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So I have a question about my undergrad GPA. While in undergrad, I worked one full time job and 2 part time jobs just so I wouldn't have to take any debt out. At the time, I valued work over school. I ended up with a 3.5 GPA. I later went on to grad school and have a 3.95 GPA, but I know graduate GPA's don't matter pretty much at all.

I'm wondering if I were to take a few classes at the community college to raise my GPA (and in something that would likely help me in the long run) if there would be computed into my undergrad GPA according to LSAC. If that is the case, and I could even raise my GPA to a 3.7 or 3.8, I feel I would be much more competitive and wouldn't be near anyone's GPA floor so to speak.

Does anyone have any advice about this, or should I just focus more on rocking out the LSAT?

Thanks in advance for all the help.

In computing your uGPA, LSAC only counts classes taken before your first bachelor's degree was granted. Your GPA is fixed. It's all about the LSAT.

Ti Malice wrote:In computing your uGPA, LSAC only counts classes taken before your first bachelor's degree was granted. Your GPA is fixed. It's all about the LSAT.

Figured as much. Just wish my graduate gpa counted. urghghghghgh. Thanks though.

Ti Malice wrote:In computing your uGPA, LSAC only counts classes taken before your first bachelor's degree was granted. Your GPA is fixed. It's all about the LSAT.

I would like to concur with the "ughhh". Is this really a hard and fast rule? I've been out of undergrad for 13 years, and was planning on going back to a decent state university to pickup an economics degree while my wife finishes her undergrad. The timing is right (meaning I'm not going anywhere until she's finished, so why not?), and my motivation is in large part due to my interest in the field and my desire to study law with an economics emphasis. However, I was also counting on that 4.0 I'm confident I'll earn boosting the 3.35 I just can't seem to shake. So what's the consensus? Even after more than a decade, a second undergrad major will be completely gainless?

For your LSAC GPA yes it is completely gainless. It 100% doesn't count after your first degree. Moreso the problem with taking more college classes is you're paying a lot of money for diminishing returns on an assumption that you'll make a 4.0. Where as you can spend a lot less money on LSAT prep and boost your score there and get higher rewards.

For the OP, since I kinda know your situation. Have you thought about a duel degree program?

wannabelawstudent wrote:For your LSAC GPA yes it is completely gainless. It 100% doesn't count after your first degree. Moreso the problem with taking more college classes is you're paying a lot of money for diminishing returns on an assumption that you'll make a 4.0. Where as you can spend a lot less money on LSAT prep and boost your score there and get higher rewards.

For the OP, since I kinda know your situation. Have you thought about a duel degree program?

Yes, and that is what I will be applying for, however just thought it would be nice to boost my undergrad GPA from a 3.5 to maybe a 3.7 while I pick up some classes that would be helpful to my own development in the long run at a very low cost. but if they won't count towards the GPA at all, you're totally correct in that I will have a 3.5 and hopefully a badass LSAT score. Just wondering what T14 that rules me out of.

arkgawilson wrote: Just wondering what T14 that rules me out of.

Just really depends on the LSAT. HYS is probably out of the running, but CCN could be a possibility. Plus I have no idea if/how much a dual degree would help your chances. Spending a year or two of time and money on tuition to maybe boost your gpa .2 is not worth it imo.

johmica wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:In computing your uGPA, LSAC only counts classes taken before your first bachelor's degree was granted. Your GPA is fixed. It's all about the LSAT.

I would like to concur with the "ughhh". Is this really a hard and fast rule? I've been out of undergrad for 13 years, and was planning on going back to a decent state university to pickup an economics degree while my wife finishes her undergrad. The timing is right (meaning I'm not going anywhere until she's finished, so why not?), and my motivation is in large part due to my interest in the field and my desire to study law with an economics emphasis. However, I was also counting on that 4.0 I'm confident I'll earn boosting the 3.35 I just can't seem to shake. So what's the consensus? Even after more than a decade, a second undergrad major will be completely gainless?

To the extent that law schools look at softs (which isn't much), the age of a GPA can make a difference, especially if you can show later academic achievement - anecdotally, sometimes schools are a little kinder to ancient GPAs. (I don't know specifically which schools do this, and it may just be that they're splitter-friendly schools, but I hear anecdotes that it may happen.) But the problem is that the LSAC-calculated GPA is the GPA that schools report to USNWR, to determine the almighty rankings, so that's why schools only care about that. If you really want to take some courses anyway, doing really well won't hurt, in that it can help you make an argument that you've matured/grown/are really an amazing student now/ignore that GPA in the corner. But it's totally not worth it for boosting the GPA, since it won't. If you're going to do it anyway, you can spin it in a positive manner, but like everyone's said, it's not going to change the numbers.

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

johmica wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:In computing your uGPA, LSAC only counts classes taken before your first bachelor's degree was granted. Your GPA is fixed. It's all about the LSAT.

