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Major GPA
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 9:17 pm
by zdamico
I am an incoming junior, double major, and I am considering switching my second major to something more appealing to law schools (it also happens to be something I am quite interested in).
My GPA currently is a 3.77, and it would be higher if it wasnt for a C+ first semester of freshman year.
Anyway, my GPA in both my current majors is 4.0, whereas that C+ was in the major I am thinking about switching to. Don't worry about it being too hard, it was a fluke and I missed an online test, dropping me from an A- to a C+. Had nothing to do with the field/major.
Anyway, if I switch, will it make a big difference that one of my Major GPA's isn't the best, even though it will just be one class that looks bad? Obviously it doesn't change my Overall GPA, but if I switch now, most of the classes I take for that major will come Senior Year, and that wont go on my transcripts when I first apply, so I won't have much time to bring my Major GPA up.
Example...imagine the following two applications when I apply for law school
Overall GPA: 3.81
Major-Psychology GPA: 3.93
Major-Criminal Justice GPA-4.0
or
Overall GPA: 3.81
Major-Psychology GPA: 3.93
Major-Political Science GPA: 3.55
Which would be better?
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 9:18 pm
by Tiago Splitter
zdamico wrote:
Overall GPA: 3.81
Major-Psychology GPA: 3.93
Major-Criminal Justice GPA-4.0
or
Overall GPA: 3.81
Major-Psychology GPA: 3.93
Major-Political Science GPA: 3.55
Which would be better?
They would be viewed exactly the same.
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 9:24 pm
by instra:mental
Law schools don't care what your major(s) is/are. And as far as I know, neither does your major GPA, just your cumulative.
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:07 pm
by cinephile
If you like political science better, then do it.
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:26 pm
by gandalf
From what I understand, criminal justice doesn't seem to be a major that a lot of law schools seem to like.
If you can major in a field where you'll be able to get good recs from a professor in that field, then go for it.
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:46 pm
by FantasticMrFox
gandalf wrote:From what I understand, criminal justice doesn't seem to be a major that a lot of law schools seem to like.
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:53 am
by stacym25
gandalf wrote:From what I understand, criminal justice doesn't seem to be a major that a lot of law schools seem to like.
is there any evidence to support this? I'm going into my junior year majoring in criminal justice just because it's what I find most interesting but if it's really going to be looked down upon I'd like to attempt to switch before it's too late. I've read all about this on these boards and while people talk lowly about CJ (lowest average lsat scores, too easy etc) I've never seen legitimate proof that it's looked down upon by admissions (ultimately the only people that at this point I care to try and impress.)
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:32 pm
by FantasticMrFox
stacym25 wrote:gandalf wrote:From what I understand, criminal justice doesn't seem to be a major that a lot of law schools seem to like.
is there any evidence to support this? I'm going into my junior year majoring in criminal justice just because it's what I find most interesting but if it's really going to be looked down upon I'd like to attempt to switch before it's too late. I've read all about this on these boards and while people talk lowly about CJ (lowest average lsat scores, too easy etc) I've never seen legitimate proof that it's looked down upon by admissions (ultimately the only people that at this point I care to try and impress.)
Well, I couldn't really find anything that would qualify as "legitimate proof" for you but here's a statement about criminal justice majors on the TLS page:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/harvard-law-school.html "On the other hand, students who majored in Criminal Justice are very hard to find at HLS, if they exist at all." (Not sure what range of schools you were thinking of...besides, it was the only one I could find in the three minutes I spent searching
)
Also, the fact that it is one of the lowest LSAT scoring majors isn't going to be ignored by anyone since it definitely shows the difficulty level of that major
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:54 pm
by $1.99
lol criminal justice major, there wasn't a unicorn law major at your school?
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:26 pm
by reepS
I didn't know they offered criminal justice as a major? I thought it was just something from ITT Tech, University of Phoenix and Devry? Is this actually offered at normal 4 year universities?
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:35 pm
by FantasticMrFox
reepS wrote:I didn't know they offered criminal justice as a major? I thought it was just something from ITT Tech, University of Phoenix and Devry? Is this actually offered at normal 4 year universities?
783 colleges do! (I was curious about which schools offered this major as well when answering that last question...because I've never known anyone majoring in CJ)
http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/s ... viewpage=1
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:04 pm
by cinephile
reepS wrote:I didn't know they offered criminal justice as a major? I thought it was just something from ITT Tech, University of Phoenix and Devry? Is this actually offered at normal 4 year universities?
I know a few social workers who did their undergrad in criminal justice, and it was apparently acceptable to get into a MSW program.
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 4:31 pm
by 094320
..
Re: Major GPA
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:30 pm
by stacym25
$1.99 wrote:lol criminal justice major, there wasn't a unicorn law major at your school?
haha unfortunately no, if there was I obviously would have chosen it as it's far more applicable in all situations