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Hello all!

Thanks to some bad luck and worse decisions, I ended up with a 2.2 my freshman year. I've since fixed the decision problem and my grades should be much higher in the future. As I read through info about applying to law schools, it seems to me that schools have two concerns with respect to your GPA.

1) They want to tell that you can do the work. A strong upward trend will make this clear, so I'm not worried.

2) They want their statistics to say that they only admit students with high GPAs. This, I can't fight so much. No matter how good my application is, I'm worried that I won't be able to get in anywhere because my GPA will bring their average accepted GPA down.

I've seen taking summer courses at community college presented as an option to inflate your GPA, with some mixed responses on here. I'd like to do that, but I've discovered that my local community college doesn't offer A+'s, and I feel like if I'm going to spend money on classes that my school won't accept towards my degree, I might as well make the grades good.

What do you all think of taking classes online from somewhere cheap and easy that grants A+'s for high averages? Would schools thank you for helping their statistics look (artificially) better, or would they think that it's too sketchy?

I'd like to go to the University of Chicago for law school, if anyone has any insight on how that school in particular would view it. I'm currently an undergrad there so I figure I have a shoe in.

CapitalSigma wrote:I'd like to go to the University of Chicago for law school, if anyone has any insight on how that school in particular would view it. I'm currently an undergrad there so I figure I have a shoe in.

WRONG.

Well, assuming the 2.2 is 1/4 of the credits you need, making a 4.0 for 3 years straight will only net you a 3.55. No matter what, you will need to kill the LSAT.

As far as Adcomms caring about grade inflation, they really don't. One's LSAC GPA is what matters. Do whatever you can to puff it up.

Nova wrote:Well, assuming the 2.2 is 1/4 of the credits you need, making a 4.0 for 3 years straight will only net you a 3.55. No matter what, you will need to kill the LSAT.

It's less than 1/4, by virtue of the fact that I withdrew from close to a majority of the classes that I took. I have maybe 5 grades to show for a year (when I should have at least 9, and I can take a maximum of 12 each year for the remaining years to bump it up).


Looking on the UChicago Law School website, though, I see things like 'what we care about is that you take a difficult and varied courseload in a subject that you're interested in, we accept students with a wide range of GPAs for this reason.' This makes me think that they would look down on someone taking, say, University of Phoenix courses to fluff up his GPA.

And kill the LSAT, yes, I know. I have LSAT prep books on the way and three years to get good at them.

Also -- is work experience of any kind valued, or do they strongly prefer law-related experience?

CapitalSigma wrote:

Nova wrote:Well, assuming the 2.2 is 1/4 of the credits you need, making a 4.0 for 3 years straight will only net you a 3.55. No matter what, you will need to kill the LSAT.

It's less than 1/4, by virtue of the fact that I withdrew from close to a majority of the classes that I took. I have maybe 5 grades to show for a year (when I should have at least 9, and I can take a maximum of 12 each year for the remaining years to bump it up).


1.Looking on the UChicago Law School website, though, I see things like 'what we care about is that you take a difficult and varied courseload in a subject that you're interested in, we accept students with a wide range of GPAs for this reason.' This makes me think that they would look down on someone taking, say, University of Phoenix courses to fluff up his GPA.

And kill the LSAT, yes, I know. I have LSAT prep books on the way and three years to get good at them.

2.Also -- is work experience of any kind valued, or do they strongly prefer law-related experience?

1.Everyone says that. Its BS. Everyone whores the rankings.

2. Working while in school at a pt job is not really a big deal (as bartender, waiter, admin assistant, whatever). Actually having a college degree, and then gaining post UG WE is helpful though. The post UG does not have to be law related, and is more about showing you can support yourself as an adult and be a productive member of society.

The only thing that the school is going to look at is the LSAC Academic Sheet with the printed GPA on it.

Take classes at a community college that gives A+s. I would definitely do that over online classes. Worst case scenario you only get As. Those 4.0s are still going to boost your GPA.

Nova wrote:1.Everyone says that. Its BS. Everyone whores the rankings.

Good to know.

2. Working while in school at a pt job is not really a big deal (as bartender, waiter, admin assistant, whatever). Actually having a college degree, and then gaining post UG WE is helpful though. The post UG does not have to be law related, and is more about showing you can support yourself as an adult and be a productive member of society.

Departing a little from the original thread's focus, but -- how about teaching English in a foreign country for a year or so after graduation?

Take classes at a community college that gives A+s. I would definitely do that over online classes. Worst case scenario you only get As. Those 4.0s are still going to boost your GPA.

If they're pure statistics whores, wouldn't they like the 4.33s significantly more than the 4.0s?

EDIT: And probably the realistic choice would be a community college in a state that I can claim residency in that offers online classes and A+'s. Then it doesn't have the sketchy-sketchy weirdo vibe of pure online universities, is cheaper, and gives the maximum grade bump. How does that sound?

CapitalSigma wrote:EDIT: And probably the realistic choice would be a community college in a state that I can claim residency in that offers online classes and A+'s. Then it doesn't have the sketchy-sketchy weirdo vibe of pure online universities, is cheaper, and gives the maximum grade bump. How does that sound?

That sounds good.

Make sure your undergrad will let you get credit for these cc grades first. Otherwise they are worthless.

clee33 wrote:Make sure your undergrad will let you get credit for these cc grades first. Otherwise they are worthless.

at least they would still bump his LSAC GPA. 15 more credits of 4.0 can only help.

