When do I do CAS? Forum

[wunderkind2]

When is the earliest I can do Credit Assembly Service? If I was taking a summer class the summer before I'm applying to law school, would that grade (if rendered in August) have to be included in my LSAC GPA? Would schools request the grade?

[Rigo]

You can do CAS and apply before you have all your grades in.
I'm unclear on your time frame. Are you taking a class the summer of 2015 and starting law that fall or are you taking a class summer of 2015 and starting law school Fall 2016?
Either way, it won't matter so long as you graduate before you start law school. And if you're taking this class after your undergrad degree has been conferred, then it doesn't count towards your LSDAS GPA anyways.

[JFO1833]

You can sign up for CAS (Credential Assembly Service) at any time, I believe LSAC will start processing transcripts before you've paid for it but won't send any reports until payment for CAS has come in.

If you've received a bachelors degree before taking the class then the class won't count towards your LSAC GPA but you still must provide the transcript to LSAC (LSAC considers anything after a BA graduate work even if the classes are actually undergraduate classes). In any case, I would suggest requesting the transcript as soon as you get your grade for the class. I had to request transcripts from two colleges in addition to the one that provided my BA and both took a lot more time to acquire than I expected (one had a hold for an unpaid fee that should not have been on my account and it took time to get it removed and the other had to send the transcript multiple times for some reason).

Until all your transcripts are in LSAC will not produce a transcript summary and will not provide your law school report to schools.

[wunderkind2]

I think you're both misunderstanding. Let's say I like my GPA going into the summer of 2016 and want that GPA to be the one sent to law schools. I then take a challenging course during the summer for which I receive a grade that would lower my GPA. Can I get my LSAC GPA calculated prior to a grade being rendered for that summer course? Assume I'd be applying in the Fall 2015 cycle (with my Bachelor's set to be finished in May 2016) and matriculating in Fall 2016.

[Rigo]

Ahh I see. I guess you could do it during the summer yet before you receive the grade for your course.
Even if you get a medicore grade in your summer course, it won't kill your GPA. If you're a borderline applicant, law schools may request your summer and fall grades, so definitely do your best.