Top Law Schools

I am going to enter my senior year of undergrad, have completed 6 semesters. My first 3 semesters I was always around the 3.0 mark (sometimes slightly higher), but from there my GPA the last 3 semester has been around the 3.75 area, but my overall is still 3.45. Will law schools look at my improvement and see that I have been doing a lot better than my average suggests and will that mean I could potentially go somewhere better than TLS stats using my average are suggesting?

mermaidprincess92 wrote:I am going to enter my senior year of undergrad, have completed 6 semesters. My first 3 semesters I was always around the 3.0 mark (sometimes slightly higher), but from there my GPA the last 3 semester has been around the 3.75 area, but my overall is still 3.45. Will law schools look at my improvement and see that I have been doing a lot better than my average suggests and will that mean I could potentially go somewhere better than TLS stats using my average are suggesting?

Best bet is to add an addendum talking about it, especially if you have a good reason. As a whole, they probably won't care much cuz they just care about overall GPA numbers, but can't hurt to include an addendum trying to makes the best of the situation.

Include the addenda. Make it mature and take responsibility. Don't shift blame and come off juvenile.

I had a similar run to yours but without a senior year. First three semesters 3.0 last three 3.7. My cycle turned out better than my numbers would have suggested.

Has anyone had experience writing an addendum? I don't have any incredible reason (no deaths around me etc) for the low start to my college GPA. I moved across the country for college and just had a hard time adapting to a new atmosphere and being on my own, not sure that's a legitimate reason for an addenda.

mermaidprincess92 wrote:Has anyone had experience writing an addenda? I don't have any incredible reason (no deaths around me etc) for the low start to my college GPA. I moved across the country for college and just had a hard time adapting to a new atmosphere and being on my own, not sure that's a legitimate reason for an addenda.

Use that as a basis, and what Tekrul said as well. No need to make it an essay, just be honest and explain it. They read plenty of BS in applications, don't add to their burden.

Also, I'm sure there is plenty of people on here who have done this in the past and talk about it here...try using the search bar for the forums to find a similar post.

Generally, only write an addendum if you can write a "good" addendum. Concise, with a good reason, etc. The reality of the situation is an upward trend is better than nothing, but your GPA is worlds more important than your trend, and no one should get their hopes too high that they will significantly outperform their numbers. Also, destroy the LSAT, it means more than all of this stuff.
Also, just to clarify, an addendum is singular, addenda is plural.

You're getting some bad advice here. This is not an addendum-worthy situation at all. If you don't have a compelling reason (major medical problem, death of immediate family member, and the like), don't write an addendum. Thousands of applicants had the same problem you did for the same reasons.

Your upward trend is unlikely to help you much, if at all, since overall GPA is the only thing that counts for USNWR rankings. You can probably view it as the equivalent of a very weak (but still positive) soft.

Post removed.

I am in a similar situation, however, I am going to end up a splitter because my initial gpa was so low that even the great grades I got later did not help enough. Would it be advisable to write an addendum if the reason why my grades improved was that I changed my major from engineering to something more suited to my strengths?

ihill wrote:I am in a similar situation, however, I am going to end up a splitter because my initial gpa was so low that even the great grades I got later did not help enough. Would it be advisable to write an addendum if the reason why my grades improved was that I changed my major from engineering to something more suited to my strengths?

numbers before and after trend?

PourMeTea wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:You're getting some bad advice here. This is not an addendum-worthy situation at all. If you don't have a compelling reason (major medical problem, death of immediate family member, and the like), don't write an addendum. Thousands of applicants had the same problem you did for the same reasons.

Your upward trend is unlikely to help you much, if at all, since overall GPA is the only thing that counts for USNWR rankings. You can probably view it as the equivalent of a very weak (but still positive) soft.

I agree- don't write an addendum for this. AdComms have said that barring certain situations, upward trends speak for themselves.

+2

Dont write it

adcoms won't care

Just get that high LSAT score

Don't write the addendum

Your reason is not compelling

Get a good LSAT

Nova wrote:

ihill wrote:I am in a similar situation, however, I am going to end up a splitter because my initial gpa was so low that even the great grades I got later did not help enough. Would it be advisable to write an addendum if the reason why my grades improved was that I changed my major from engineering to something more suited to my strengths?

numbers before and after trend?

about a 2.2 before the trend and will most likely finish with about a 3.2/3.25. at a 3.0 right now.

So you are nearly 4.0ing it now? whats your GPA since you chaged majors and how long ago was that?

Nova wrote:So you are nearly 4.0ing it now? whats your GPA since you chaged majors and how long ago was that?

everytime i look at your new avatar, i see Eve. I guess cause of her brown hair.

ihill wrote:Would it be advisable to write an addendum if the reason why my grades improved was that I changed my major from engineering to something more suited to my strengths?

What's the new major? It's almost guaranteed to be easier than engineering, making the supposed explanation not that you have something more suited to your strengths, but something that's just easier. If you're still in a hard science, it might work out; if you've moved to some type of Arts/Humanities major, it will probably fall on deaf ears.

