Raisng my GPA from the gutter Forum

[MusicallyGinger]

Alright, i'm set to graduate in 2018 and I have a trash GPA. I'm an URM and I'm studying for the LSATs like crazy, my goal score is 178 b/c that would be the only thing to possibly squeeze by my gpa. I've been lurking here for a short time and I wanted to know what I could do to make my GPA exponentially shoot up. I've heard someone suggest dual degrees to pack my GPA, what are other things I could do?

[tzzzok]

Alright, i'm set to graduate in 2018 and I have a trash GPA. I'm an URM and I'm studying for the LSATs like crazy, my goal score is 178 b/c that would be the only thing to possibly squeeze by my gpa. I've been lurking here for a short time and I wanted to know what I could do to make my GPA exponentially shoot up. I've heard someone suggest dual degrees to pack my GPA, what are other things I could do?

Just how bad is your GPA, exactly? If you are sub 3.0, it may not hurt to delay graduation and take some CC classes.

[maybeman]

What's your GPA..

Shoot for but don't count on a 178 (unless you have an unstated diagnostic in the 170s). Take the easiest possible classes. Maybe use your CS degree to get a job that won't disappear in the next decade and will pay you a good amount. Even if you still want law school, work experience could help dull the effects of a terrible GPA a bit. Plus more time to study for the LSAT.

[MusicallyGinger]

Alright, i'm set to graduate in 2018 and I have a trash GPA. I'm an URM and I'm studying for the LSATs like crazy, my goal score is 178 b/c that would be the only thing to possibly squeeze by my gpa. I've been lurking here for a short time and I wanted to know what I could do to make my GPA exponentially shoot up. I've heard someone suggest dual degrees to pack my GPA, what are other things I could do?

Just how bad is your GPA, exactly? If you are sub 3.0, it may not hurt to delay graduation and take some CC classes.

So far entering my junior year

[+] Spoiler

sub 2.0

, I hit a major rough patch my first semester in freshman year and have been struggling to climb out that hole since. I've since reconciled with myself what to do to be better, but I can't take back the first 2 years.

A quick question, if I hit my credit threshold and earn my degree any other classes after the threshold won't count towards what my LSAC gpa would be right?

[MusicallyGinger]

What's your GPA..

Shoot for but don't count on a 178 (unless you have an unstated diagnostic in the 170s). Take the easiest possible classes. Maybe use your CS degree to get a job that won't disappear in the next decade and will pay you a good amount. Even if you still want law school, work experience could help dull the effects of a terrible GPA a bit. Plus more time to study for the LSAT.

[+] Spoiler

sub 2, just sneaking by

[MusicallyGinger]

I don't know if it can be done, but my goal is to earn a 3.3 at least by graduation, but I don't know how to go about doing that.

[tzzzok]

A quick question, if I hit my credit threshold and earn my degree any other classes after the threshold won't count towards what my LSAC gpa would be right?

This is no hard credit threshold -- up until your first bachelor's degree, any credit that you earn from any institution will count. Did you experience any extenuating circumstances during your rough patch?

[MusicallyGinger]

A quick question, if I hit my credit threshold and earn my degree any other classes after the threshold won't count towards what my LSAC gpa would be right?

This is no hard credit threshold -- up until your first bachelor's degree, any credit that you earn from any institution will count. Did you experience any extenuating circumstances during your rough patch?

I had some issues adjusting to college life emotionally the first time around, even though I went to school one state over I came back home (almost every weekend) a lot to help out my family with some things. Then I got a job my sophomore year and had a horrific time balancing all of that out. I don't believe these could count as 'real' extenuating circumstances as much as just things I as a student didn't take in stride.

[maybeman]

Overloading on credits is too high risk in your situation. It's easy to talk the talk, but when you have 6 exams to study for, I'm betting it'll be too much for you. Take easy classes. Keep partying and screwing around to a minimum. Ask your professors for help. Don't start studying for the lsat until after graduation-- focus on your GPA now. Even if you don't go to law school, having a good GPA and actually learning things in school will be helpful. It's a win win if you put in the work.

[tzzzok]

I don't know if it can be done, but my goal is to earn a 3.3 at least by graduation, but I don't know how to go about doing that.

