GPA: Is it really about the number? Forum

[Darmody]

Do law schools only care about the final number or are the courses taken into account? For example, if someone pads their GPA with bunch of easy electives, music courses, art, etc..., will law school admissions take this account and recalculate? Or let's say someone majored in physics and had a 3.7 compared to a sociology major with a 3.8, will his chances be hurt? (not trying to say one major is harder, just an example)

[WhiskeynCoke]

They only care about the number, as calculated by LSAC. There are no medians for "majors." However, the other shit could potentially come into play as a "tie-breaker," though its unlikely.

[dingbat]

There's an AdCom who posts on here and confirmed for the vast majority of candidates it's just about the number

[Darmody]

Well, I guess it's time to start padding....

[soccerfreak]

Do law schools only care about the final number or are the courses taken into account? For example, if someone pads their GPA with bunch of easy electives, music courses, art, etc..., will law school admissions take this account and recalculate? Or let's say someone majored in physics and had a 3.7 compared to a sociology major with a 3.8, will his chances be hurt? (not trying to say one major is harder, just an example)

Well one of those majors is definitely harder (physics major here), but others are correct: number's all that matters, no bump whatsoever for difficulty.

[jrsbaseball5]

Not trying to steal OP's thread, but do you think if you have a really high GPA in a tough major that can be seen as a positive or will it make no difference at all?

[kalvano]

Not trying to steal OP's thread, but do you think if you have a really high GPA in a tough major that can be seen as a positive or will it make no difference at all?

If you have a really high GPA, why do you care? Or do you mean relative to everyone else with that major? If you have a 3.3 in a major where everyone generally has a 2.5, you still have a 3.3 for admissions purposes.

[twenty]

The real irony is that "you" somehow get a minor boost applying from somewhere like HYPS -- places fairly well known for massive grade inflation.

[jrsbaseball5]

Not trying to steal OP's thread, but do you think if you have a really high GPA in a tough major that can be seen as a positive or will it make no difference at all?

If you have a really high GPA, why do you care? Or do you mean relative to everyone else with that major? If you have a 3.3 in a major where everyone generally has a 2.5, you still have a 3.3 for admissions purposes.

That's a good point. Lets say that you are a 3.9 in chemistry and your competing with a 3.9 in sociology. Does the chemistry major win the tie-breaker because they have the tougher major?

[goldenflash19]

That's a good point. Lets say that you are a 3.9 in chemistry and your competing with a 3.9 in sociology. Does the chemistry major win the tie-breaker because they have the tougher major?

Assuming the two have the same LSAT as well, my guess would be that the major could be one of many possible "soft" tie breakers alongside personal statements, LORs, WE, other softs, etc. It's tough to quantify how much of an impact it would have, but it seems pretty clear that, in the big scheme of things, one's major plays a really small role in the admissions process.

[The Brainalist]

Berkeley used to do weighting based on UG school as a policy. E.g., http://home.sandiego.edu/~e_cook/vault/ ... aw-99.html
While the link suggests it stopped around 1999, I thought I had seen something similar in later years. It could be that the rankings game has finally provided enough of a disincentive, but I think I've seen lists of undergraduate schools represented at Berkeley, and it seemed to me that you are still probably out of luck if you went to a CSU rather than a UC.

[dingbat]

The real irony is that "you" somehow get a minor boost applying from somewhere like HYPS -- places fairly well known for massive grade inflation.

P is actually fairly well known for fighting grade inflation

[Nova]

Yes, its really about the number.

Basket weaver above median >>>>> supposed difficult major below median

[Tiago Splitter]

Well, I guess it's time to start padding....

I think this was said somewhat tongue in cheek, but college students considering law school need to take it seriously. You don't have to drop your toughest classes if they interest you (although you might consider it) but mix in plenty of easy ones, get A+'s where you can, and load up on community college credits over the summer.

[dproduct]

Yes, its really about the number.

Basket weaver above median >>>>> supposed difficult major below median

[NoodleyOne]

Well, I guess it's time to start padding....

I think this was said somewhat tongue in cheek, but college students considering law school need to take it seriously. You don't have to drop your toughest classes if they interest you (although you might consider it) but mix in plenty of easy ones, get A+'s where you can, and load up on community college credits over the summer.

I honestly do think A+s are kind of bullshit, coming from a University that doesn't have them on the grading scale. Seriously, that severely disadvantages those who go to schools that don't offer A+s.

[jrsbaseball5]

That's a good point. Lets say that you are a 3.9 in chemistry and your competing with a 3.9 in sociology. Does the chemistry major win the tie-breaker because they have the tougher major?

Assuming the two have the same LSAT as well, my guess would be that the major could be one of many possible "soft" tie breakers alongside personal statements, LORs, WE, other softs, etc. It's tough to quantify how much of an impact it would have, but it seems pretty clear that, in the big scheme of things, one's major plays a really small role in the admissions process.

That seems right to me. I could see it playing a role in rounding out a class as well so a school can say it has X amount of hard sciences majors, X amount of liberal arts majors etc. Probably not a huge factor, but could help in creating a more diverse class.

[Darmody]

Well, I guess it's time to start padding....

I think this was said somewhat tongue in cheek, but college students considering law school need to take it seriously. You don't have to drop your toughest classes if they interest you (although you might consider it) but mix in plenty of easy ones, get A+'s where you can, and load up on community college credits over the summer.

I honestly do think A+s are kind of bullshit, coming from a University that doesn't have them on the grading scale. Seriously, that severely disadvantages those who go to schools that don't offer A+s.

They don't take into account that some schools give out A+s? Oh god, what kind of a fair system is this? Couple A+s here and there skews the GPA so much. Completely unfair to those of us whose schools don't offer it.

[BlueDiamond]

Well, I guess it's time to start padding....

I think this was said somewhat tongue in cheek, but college students considering law school need to take it seriously. You don't have to drop your toughest classes if they interest you (although you might consider it) but mix in plenty of easy ones, get A+'s where you can, and load up on community college credits over the summer.

I honestly do think A+s are kind of bullshit, coming from a University that doesn't have them on the grading scale. Seriously, that severely disadvantages those who go to schools that don't offer A+s.

They don't take into account that some schools give out A+s? Oh god, what kind of a fair system is this? Couple A+s here and there skews the GPA so much. Completely unfair to those of us whose schools don't offer it.

#OnePercentProblems