Top Law Schools

I just found out I got a C+ in one of my classes this semester. I am a rising senior at Cornell applying this coming academic year, so this is on the last semester law schools will see (unless they see my first semester senior grades - but I intend on applying in October). My GPA before this grade as a 3.56, which now dropped to a 3.49 (my other grades for the same semester were A, B, and B+).

As far as I'm concerned the 3.56 was already low for my aims (T14, UCLA, USC), so the 3.49 overall isn't going to make too much of a difference (I am well aware my admissions depend on my LSAT considering my relatively low GPA). However, The idea of seeing a C+ is not appealing to me. Do you think I should include an addendum?

Another extenuating circumstance of this is that the grade was basically due to me being hospitalized for mental health issues right before a big paper was due (33% of my grade) which resulted in a D on it. Luckily this was the only class that was effected timewise, but also unlucky in that my other grades for the semester are not horrid, so it may appear it was just me due to me being lazy but not my mental health (especially because of the damn A, which was for admittedly a ridiculously easily class). So, I'm not sure if an addendum with my "excuse" may actually help or hurt me. Like I don't want it to make me seem like a liability...yet I don't really want the C+ to go unexplained. If it was early on in college it would be easy to let it go, but it is the most recent semester they will see...so I'm torn on the matter.

No. The addendum about mental health will make things worse

Since you did well in the other classes, the addendum for health issues (which is how I would phrase it) would have to be really specific as to why you did poorly in one class and not others. That will most likely come across as whining, especially since it's an addendum for a single grade, so I'd probably skip it.

However, I wouldn't worry too much about it. The schools aren't going to spend that much time with a fine-toothed comb going over your transcript. I had a C+ on my record from the most recent semester when I applied, and it didn't affect me at all. If anything, they'll be less likely to see it, assuming that your school lists your grades in chronological order (and not reverse chronological order), as my grade was on the second page of my transcript. Yes, I'm making that up, but you might as well believe it if it helps you get over this issue.

thederangedwang wrote:No. The addendum about mental health will make things worse

+1

Thanks all. I figured I shouldn't say anything, so confirmation is helpful.