Typical Gpa question etc Forum

[shifty91]

So out of curiosity I am aiming for around a 3.2/3.3 gpa by the time I graduate college as an Accounting major and info systems minor. I see people saying that if you have under a 3.4 forget about it. I looked at school rankings etc though and they have ranges of 3.3's-3.5 etc Does that mean not to even apply if you are not in that range? Sorry if this question has been put up here numerous times I am just curious as to the truth about that. Also what goal LSAT score should I be looking with a GPA of a 3.2/3.3 to GWU, American, Wake Forest, Forham?(excuse my poor grammar im in a rush figured I would post this out so when I come back home ill have a few replies)

[crazyblink653]

your GPA is a little on the low side, but by no means is it a bar to getting in. I know quite a few people with much lower GPAs who got into better schools than you have listed. for some of the schools on your list, though, (notably GW), if you want to have any shot you'll need to have an excellent LSAT (probably in excess of their median). This, coupled with a few decent softs, should be enough to get you in as a splitter. of course, this is still a longshot, but I think if you hit the median at the other schools and put enough time into your PS, you should stand a decent shot of getting in to most of the schools you have listed.

[Samara]

Aim higher! I was like you once, thinking my 3.3 would make me a stretch even for Notre Dame. Then I found out that my LSAC GPA would actually be under 3.1. But TLS has shown me the truth about what is possible, so you've come to the right place.

With a strong LSAT score, you can definitely get T14, but you'll need to top 170. There are a variety of other factors, such as work experience, URM status and others that could boost you even higher. Some schools, like Berkeley, have pretty solid GPA floors, but other schools like Michigan, Northwestern and Cornell are much more splitter friendly.

Check out http://lawschoolnumbers.com/ and http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/ to give yourself an idea of the LSAT numbers you'll need and get studying!

[shifty91]

what is the LSAC GPA? and how would i calculate that, I know people say it counts any college class you have taken does that count college classes in hs which i bombed?

+edit
As for work experience, its all revolving around accounting/one small law firm. How ever since international law is something I am interested in I may be working in a foreign embassy. I am not aiming low but realistically that is what I will get around when i graduate due to me going to a Jesuit school and having to take classes that have just lowered my GPA due to lack of interest/being forced to take them to graduate. Also factoring in a very "fun" freshman year which did not help me educationally however no regrets have been made due to the many connections made with teachers/students.

[Samara]

You can use this to calculate your LSAC GPA: http://www.lawpad.com/gpa_calculator/ LSAC counts every class. If those HS classes were in any way associated with a university, they will count. Stuff like AP classes do not count.

The type of work experience doesn't really matter, as long as it's substantive.

With a 3.3 GPA, you'll probably need upper 160s to get the schools you mention, but into the 170s gives you a shot at higher ranked schools.

[shifty91]

Thanks a lot appreciate it. Wish i tried harder in those HS classes thinking they counted for nothing when i took them...greaaat.

[MumofCad]

You can use this to calculate your LSAC GPA: http://www.lawpad.com/gpa_calculator/ LSAC counts every class. If those HS classes were in any way associated with a university, they will count. Stuff like AP classes do not count.

The type of work experience doesn't really matter, as long as it's substantive.

With a 3.3 GPA, you'll probably need upper 160s to get the schools you mention, but into the 170s gives you a shot at higher ranked schools.

My AP classes all counted. They are often affiliated with the local CC, even if you are not told. I was never informed mine would be credited through the local CC until I got to college, when a registrar official asked if I would be using them to opt out of some low-level requirements. I still didn't realize they were eligible because I had been given college credit by the local CC until LSAC flagged me as needing a transcript from the CC. I had never read that little line on my UG transcript before that said - 9 transfer credits from XX CC. I would have guessed it said 9 transfer credits from XX high school.

Anyhow, even if you didn't use the AP credits in college, you have to disclose it to LSAC. I'd check and be sure with your high school before assuming that an AP course was not affiliated with college credits. Sometimes they don't really mention it, or you may not have really cared at the time and simply forgotten.

[Samara]

You can use this to calculate your LSAC GPA: http://www.lawpad.com/gpa_calculator/ LSAC counts every class. If those HS classes were in any way associated with a university, they will count. Stuff like AP classes do not count.