Dr. Dre wrote:

Nova wrote:So you are nearly 4.0ing it now? whats your GPA since you chaged majors and how long ago was that?

everytime i look at your new avatar, i see Eve. I guess cause of her brown hair.

bp shinners wrote:

ihill wrote:Would it be advisable to write an addendum if the reason why my grades improved was that I changed my major from engineering to something more suited to my strengths?

What's the new major? It's almost guaranteed to be easier than engineering, making the supposed explanation not that you have something more suited to your strengths, but something that's just easier. If you're still in a hard science, it might work out; if you've moved to some type of Arts/Humanities major, it will probably fall on deaf ears.

It's not technically a hard science - I'm studying Cognitive Science - but it is probably the most difficult non math/science major as required courses include computer science classes. Also, I think there is some merit to the argument that some people are more suited to certain fields. I know people who excel at math/science but who can't write to save their life.

Nova wrote:So you are nearly 4.0ing it now? whats your GPA since you chaged majors and how long ago was that?

I have a 3.0 now and changed majors in my 4th semester. Starting my 7th semester in the fall.

Hey, I'm sorry for hijacking your thread, but since we have essentially the same question (w.o the major change) I didn't see the reason for making a new thread.

basically I am a rising junior and my GPA my freshman year was pretty low (mainly because of a D in pre-calc and a C in calc 2). It was a 3.28. (I've always had problems with math). But now that I'm finished with all my math classes my GPA has been more indicative of my ability. summed up, these are my GPA's per semester.

Freshman year 1 - 3.22
Freshman year 2 - 3.34
Sophomore year 1 - 3.838
sophomore year 2 - 4.0
Overall it is a 3.57. (that's sure to rise over the next year)

I am confident that I can maintain close to a 4.0 for the next year (as ill be applying the start of my senior year, senior grades shouldn't matter as much unless I decide to postpone going to Law School), will Law schools view this as more than what my overall would be (I know conventional TLS wisdom is that they wont, but I have a small case of special snowflake syndrome, and my 3.8-4.0 is much more indicative of my ability than my 3.2-3.3 my freshman year). any advice and thought are greatly appreciated!

Trends really do not matter unless maybe its a downward trend setting off red flags. The only GPA that matters is the final GPA calculated by LSAC.

gnomgnomuch wrote:Hey, I'm sorry for hijacking your thread, but since we have essentially the same question (w.o the major change) I didn't see the reason for making a new thread.

basically I am a rising junior and my GPA my freshman year was pretty low (mainly because of a D in pre-calc and a C in calc 2). It was a 3.28. (I've always had problems with math). But now that I'm finished with all my math classes my GPA has been more indicative of my ability. summed up, these are my GPA's per semester.

Freshman year 1 - 3.22
Freshman year 2 - 3.34
Sophomore year 1 - 3.838
sophomore year 2 - 4.0
Overall it is a 3.57. (that's sure to rise over the next year)

I am confident that I can maintain close to a 4.0 for the next year (as ill be applying the start of my senior year, senior grades shouldn't matter as much unless I decide to postpone going to Law School), will Law schools view this as more than what my overall would be (I know conventional TLS wisdom is that they wont, but I have a small case of special snowflake syndrome, and my 3.8-4.0 is much more indicative of my ability than my 3.2-3.3 my freshman year). any advice and thought are greatly appreciated!

Read the earlier responses here, they most likely won't care in the least bit about your trend. It's a minor trend at that.

PourMeTea wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:You're getting some bad advice here. This is not an addendum-worthy situation at all. If you don't have a compelling reason (major medical problem, death of immediate family member, and the like), don't write an addendum. Thousands of applicants had the same problem you did for the same reasons.

Your upward trend is unlikely to help you much, if at all, since overall GPA is the only thing that counts for USNWR rankings. You can probably view it as the equivalent of a very weak (but still positive) soft.

I agree- don't write an addendum for this. AdComms have said that barring certain situations, upward trends speak for themselves.

disagree with this advice. although the poster may be correct about what adcomms say (i'm not sure of this-i applied years ago) that doesn't mean you shouldn't write an addendum. the downside risk to writing one is that they'll be bored and ignore it, while the upside is that the explanation may resonate with them. nobody knows what goes on in the mind of an admissions officer, and each one is different. unless they've said explicitly that they'll hold it against you, there's little harm in writing one.

Post removed.

ihill wrote:It's not technically a hard science - I'm studying Cognitive Science - but it is probably the most difficult non math/science major as required courses include computer science classes. Also, I think there is some merit to the argument that some people are more suited to certain fields. I know people who excel at math/science but who can't write to save their life.

Completely agree with your last sentiment. But the more likely reason that someone did better in Communications than Engineering is that the latter is extremely hard. There's no addendum in the world that's going to convince someone otherwise, so it's risky to write it.

But Cognitive Science is in the same realm of difficulty as Engineering, I would say. So I wouldn't absolute not write the addendum, though I'm not sold on writing one yet either.