GPA on application day Forum

[RareAir]

So I'm considering ED'ing at UVA (haha) on day 1 next fall.

I currently have a pretty weak 3.05, but I am graduating in December and am taking fairly easy classes and I anticipate getting around a 3.6-3.8 my last semester (Got a 3.45 with a class-for-class harder schedule this past spring). If I pull a 3.6, I'm looking at around a 3.15, which I would assume is significantly better than a 3.05 in the adcom's eyes. Obviously by ED'ing I won't have that last semester factored into my LSDAS GPA. Is there any way to account for these grades? I'm just worried that by ED'ing (only way I'd get in) my app would look weaker than if I RD'ed (even though I'd get dinged for sure by RDing).

Anyone with advice? Similar experiences?

[Dany]

Honestly the difference between 3.05 and 3.15 isn't that great - they're both WAY below UVA's 25th. What's your LSAT score? That's all that's going to matter at this point.

[tourdeforcex]

just worried that by ED'ing (only way I'd get in) my app would look weaker than if I RD'ed (even though I'd get dinged for sure by RDing).

i don't think the .1 advantage in RD would be worth the wait. give ED a shot. obviously spend your time working on the LSAT

[paulinaporizkova]

what's your excuse for having such a terrible GPA?

[AreJay711]

Can't you apply ED to UVA at any point in the Cycle?

[RareAir]

LSAT is 171

I know my GPA sucks, and is well below their 25th; which is why I would be ED'ing.

My reasons would be that I was kind of lost academically throughout most of my undergrad. I was an accounting major for entirely too long and I was just not interested in the majority of my classes. My options were pretty limited on switching majors because I wasn't really willing to start over college with a new major as a junior. I switched to finance at the end of my junior year and my grades have improved.

Also, I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and prescribed vyvanse. The difference is pretty amazing. My last semester without it I got a 2.3 semester GPA, and the first semester with it (this past spring) I got a 3.45 with significantly harder classes across the board.

[JoeFish]

what's your excuse for having such a terrible GPA?

Haha ouch. That's not nice =-O

I was about to suggest it was because of a pretty darn hard major like Math or EE but then I saw accounting followed by finance :-\.

No, in all seriousness OP, if you have a medical reason for earlier low grades, and can give evidence that the problem is fixed now, include that in an addendum, I'd think. If you're URM that helps a lot, obviously.

If not, even with a 3.15 as opposed to 3.05 and evidence of greater capacity for success what with new medication, you should try to get that LSAT up past 175 to think about UVA. I was ~3.3, ~177, non-URM, out-of-state and got WLed (as expected).

[Paraflam]

So basically, if you apply early like you're supposed to, the only grades that law schools see are the ones through junior year? If you send in your apps right when they become available, fall semester grades for your senior year won't even be out yet. Is this correct? Just making sure.

[Dany]

So basically, if you apply early like you're supposed to, the only grades that law schools see are the ones through junior year? If you send in your apps right when they become available, fall semester grades for your senior year won't even be out yet. Is this correct? Just making sure.

Correct. I applied this cycle and just graduated undergrad and my LSAC GPA is still just my freshman-junior grades.

[Paraflam]

So basically, if you apply early like you're supposed to, the only grades that law schools see are the ones through junior year? If you send in your apps right when they become available, fall semester grades for your senior year won't even be out yet. Is this correct? Just making sure.

Correct. I applied this cycle and just graduated undergrad and my LSAC GPA is still just my freshman-junior grades.

What if a school hasn't yet given you a decision by the time fall grades come out? Can you update your app then? What is the consensus about waiting to apply a few months later if the grades that are going to be released will increase your cumulative GPA? How big of an increase does it need to be to warrant waiting?

[Corwin]

I'm pretty sure you can ED in with those numbers. UVa dings anyone with those numbers who doesn't do a really early ED. TBH I don't think 3.05 versus 3.15 matters for ED. As long as you are above a 3.0.

[fatduck]

So basically, if you apply early like you're supposed to, the only grades that law schools see are the ones through junior year? If you send in your apps right when they become available, fall semester grades for your senior year won't even be out yet. Is this correct? Just making sure.

Correct. I applied this cycle and just graduated undergrad and my LSAC GPA is still just my freshman-junior grades.

What if a school hasn't yet given you a decision by the time fall grades come out? Can you update your app then? What is the consensus about waiting to apply a few months later if the grades that are going to be released will increase your cumulative GPA? How big of an increase does it need to be to warrant waiting?

yes, you can send an updated transcript to lsac, and they will automatically send updates to all your schools.

[Paraflam]

So basically, if you apply early like you're supposed to, the only grades that law schools see are the ones through junior year? If you send in your apps right when they become available, fall semester grades for your senior year won't even be out yet. Is this correct? Just making sure.

Correct. I applied this cycle and just graduated undergrad and my LSAC GPA is still just my freshman-junior grades.

What if a school hasn't yet given you a decision by the time fall grades come out? Can you update your app then? What is the consensus about waiting to apply a few months later if the grades that are going to be released will increase your cumulative GPA? How big of an increase does it need to be to warrant waiting?

yes, you can send an updated transcript to lsac, and they will automatically send updates to all your schools.

Gotcha, thanks.

[Dany]

How big of an increase does it need to be to warrant waiting?

I don't think it's possible to take enough credit hours to make enough of a difference to warrant applying in January instead of September.

[mickeyD]

yes, you can send an updated transcript to lsac, and they will automatically send updates to all your schools.

This is very interesting. I plan on applying on the first day possible, and it looks like most decisions for such early applicants are sent out right before my final grades would come in (my UG usually gets them out right before Christmas). I'll be a splitter currently at a 3.5, but by my calculations a repeat performance of this past term would put me at a 3.6, which to me seems like a big deal since it would raise me above the 25th percentile at most of the T-14.

I guess it will still be helpful since I could send my transcripts to any schools I get waitlisted at.