overall gpa vs. trending/degree granting institution gpa? Forum

[citykitty]

Let's say you were a child genius who went to a top tier state school way too young and didn't do all that great your first two years of undergrad, and then 10 or so years later you went back to school at a not-quite top tier state school and kicked butt for your last ~65 credit hours and have a 4.0+ for those 2 years. So, your overall GPA is going to be a 3.1 or so. Are any admission offices going to care? Or, is the 3.1 pretty much set in stone as to what will be looked at?

[Knock]

Let's say you were a child genius who went to a top tier state school way too young and didn't do all that great your first two years of undergrad, and then 10 or so years later you went back to school at a not-quite top tier state school and kicked butt for your last ~65 credit hours and have a 4.0+ for those 2 years. So, your overall GPA is going to be a 3.1 or so. Are any admission offices going to care? Or, is the 3.1 pretty much set in stone as to what will be looked at?

Not really, admission committees will only really care about the cumulative undergraduate GPA (3.1). At best, the strong upward trend will be a minor soft. The distance between your low grades will probably help, but only very slightly.

[citykitty]

Good to know. Let's me know what's realistic then. Thx.

[bdubs]

My GPA was brought down 0.14 because of some poor grades I got in community college calculus classes during Junior and Senior year of High School. It hasn't seemed to matter at all that these grades are ancient and I have been working for 5 years, I haven't gotten into NYU or Chicago when those with my degree GPA have. I think TLS logic that LSAC GPA is all that matters is unfortunately correct.

[EricBerry]

The upward trend is definitely worth explaining in an addendum even if you don't have a compelling excuse for your grades in the first two years. Out of the 12 schools I've been accepted to, I was below 25th percentile GPA and around median LSAT at every one. I wrote an addendum highlighting my upward trend and 3 deans have noted it in my acceptance letters.

[TheRedMamba]

Do you mind telling us some of those 12 schools? Also, what was your final cumulative GPA?

[crit_racer]

I donno, but I'm in a similar position. LSAC GPA is a 3.32, but the last 85 hours of my UG from my degree-granting school were a 3.85. STRONG upward trend, but I'm not counting on it to make a huge difference. I'm above the 75th LSAT for every single school I'm applying to, so maybe they will use my upward trending GPA as an excuse to take my LSAT since it was so drastic and b/c I did sustain it for 2.5 years.

[EricBerry]

Do you mind telling us some of those 12 schools? Also, what was your final cumulative GPA?

Sure: Kentucky, Mizzou ($), South Carolina, Penn State ($), Georgia State, Miami, Denver, Memphis, Case Western, Louisville, SLU, and Loyola NO ($$$). Only rejections were from mega-reaches. GPA after first 2 years: 1.2. Final GPA: 3.4. LSDAS GPA: 3.0X. Sure, these aren't elite schools, but LSP gave me a <50% chance at most of them. Some as low as 25%. While none of the acceptances may be that big of a stretch, it is surprising that I was accepted at all of them. I really think a lot of these schools looked hard at my upward GPA trend.

[beachbum]

Do you mind telling us some of those 12 schools? Also, what was your final cumulative GPA?

Sure: Kentucky, Mizzou ($), South Carolina, Penn State ($), Georgia State, Miami, Denver, Memphis, Case Western, Louisville, SLU, and Loyola NO ($$$). Only rejections were from mega-reaches. GPA after first 2 years: 1.2. Final GPA: 3.4. LSDAS GPA: 3.0X. Sure, these aren't elite schools, but LSP gave me a <50% chance at most of them. Some as low as 25%. While none of the acceptances may be that big of a stretch, it is surprising that I was accepted at all of them. I really think a lot of these schools looked hard at my upward GPA trend.

I don't have much to add here, but dude... nice job. Seriously, that's a hell of an upward trend.

But I agree, I think upward trends (like a lot of softs) count for more than we realize/acknowledge. And if you have a good or compelling reason for the trend (or for your initial poor grades), it's definitely worth an addendum.

[paulinaporizkova]

Let's say you were a child genius who went to a top tier state school way too young and didn't do all that great your first two years of undergrad, and then 10 or so years later you went back to school at a not-quite top tier state school and kicked butt for your last ~65 credit hours and have a 4.0+ for those 2 years. So, your overall GPA is going to be a 3.1 or so. Are any admission offices going to care? Or, is the 3.1 pretty much set in stone as to what will be looked at?

Do child geniuses get 180s on the LSAT? If so, you have nothing to worry about.