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My stats: 2.37 gpa / Took LSAT 3 times....first score: 168, second score: 172 and third score: 176 LSAT score

took me, 7.5 years to get through undergrad. I have many, many (non gpa counting) Ws and I dont have a good reason for them, other than financial problems and needing the money back and working in addition to school.


With a 2.37 (bad) gpa and 176 score, I am hoping the 176 can forgive a variety of sins, such as multiple Ws for semesters, taking a long time to graduate and a sucky gpa.

I know a 176 can break a Top 30 with a horrible gpa, but many semesters of Ws are going to make me underperform my numbers i am afraid.

2 questions........1). I dont want to take years off to seperate myself from the gpa as I am up in my 20s and want to apply Fall 2014. What schools would accept with 176/2.37?

2). Has anyone on here had 25 or more Ws and it didnt affect your cycle?

You still have a shot at Northwestern, especially because you were working full time during random periods before getting your degree. Just apply everywhere from NU on down, and put together an addendum explaining your spotty transcript.

Consider Georgetown's part-time program for a shot at the T14. They will sometimes take a chance on extreme splitters. I had 2.5/172 and it worked for me. (I only had 1 or 2 W's, though.)

Follow Tiago's advice. Also, a lot of schools will waitlist you; ride those waitlists HARD.

Whee you say no good reason do you mean you were a drunk, or just struggling to support yourself (& others?)? Because struggling to support yourself just might be a good reason.

seems like you could weave a good story around it. How were your non-W grades?

TigerDude wrote:Whee you say no good reason do you mean you were a drunk, or just struggling to support yourself (& others?)? Because struggling to support yourself just might be a good reason.

seems like you could weave a good story around it. How were your non-W grades?

Thanks for the replies everyone. No, it wasnt from being drunk or a slacker, I meant no good reason for the low gpa in terms of no academic hardship, illness, a learning disability, it was having to support myself and needing to withdrawal for financial reasons.

I noticed that I didnt mention above that I havent yet graduated. The 2.37 LSAC gpa is the prior semesters, so I still have Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Summer 2014 until I graduate. This is about 45 more credit hours which could potentially raise the gpa to a 2.55. Still, not anything significant.

But this Fall 2013 semester I am getting all A's, so I am trying to get all A's until Summer 2014, hoping a 3 semester all A's trend will offset several semesters of many Ws. And I have a 176 LSAT. It still feels like even a small 3 semester upward A trend wont outweigh a messy transcript. I meant to say above it will take me 7.5 years to get through undergrad, not took me 7.5 years, sorry for the typos.

The upward trend should help a little bit but it won't be a game changer. Are you sure you can only get your GPA up to a 2.55? You should do everything you can to get some of those punitive withdrawals (or F's) retroactively changed to non-punitive. Also, at least wait until after you graduate to apply so that you can get as many A's as possible, and in the meantime add some easy A's (or ideally A+'s) to your schedule to keep beefing up that GPA.

Thanks for all the help ....

Do you think the 2.37 LSAC gpa at this point (with potential to raise to 2.55 gpa) and the 176 LSAT score, will lead to acceptance at the Top 30 or Top 50? I keep thinking of what a mess of a transcript I have, but then I keep thinking there will be schools that will want the 176 bad enough too.

hopeful4lawschool wrote:Thanks for all the help ....

Do you think the 2.37 LSAC gpa at this point (with potential to raise to 2.55 gpa) and the 176 LSAT score, will lead to acceptance at the Top 30 or Top 50? I keep thinking of what a mess of a transcript I have, but then I keep thinking there will be schools that will want the 176 bad enough too.

Last cycle: GPA 2-2.6/LSAT 170+



Included in there is a 2.2/172 and a 2.2/173. You might have to sit on the waitlist for a while, but you should be fine.

WUSTL might give you $$$.

hopeful4lawschool wrote:

TigerDude wrote:Whee you say no good reason do you mean you were a drunk, or just struggling to support yourself (& others?)? Because struggling to support yourself just might be a good reason.

seems like you could weave a good story around it. How were your non-W grades?

Thanks for the replies everyone. No, it wasnt from being drunk or a slacker, I meant no good reason for the low gpa in terms of no academic hardship, illness, a learning disability, it was having to support myself and needing to withdrawal for financial reasons.

I noticed that I didnt mention above that I havent yet graduated. The 2.37 LSAC gpa is the prior semesters, so I still have Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Summer 2014 until I graduate. This is about 45 more credit hours which could potentially raise the gpa to a 2.55. Still, not anything significant.

But this Fall 2013 semester I am getting all A's, so I am trying to get all A's until Summer 2014, hoping a 3 semester all A's trend will offset several semesters of many Ws. And I have a 176 LSAT. It still feels like even a small 3 semester upward A trend wont outweigh a messy transcript. I meant to say above it will take me 7.5 years to get through undergrad, not took me 7.5 years, sorry for the typos.

Turn that experience to an amazing PS and you might even get NU ED (assuming you have strong work experience).

hcrimson2014 wrote:

hopeful4lawschool wrote:

TigerDude wrote:Whee you say no good reason do you mean you were a drunk, or just struggling to support yourself (& others?)? Because struggling to support yourself just might be a good reason.

seems like you could weave a good story around it. How were your non-W grades?

Thanks for the replies everyone. No, it wasnt from being drunk or a slacker, I meant no good reason for the low gpa in terms of no academic hardship, illness, a learning disability, it was having to support myself and needing to withdrawal for financial reasons.

I noticed that I didnt mention above that I havent yet graduated. The 2.37 LSAC gpa is the prior semesters, so I still have Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Summer 2014 until I graduate. This is about 45 more credit hours which could potentially raise the gpa to a 2.55. Still, not anything significant.

But this Fall 2013 semester I am getting all A's, so I am trying to get all A's until Summer 2014, hoping a 3 semester all A's trend will offset several semesters of many Ws. And I have a 176 LSAT. It still feels like even a small 3 semester upward A trend wont outweigh a messy transcript. I meant to say above it will take me 7.5 years to get through undergrad, not took me 7.5 years, sorry for the typos.

Turn that experience to an amazing PS and you might even get NU ED (assuming you have strong work experience).

No, not ED. No way is a sub-3.0 getting a near full ride.

hi-- I'm sort of in the same boat as you. If you feel comfortable, can you share what path you've taken since this original post?

pecanmomo wrote:hi-- I'm sort of in the same boat as you. If you feel comfortable, can you share what path you've taken since this original post?

I'm not the OP. How close are you to being in the same position? Have you (i) still got time left before graduation, and (ii) Taken the LSAT and scored in the 99th percentile?