raptor24]

should I include a picture of the wrecked car? it looks really bad...


im_blue: yea I know... That's why I'm all bummed out. Will they look at my actual transcripts or just the GPA? If they look at my transcript, they will see how the bad grades are ONLY from my community college transcript.

[im_blue]

should I include a picture of the wrecked car? it looks really bad...


im_blue: yea I know... That's why I'm all bummed out. Will they look at my actual transcripts or just the GPA? If they look at my transcript, they will see how the bad grades are ONLY from my community college transcript.

They may or may not look at your transcripts, but the academic summary report breaks down your GPA by school and year in school, so your GPA trend should be obvious at a glance.

[SilverE2]

should I include a picture of the wrecked car? it looks really bad...


im_blue: yea I know... That's why I'm all bummed out. Will they look at my actual transcripts or just the GPA? If they look at my transcript, they will see how the bad grades are ONLY from my community college transcript.

Don't put a picture in your personal statement, lol

[raptor24]

should I include a picture of the wrecked car? it looks really bad...


im_blue: yea I know... That's why I'm all bummed out. Will they look at my actual transcripts or just the GPA? If they look at my transcript, they will see how the bad grades are ONLY from my community college transcript.

Don't put a picture in your personal statement, lol

Well, it wouldn't be IN the statement. Maybe just stapled on to the application... lol

[raptor24]

should I include a picture of the wrecked car? it looks really bad...


im_blue: yea I know... That's why I'm all bummed out. Will they look at my actual transcripts or just the GPA? If they look at my transcript, they will see how the bad grades are ONLY from my community college transcript.

They may or may not look at your transcripts, but the academic summary report breaks down your GPA by school and year in school, so your GPA trend should be obvious at a glance.

So, would you say that due to this upward trend from community to university that the GPA I should use to estimate my law school admission should be somewhere in between my overall average GPA and my university GPA?

For example, a 2.5 in community and a 3.8 at university. Overall average 3.5. Would this put me "ahead" of other 3.5 averages holding all other things constant?

[raptor24]

And with the whole explanation of the DUI and life story, would the DUI be left out of my admissions consideration? Or will it still hurt me? Just wondering so I know what schools I should apply to. Trying not to waste money applying to schools that wouldn't accept me.

[im_blue]

should I include a picture of the wrecked car? it looks really bad...


im_blue: yea I know... That's why I'm all bummed out. Will they look at my actual transcripts or just the GPA? If they look at my transcript, they will see how the bad grades are ONLY from my community college transcript.

They may or may not look at your transcripts, but the academic summary report breaks down your GPA by school and year in school, so your GPA trend should be obvious at a glance.

So, would you say that due to this upward trend from community to university that the GPA I should use to estimate my law school admission should be somewhere in between my overall average GPA and my university GPA?

For example, a 2.5 in community and a 3.8 at university. Overall average 3.5. Would this put me "ahead" of other 3.5 averages holding all other things constant?

The upward trend would put you "ahead" of other 3.5 GPAs, but it wouldn't be counted as anything higher.

[anstud06]

How did you get into a UC with a 2.5?

[raptor24]

How did you get into a UC with a 2.5?

UCs LOVE community college transfers. I transferred after one year at one. Got accepted to Riverside. Then got accepted to Irvine. Decided to stay in Riverside.


I also had some ridiculously high SAT and ACT score. Don't exactly remember what it was, but I only missed a question or two on the math section.

[raptor24]

should I include a picture of the wrecked car? it looks really bad...


im_blue: yea I know... That's why I'm all bummed out. Will they look at my actual transcripts or just the GPA? If they look at my transcript, they will see how the bad grades are ONLY from my community college transcript.

They may or may not look at your transcripts, but the academic summary report breaks down your GPA by school and year in school, so your GPA trend should be obvious at a glance.

So, would you say that due to this upward trend from community to university that the GPA I should use to estimate my law school admission should be somewhere in between my overall average GPA and my university GPA?

For example, a 2.5 in community and a 3.8 at university. Overall average 3.5. Would this put me "ahead" of other 3.5 averages holding all other things constant?

The upward trend would put you "ahead" of other 3.5 GPAs, but it wouldn't be counted as anything higher.

Cool, this definitely puts my mind to ease (somewhat, lol). It's going to interesting to see where I get accepted with my record (DUI and speeding tickets). Going to take the LSAT over the summer.

I've also done internships at an investment bank and a law firm, hope that helps...

[im_blue]

How did you get into a UC with a 2.5?

It's ridiculously easy to transfer from CC to UC, they guarantee admission with a certain minimum GPA: about 2.4-2.5 for Riverside/Merced, 2.8-2.9 for Davis, and 3.0 for San Diego / Irvine / Santa Barbara. Berkeley and UCLA are the only difficult ones (avg 3.6 to 3.8 depending on major).

[2807]

The grades are what they are. Even 3.5 is strong. Focus on the LSAT.