If you're that worried about how useless CC classes would look on your transcript, why don't you take an extra year and do an easy minor? That way you can put off graduating and get an extra year of real grades that count towards your LSAC GPA. If you're getting decent financial aid from your UG this might make more sense.

bostonlawchick wrote:If you're that worried about how useless CC classes would look on your transcript, why don't you take an extra year and do an easy minor? That way you can put off graduating and get an extra year of real grades that count towards your LSAC GPA. If you're getting decent financial aid from your UG this might make more sense.

"real grades" lol.

Does anyone know of a CC that gives out A+ that you can take classes online for? For real.

clee33 wrote:Make sure your undergrad will let you get credit for these cc grades first. Otherwise they are worthless.

The whole point is that they won't count, and so I can keep racking up extra credits without having to graduate.

If you're getting decent financial aid from your UG this might make more sense.

Financial aid only covers exactly enough quarters to do 4 years, as far as I know. It runs out faster if you take summer classes.

Does anyone know of a CC that gives out A+ that you can take classes online for? For real.

I've been looking through all the CCs in my state with no luck so far. I'm going to ask the nice people at collegeconfidential what they think.

Go look at CC websites. I found one in Nebraska that gives A+s, although I don't know which one it was now. :\

edit> It also offered online stuff.

Every forum I went to said that they actually see where you went to school and it may matter. If you have a 4.0 for the remainder of your UG @ UChi, and take some CC classes (in your major) in the summer as a boost, I doubt they will care because you can rationalize why you did it. But if you take "Art Appreciation" and "Intro to Nutrition", it looks blatant and they start reviewing the rest of your file more critically.

The other thing to consider is that (1) you attend the UG of the LS you want to attend. Your professors would have to make you walk on water to excuse the low GPA + the withdrawal of so many classes. Have an addendum ready to go because (2) UChi is a known-academically rigorous school. If you can't handle UG there, they will wonder if you can handle LS there.

No offense, but the advice right above me, It is all wrong and I would not follow it.

727813 wrote:But if you take "Art Appreciation" and "Intro to Nutrition", it looks blatant and they start reviewing the rest of your file more critically.

No offense, but...

The other thing to consider is that (1) you attend the UG of the LS you want to attend. Your professors would have to make you walk on water to excuse the low GPA + the withdrawal of so many classes

no. wtfno.

727813 wrote:Every forum I went to said that they actually see where you went to school and it may matter. If you have a 4.0 for the remainder of your UG @ UChi, and take some CC classes (in your major) in the summer as a boost, I doubt they will care because you can rationalize why you did it. But if you take "Art Appreciation" and "Intro to Nutrition", it looks blatant and they start reviewing the rest of your file more critically.

The other thing to consider is that (1) you attend the UG of the LS you want to attend. Your professors would have to make you walk on water to excuse the low GPA + the withdrawal of so many classes. Have an addendum ready to go because (2) UChi is a known-academically rigorous school. If you can't handle UG there, they will wonder if you can handle LS there.

Wha...?

727813 wrote:(2) UChi is a known-academically rigorous school. If you can't handle UG there, they will wonder if you can handle LS there.

This is the kind of logic that makes sense to me. However, I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about.

I'm not sure how much a GPA addendum would help me because my problem was that I was on drugs and I've since been to rehab and cleaned my act up.

Also, collegeconfidential was useless on the CC search.

CapitalSigma wrote: I'm not sure how much a GPA addendum would help me because my problem was that I was on drugs and I've since been to rehab and cleaned my act up.

Yeahhh... about that. I would suggest not bringing it up if possible. SWIM had to address their drug problem on their C&F because of arrests and convictions. Because SWIM is very close to me, I know that SWIM was compelled to write about overcomming addiction in their PS, although that is not the way to go. Luckily, SWIM asked TLS, and was advised not to write about it in the PS or addenda. Because drugs have such a bad connotation, one really does not want adcomms remembering their file as the bro who used to do a lot of drugs.

also, take an extra semester of easy classes to boost your GPA (if you can reasonably afford it). 4 extra A's will boost your GPA, and you will be able to graduate in December. Work from January until June and you'll be set to go to school in August. Also, the summer before your extra semester could be used to study for the LSAT. Again, this is if you don't have financial constraints. I'm not saying this is what you NEED to do, but I'm just putting this out there as an idea.

Apparently, the 4.33 dealio is much more common in Canadian schools. Would the LSAC take into account grades at Canadian CCs that are on a 4.33 scale?

EDIT:
From the "Guide to the LSAC" thread:

Transcripts You Need to Send
You must arrange to have a transcript sent from any undergraduate institution you attended in the United States, its Territories, and Canada.

It looks like that's a yes, then. I also see that the LSAC "Policies Related to Transcript Summarization" page (http://www.lsac.org/policies/transcript ... zation.asp) talks about US/Canadian transcripts.... Hm....

EDIT EDIT:
http://www.kwantlen.ca

Offers A+ for any grade above an 89. Credits at $500 CAD = $488 each. Full online classes available. Also awards (as far as I can tell) credits for placement tests. I think this might be just the ticket.

is it just me or does the entire CC A+ thing seem SUPER disingenuous? also if it were that seamless wouldn't more people be doing it?