LSAC GPA Addendum Question Forum

[lowdmouse]

Planning to apply next cycle. My UGPA as calculated by my university is around 3.8 (almost all A's and A minuses), but when I include the community college classes I took in high school (one C, three B's, no classes directly related to my major), it drops to around 3.6. I'm shooting for T14, should I include an addendum highlighting my university calculated GPA?

PS, if it helps, my LSAT diagnostic score was 168, I will be studying all semester for June test date.

[TripTrip]

Planning to apply next cycle. My UGPA as calculated by my university is around 3.8 (almost all A's and A minuses), but when I include the community college classes I took in high school (one C, three B's, no classes directly related to my major), it drops to around 3.6. I'm shooting for T14, should I include an addendum highlighting my university calculated GPA?

PS, if it helps, my LSAT diagnostic score was 168, I will be studying all semester for June test date.

Is there a reason for your lower GPA in community college? (Besides "I was in highschool.")

[toothbrush]

Hi

First of all, remember that an addendum is not to make up for or make an adcom disregard the info, but to merely shed light on WHY you had x grade.

With that said, an addendum may not even be read and is not a magic bullet.

However, I was/am in the same situation. Took a college program in high school and got a 3.4 cum. Then went to undergrad and banged out a 3.95. LSAC = 3.75. FML ?

Meh, c'est la vie. I was concerned about this and asked the adcom at CLS about this and she advised to 100000% definitely write an addendum about it. At least to her, and CLS, she said she sees this a lot and it does make a difference to make note. Even if the reason is "naiveté" she said you can word it along the lines of "you were an ambitious youth who pursued difficult courses in addition to your regular requirements in order to expand your intellect, push yourself through varying challenges, and explore interests."

I hope that helps.

[lowdmouse]

In high school I was torn between political science/law and biology/medicine so I enrolled in an advanced math/science program. Part of the program basically required that I took dual enrollment physics (the other option was environmental science, which had the reputation of being coma enducingly easy). The C was in Physics 243 at my community college, which my University took as transfer credit for Physics 105. After APUSH and AP Government as well as my freshman political science courses, I decided on law.

I know the addendum is more to explain extraordinary circumstances affecting grades, but can't I make the argument that my 3.8 GPA or my 3.9 major GPA is a more accurate indicator of my LS potential than the 3.6? Is there any way that an addendum could hurt me?

Edit: Toothbrush, thanks for the adcomm tip, that helps.

[toothbrush]

Simply put, yes you can make that argument. Say you we're exploring varying interests and expanding horizons. After your path narrowed onto law in UG and you were in the university setting you excelled and your last 6 semesters (near 4.0) are 100% reflective of your ability to succeed in law school.


I also took physics 1 and 2 and calc 1 and 2 and got a c , c+ , b+ and b respectively. Fucking sciences and math kill me.