As far as the wreck and DUI.. You will have to disclose it of course, but the PS may be a way to neuter it and turn that really bad event into a learning experience. I would stay away from extra info about how bad it was, or how drunk you were, or any of that...

Just say the facts in one sentence, then go right into the lesson learned and the proof that supports it (ie: grades, behavior, choices, views on life, ethics, responsibility, responsibility, and responsibility)

Tread carefully with the college life and frat stuff. To me that is code for more drinking and inappropriate behavior.

Stay focused on the lesson and the proof.

[raptor24]

Tread carefully with the college life and frat stuff. To me that is code for more drinking and inappropriate behavior.

Never thought of that... What if I held multiple positions in the frat, including an executive board position, and played on the inter-mural team? I was also on the school's interfraternity council. The frat stuff took a big chunk of my time, and I want at least some recognition for it.

[2807]

Tread carefully with the college life and frat stuff. To me that is code for more drinking and inappropriate behavior.

Never thought of that... What if I held multiple positions in the frat, including an executive board position, and played on the inter-mural team? I was also on the school's interfraternity council. The frat stuff took a big chunk of my time, and I want at least some recognition for it.

Well, I may be the wrong guy to answer that. You may want to start a thread and ask people on here if frats are good or bad. Maybe some are universally known as academic, athletic, or community helping... I just tend to think of keg parties and non-sense......

If you can articulate leadership, service, teamwork, and good stuff then go with it.... The adcoms will know more about frat (by name?) than I ever would. Just my .02

You have a lot to say about maturing and learning, maybe a line or two about the frat, and demonstrate how you matured and learned...keeping with the humble theme of learning from a mistake. People like humility.

I am not mistakes! <------ I have been using that all of my life. Now, young jedi, I hand it to you.

[T6Hopeful]

Although I have no idea how you would go about working this into your PS/writing addenda, I have one piece of advice: Do NOT attach a picture of the wreck. That's just another image AFTER whatever you used to rectify to say "Oh by the way, if I didn't drive the point home, here's how close I came to ending human lives." It could be very emotionally charging, in a negative way.

[raptor24]

I have one piece of advice: Do NOT attach a picture of the wreck. That's just another image AFTER whatever you used to rectify to say "Oh by the way, if I didn't drive the point home, here's how close I came to ending human lives." It could be very emotionally charging, in a negative way.

good point. Although, I never crashed into another car. Just a fence, lol.

[cpsuttle]

Just a thought,

I really, really don't think it is a good idea to talk in your personal statement about your DUI. The PS is supposedly the first thing the adcom sees after the numbers.. and if you are in the "maybe" pile and just happen to get a reader who is very against DUIs and take it as a reflection of your character (some people are truly like that to a weird extent) then you could get tossed in the "No" pile real easily. I personally am in this same boat and was thinking about writing mine about it too, but admissions people that I called suggested not to. Write a separate addendum explaining it and how much you've changed. You'll have to write an addendum for it anyways. No need to be redundant. You can maybe mention it briefly in the PS, but don't dwell on it.

[cpsuttle]

Tread carefully with the college life and frat stuff. To me that is code for more drinking and inappropriate behavior.

Never thought of that... What if I held multiple positions in the frat, including an executive board position, and played on the inter-mural team? I was also on the school's interfraternity council. The frat stuff took a big chunk of my time, and I want at least some recognition for it.

Ahh I don't think that's true. Definitely mention that. It's good leadership! Especially because you probably presided over a lot of people.
ps. it's inTRAmural
sorry.. pet peeve

[2807]

Yes, I agree you may be able to talk about frat stuff in a positive way. I retract my post.

Also: Why don't you write a PS that has nothing to do with the DUI and then just briefly mention it in the crime addendum you will have to do anyway. You will be able to write a few lines about your learning experience in that addendum.

The PS may be your best place to remove the DUI from your identity, as opposed to embracing it

Just a thought...

Write one for each and let people see which is a better representation of you?

[raptor24]

Also: Why don't you write a PS that has nothing to do with the DUI and then just briefly mention it in the crime addendum you will have to do anyway. You will be able to write a few lines about your learning experience in that addendum.

crime addendum!?!? Eeeks!


Would I have to disclose something that happened when I was 16 and was expunged (it was my juvenile record). I'd rather leave that out.

[im_blue]

Also: Why don't you write a PS that has nothing to do with the DUI and then just briefly mention it in the crime addendum you will have to do anyway. You will be able to write a few lines about your learning experience in that addendum.

crime addendum!?!? Eeeks!


Would I have to disclose something that happened when I was 16 and was expunged (it was my juvenile record). I'd rather leave that out.

Absolutely, every incident must be disclosed, including expunged ones.

[12262010]

should I include a picture of the wrecked car? it looks really bad...


im_blue: yea I know... That's why I'm all bummed out. Will they look at my actual transcripts or just the GPA? If they look at my transcript, they will see how the bad grades are ONLY from my community college transcript.

including a picture is totally inappropriate and will send the message that you are a monumental fuck up.