The type of work experience doesn't really matter, as long as it's substantive.

With a 3.3 GPA, you'll probably need upper 160s to get the schools you mention, but into the 170s gives you a shot at higher ranked schools.

My AP classes all counted. They are often affiliated with the local CC, even if you are not told. I was never informed mine would be credited through the local CC until I got to college, when a registrar official asked if I would be using them to opt out of some low-level requirements. I still didn't realize they were eligible because I had been given college credit by the local CC until LSAC flagged me as needing a transcript from the CC. I had never read that little line on my UG transcript before that said - 9 transfer credits from XX CC. I would have guessed it said 9 transfer credits from XX high school.

Anyhow, even if you didn't use the AP credits in college, you have to disclose it to LSAC. I'd check and be sure with your high school before assuming that an AP course was not affiliated with college credits. Sometimes they don't really mention it, or you may not have really cared at the time and simply forgotten.

Okay, I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is possible. How would you get graded credit at a CC without registering with the school? How would you get graded credit for AP classes at all? I got AP credits from high school, but none of them counted towards LSAC because I didn't get college grades for them and I took them at my high school. I mean, maybe your situation is somehow different, but I've never heard of this before. Have you asked LSAC and your university about it? What did you get graded on? I think the vast majority of people are not going to see their AP classes count.

[flexityflex86]

A 3.4 is still gonna be low, and you're going to be below median at any half decent schools so a 3.4 vs. a 3.3 are going to have a smaller difference for you than say a 168 versus a 167.

I disagree with the poster who said 170s can put you significantly above GWU. You can maybe snag a top 14 IF your LSAT is above median, and you ED. UT has happened, but it's not the norm, and I'd be very surprised. A 3.3 likely won't get you into USC without a mid-170s LSAT, and the same applies for UCLA.

[Samara]

A 3.4 is still gonna be low, and you're going to be below median at any half decent schools so a 3.4 vs. a 3.3 are going to have a smaller difference for you than say a 168 versus a 167.

I disagree with the poster who said 170s can put you significantly above GWU. You can maybe snag a top 14 IF your LSAT is above median, and you ED. UT has happened, but it's not the norm, and I'd be very surprised. A 3.3 likely won't get you into USC without a mid-170s LSAT, and the same applies for UCLA.

LSN disagrees. There are a ton of non-URMs with sub-3.3 GPAs and sub-175 LSAT scores who get into GWU. It looks like 168 is the rough cutoff for a 3.3 there. Northwestern and Georgetown also have a good number of sub-3.3 GPAs, though topping 171 looks to be the rough cutoff there. You'll also find a smattering in other T14 schools. California schools put a lot more weight on GPA, so yeah, Berkeley, UCLA and USC are probably out of the question. But other T14 are definitely a possibility.

[shifty91]

t14 isn't a major thing for me ill go to a decent law school and obtain a higher class rank there then be a lower class rank at a t14

[bhan87]

t14 isn't a major thing for me ill go to a decent law school and obtain a higher class rank there then be a lower class rank at a t14

You CAN'T assume that you'll have a better class rank at a lower-ranked school. Most current and past students can tell you that some people just seem to have an aptitude for law exams, and those people are the ones that'll make it to the top (regardless of their UG GPA / LSAT scores). This is also backed by the fact that there's a very weak correlation between GPA / LSAT and law school grades.

[LoyalRebel]

He's got a good GPA for his major.

[Samara]

t14 isn't a major thing for me ill go to a decent law school and obtain a higher class rank there then be a lower class rank at a t14

You CAN'T assume that you'll have a better class rank at a lower-ranked school. Most current and past students can tell you that some people just seem to have an aptitude for law exams, and those people are the ones that'll make it to the top (regardless of their UG GPA / LSAT scores). This is also backed by the fact that there's a very weak correlation between GPA / LSAT and law school grades.

Truth.

LSAC tracks correlation between LSAT scores and law school performance. They claim there's a .40 correlation between the LSAT and first year law school performance, which they claim is more strongly correlated to first year law school performance than undergraduate GPA. Even if there is a .40 correlation, that's not a very strong correlation.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&start=50