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For admission and scholarship purposes, how much of an advantage is it to have a GPA higher and significantly higher than a school's 75th percentile? Does an applicant with 4.17 GPA have a significant advantage over another with a 3.97 GPA? Or at a certain GPA, say 3.95, does an increase to 4.0 and higher only slightly benefit an applicant?


Thanks in advance for responses.

eagleslive wrote:For admission and scholarship purposes, how much of an advantage is it to have a GPA higher and significantly higher than a school's 75th percentile? Does an applicant with 4.17 GPA have a significant advantage over another with a 3.97 GPA? Or at a certain GPA, say 3.95, does an increase to 4.0 and higher only slightly benefit an applicant?


Thanks in advance for responses.

In for answers.

I don't need 2, 3, or 4 answers. Just 1 credited answer... please.

eagleslive wrote:I don't need 2, 3, or 4 answers. Just 1 credited answer... please.

No you don't have a significant advantage. Slight maybe.

I would think that once you're above a school's 75th there are rapidly diminishing returns.

You will get in everywhere you apply.

DELG wrote:You will get in everywhere you apply.

That's pretty impressive without an LSAT. I think OP should take the MCAT just to be safe.

amazing how GPAs can range from school to school. No (zero) students graduate from my university with over a 4.0. And yes A+'s are possible

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SnakySalmon wrote:once you're above a school's 75th there are rapidly diminishing returns.

and then negative because of YP. I was >4.0 and dinged at Penn WL at UVA. have fun

But really, who cares? Get the best GPA you can. Of course you want to aim for as many A+'s as possible, but don't freak out if your school doesn't give them.

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DELG wrote:You will get in everywhere you apply.

I was dinged by at least half the schools I applied to. But then, my LSAT was not commensurate with my 4.0.

I would imagine a 3.95 and a 4.17, for example, would have no real discernible difference in outcomes (all else equal).

ymmv wrote:

DELG wrote:You will get in everywhere you apply.

I was dinged by at least half the schools I applied to. But then, my LSAT was not commensurate with my 4.0.

I have a 4.0+ and 99th percentile LSAT and was WL at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and dinged at Yale.

If the 75th is 3.75 for example, a 3.77/173 and 4.1/173 are both over, but all else equal the latter will be more competitive at top schools, meaning the school in question may give them a bigger scholarship realizing that they're more likely than the other applicant to have better options. But in terms of the stats you've listed OP, I doubt there would be much of a difference if one at all.

Trying playing around with MYLSN as well.

JSWright101 wrote:

gatesome wrote:amazing how GPAs can range from school to school. No (zero) students graduate from my university with over a 4.0. And yes A+'s are possible

LSDAS GPA translates people's GPAs with A+s being credited above 4.0 for everyone (so people at your school can have LSDAS GPAs above a 4.0).

GPA buds

JSWright101 wrote:

gatesome wrote:amazing how GPAs can range from school to school. No (zero) students graduate from my university with over a 4.0. And yes A+'s are possible

LSDAS GPA translates people's GPAs with A+s being credited above 4.0 for everyone (so people at your school can have LSDAS GPAs above a 4.0).

I think you missed his point.

As for the OP: once you're past the 75th, the number itself probably doesn't mean much. What might matter (assuming you have an equally good LSAT and thus are competitive for the very top outcomes) is the overall strength of your academic record. GPA's an indicator of that, but it's not the only thing they'll look at at that level.

So if the question is "should I slack off and take easy classes in order to get my GPA from a 3.95 to a 4.10?", the answer is probably no. But if the higher GPA actually indicates a stronger record, that could make a difference on the margins when you're talking about those very top results.

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No, there's zero facial difference for admissions between 3.97 and 4.17, maybe unless upon closer inspection the 3.97 student has a bunch of A+'s in stupid classes to compensate for B+'s and the 4.17 was just all A's. But this is an extremely marginal distinction that only a few dipshits on YLS faculty review would even notice.

Trade 4.xx for 3.97 w/ extra points on the LSAT or a strong soft every time.

JSWright101 wrote:

midwest17 wrote:

JSWright101 wrote:

gatesome wrote:amazing how GPAs can range from school to school. No (zero) students graduate from my university with over a 4.0. And yes A+'s are possible

LSDAS GPA translates people's GPAs with A+s being credited above 4.0 for everyone (so people at your school can have LSDAS GPAs above a 4.0).

I think you missed his point.

As for the OP: once you're past the 75th, the number itself probably doesn't mean much. What might matter (assuming you have an equally good LSAT and thus are competitive for the very top outcomes) is the overall strength of your academic record. GPA's an indicator of that, but it's not the only thing they'll look at at that level.

So if the question is "should I slack off and take easy classes in order to get my GPA from a 3.95 to a 4.10?", the answer is probably no. But if the higher GPA actually indicates a stronger record, that could make a difference on the margins when you're talking about those very top results.

I don't think so. I mean I've never heard of an UG that gave credit for A+s (maybe they exist but then it's outside of my knowledge) even tho plenty give A+. The poster seemed to be confused how 4.0+ GPAs could exist and the answer is that they really don't but they do in LSDAS GPA tabulation.

There are definitely schools that give 4.33 for A+. His/her post is saying that even though it's possible, no one graduates with more than a 4.0. But whatever, it's not an important point.