Top Law Schools

i'm sorry for creating another thread today, but i had a different question.

in admission eyes, is there a major difference between a GPA that is in the 3.4 range? I.e: 3.41 vs. 3.48? I know for the LSAT, a difference between 169 and 170 can be huge. does a similar principle apply for GPA?

more specifically, my GPA is between 3.41-3.42 and i can increase it to a higher 3.4xx with summer classes. but either way, I would be below the 25th GPA percentile for NYU, UVA, or Penn ED. so i want to focus on LSAT and get above the 75th percentile at these schools so I have a shot at them for ED.

is this an advisable strategy? and with my given GPA and with a LSAT score above the 75th percentile at these schools, do I have a chance at any of them for ED? (i'm in-state for UVA)

http://mylsn.info/kkatp1/
^shows hope but very small sample sizes. so looking for more general advise

It'll all depend on schools medians and whether you're above or below. And by medians, I was being inclusive of 25ths too.

Bajam wrote:It'll all depend on schools medians and whether you're above or below. And by medians, I was being inclusive of 25ths too.

sorry, but can you explain what you mean?

what would it take to get to 3.5? that is the obvious correlation to the 169/170 thing although it's probably more like 159/160. You are correct that a >75th LSAT is going to be your only ticket into the schools you're talking about.

i can easily get a 3.5 if i include my senior year grades and decide not to be a k-jd.

does "how much" over the 75th percentile make a difference?

cavalier2015 wrote:

Bajam wrote:It'll all depend on schools medians and whether you're above or below. And by medians, I was being inclusive of 25ths too.

sorry, but can you explain what you mean?

What I meant was that if your gpa, (using your example) regardless of whether it's a 3.41 or 3.48, if both of those gpas are under a schools 25th, then essentially you won't be helping any of their medians. Thus though a 3.48 might be .07 higher than 3.41, schools may not view your file as any better the first time around.

Don't take this as 100% though, because I mean if there's some applicant relatively the same as you, but the only difference is that your gpa is a tad bit higher, you might have the edge.

cavalier2015 wrote:i can easily get a 3.5 if i include my senior year grades and decide not to be a k-jd.

does "how much" over the 75th percentile make a difference?

it does for scholarships

cavalier2015 wrote:i can easily get a 3.5 if i include my senior year grades and decide not to be a k-jd.

does "how much" over the 75th percentile make a difference?

3.5 + not a k-jd, I see no reason to not go that route.

Nonconsecutive wrote:

cavalier2015 wrote:i can easily get a 3.5 if i include my senior year grades and decide not to be a k-jd.

does "how much" over the 75th percentile make a difference?

3.5 + not a k-jd, I see no reason to not go that route.

+1

notalobbyist wrote:

Nonconsecutive wrote:

cavalier2015 wrote:i can easily get a 3.5 if i include my senior year grades and decide not to be a k-jd.

does "how much" over the 75th percentile make a difference?

3.5 + not a k-jd, I see no reason to not go that route.

+1

Agree. My anecdote is worth repeating: People with my LSAT and a 3.5+ were getting 50k at NYU during my cycle, but with my 3.49 I got nothing. Do well your senior year and get a year of work experience and Harvard becomes a legitimate possibility.

Don't ED NYU. AFAIK the boost is negligible, it reduces the chance you get aid, and you lose the ability to weigh offers. I applied ED to NYU with a 3.42/179; I was kicking myself when I got $0 and I saw others get generous awards elsewhere in the T14 (mercifully, I actually ended up getting a great award when all was said and done, but that's super rare and I was very fortunate).