I would like to concur with the "ughhh". Is this really a hard and fast rule? I've been out of undergrad for 13 years, and was planning on going back to a decent state university to pickup an economics degree while my wife finishes her undergrad. The timing is right (meaning I'm not going anywhere until she's finished, so why not?), and my motivation is in large part due to my interest in the field and my desire to study law with an economics emphasis. However, I was also counting on that 4.0 I'm confident I'll earn boosting the 3.35 I just can't seem to shake. So what's the consensus? Even after more than a decade, a second undergrad major will be completely gainless?

To the extent that law schools look at softs (which isn't much), the age of a GPA can make a difference, especially if you can show later academic achievement - anecdotally, sometimes schools are a little kinder to ancient GPAs. (I don't know specifically which schools do this, and it may just be that they're splitter-friendly schools, but I hear anecdotes that it may happen.) But the problem is that the LSAC-calculated GPA is the GPA that schools report to USNWR, to determine the almighty rankings, so that's why schools only care about that. If you really want to take some courses anyway, doing really well won't hurt, in that it can help you make an argument that you've matured/grown/are really an amazing student now/ignore that GPA in the corner. But it's totally not worth it for boosting the GPA, since it won't. If you're going to do it anyway, you can spin it in a positive manner, but like everyone's said, it's not going to change the numbers.

Thanks, that's really helpful. I think if anything perhaps my 3.95 graduate GPA in a doc program might lend itself more in that manner, I had just seen a good deal of hype discussed on this thread about undergrad GPA and grad GPA's being relatively worthless. I will just have to boost the LSAT score and compensate that way, and utilize my softs the best way that I can. Thanks for the help. As for the dual degree, I plan to apply to 4 dual degree PhD/JD programs, with my remaining applications strictly in law. It's a long story with my background so I will spare you, but I appreciate the help. Many thanks.

arkgawilson wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

johmica wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:In computing your uGPA, LSAC only counts classes taken before your first bachelor's degree was granted. Your GPA is fixed. It's all about the LSAT.

I would like to concur with the "ughhh". Is this really a hard and fast rule? I've been out of undergrad for 13 years, and was planning on going back to a decent state university to pickup an economics degree while my wife finishes her undergrad. The timing is right (meaning I'm not going anywhere until she's finished, so why not?), and my motivation is in large part due to my interest in the field and my desire to study law with an economics emphasis. However, I was also counting on that 4.0 I'm confident I'll earn boosting the 3.35 I just can't seem to shake. So what's the consensus? Even after more than a decade, a second undergrad major will be completely gainless?

To the extent that law schools look at softs (which isn't much), the age of a GPA can make a difference, especially if you can show later academic achievement - anecdotally, sometimes schools are a little kinder to ancient GPAs. (I don't know specifically which schools do this, and it may just be that they're splitter-friendly schools, but I hear anecdotes that it may happen.) But the problem is that the LSAC-calculated GPA is the GPA that schools report to USNWR, to determine the almighty rankings, so that's why schools only care about that. If you really want to take some courses anyway, doing really well won't hurt, in that it can help you make an argument that you've matured/grown/are really an amazing student now/ignore that GPA in the corner. But it's totally not worth it for boosting the GPA, since it won't. If you're going to do it anyway, you can spin it in a positive manner, but like everyone's said, it's not going to change the numbers.

Thanks, that's really helpful. I think if anything perhaps my 3.95 graduate GPA in a doc program might lend itself more in that manner, I had just seen a good deal of hype discussed on this thread about undergrad GPA and grad GPA's being relatively worthless. I will just have to boost the LSAT score and compensate that way, and utilize my softs the best way that I can. Thanks for the help. As for the dual degree, I plan to apply to 4 dual degree PhD/JD programs, with my remaining applications strictly in law. It's a long story with my background so I will spare you, but I appreciate the help. Many thanks.

No problem. And don't get me wrong - grad GPAs really are fairly worthless. But to the extent that in your softs, you want to distance yourself from an earlier, weaker GPA, a more recent, stronger GPA can help - at least when you say, my UGPA doesn't reflect my true abilities, you have something specific to point to. The flip side of that, though, is a perception that grad GPAs tend to be inflated (which is my experience) - I was more responding to johmica who was thinking about doing a second BA. Anyway, good luck!

]
No problem. And don't get me wrong - grad GPAs really are fairly worthless. But to the extent that in your softs, you want to distance yourself from an earlier, weaker GPA, a more recent, stronger GPA can help - at least when you say, my UGPA doesn't reflect my true abilities, you have something specific to point to. The flip side of that, though, is a perception that grad GPAs tend to be inflated (which is my experience) - I was more responding to johmica who was thinking about doing a second BA. Anyway, good luck![/quote]

Thanks! It's nice to see at TLS poster not just say RETAKE.