Unfortunately, a 3.3 is probably out your realm of possibility. Assuming you are 60 credits in with a 1.9, even an additional 90 credits at 4.0 would only bring you up to a 3.16.

You should first and foremost focus on nailing the LSAT. Your GPA will automatically preclude you from the top schools, but a high LSAT score and URM status will at least keep the door open at other places. At a T-14, Northwestern/Georgetown is by far your best shot.

http://mylsn.info/zqyb6u/ (As you can see, even URMs seem to have hard cap of ~2.75 in the T-14.)

[Longsx3]

Does you school offer academic bankruptcy? You would lose that first yr but it might be a way to bring your GPA up?

[BoobGoddess]

You have more options than you think you have. You could pick a community college with an A plus curve then take as many easy classes as you can there (it will be a fraction of the cost at a regular school). You could also add another degree. Also, if you;re not hell bent on going to law school, there;s always the possibility of business school which isn;t so GPA focused.

[tzzzok]

If OP is in fact studying CS, then his best option is to enter the job market.

[benwyatt]

Does you school offer academic bankruptcy? You would lose that first yr but it might be a way to bring your GPA up?

I don't believe LSAC recognizes this practice. Since your other grades are still part of your record, I think LSAC uses them in calculating your GPA.

[Longsx3]

Does you school offer academic bankruptcy? You would lose that first yr but it might be a way to bring your GPA up?

I don't believe LSAC recognizes this practice. Since your other grades are still part of your record, I think LSAC uses them in calculating your GPA.

Much depends on the school and how the academic bankruptcy reflects on the transcript.

[MusicallyGinger]

Does you school offer academic bankruptcy? You would lose that first yr but it might be a way to bring your GPA up?

I didn't know that academic bankruptcy was a thing. I can ask my advisor about it to see how it comes into play in relation to my transcript.

[MusicallyGinger]

If OP is in fact studying CS, then his best option is to enter the job market.

I have a couple friends in the field right now and I've told them about my situation and they've said to enter the field and if in a couple years I still want to be a lawyer then at least I have work experience and time away from my abysmal gpa.

[MusicallyGinger]

You have more options than you think you have. You could pick a community college with an A plus curve then take as many easy classes as you can there (it will be a fraction of the cost at a regular school). You could also add another degree. Also, if you;re not hell bent on going to law school, there;s always the possibility of business school which isn;t so GPA focused.

I don't really know how to do that. Do I do this during my winter / summer breaks? Also how does it factor into my GPA as a whole?

[MusicallyGinger]

Bump for any other views

[KMart]

If OP is in fact studying CS, then his best option is to enter the job market.

I have a couple friends in the field right now and I've told them about my situation and they've said to enter the field and if in a couple years I still want to be a lawyer then at least I have work experience and time away from my abysmal gpa.

Maybe adding a part-time MBA and doing well at the grad-level during your working years might help, too. It's not hugely important when considering your law school application, but it will help show your struggle with the academic rigor of higher education was just a blip and is in the distant past. Just trying to give options. I think ultimately you add as many easy UG credits as you can and push the UG GPA as high as you can before graduating.

[zhenders]

The first thing you need to do is take 6 to 9 (tops) hours of easy coursework, and get As in every class. Put off the idea of law school for a while -- keep it as a goal for motivation, but all you should care about is getting As. From your GPA, it doesn't look like you've ever had an all A, or even an all A and B semester. You've gotta prove to yourself that you are capable of an all-A semester; start there. A sub 2.0 GPA means that at this point, you just haven't developed the study habits you need to have. That's step 0. A sub-2.0 work ethic is not what you want to have in law school -- that's a recipe for disaster and bar failure.

You can achieve a solid school entrance down the road, and I absolutely hope you do -- but be really, really blunt with yourself. What you want to do requires a complete and total restructuring of how you've approached school so far. If you're a sub-2.0, then you almost definitely have more than just a few Fs on your transcript. Those look bad -- so it really needs to be perfect from here forward.

Best of luck.

[Lexaholik]

The simplest way to optimize your record for law school is to take enough easy classes to raise your GPA but not so many classes that it'll cause you to underperform. There are a few additional hacks, like taking time off from your main school and load up on community college courses. Most of the posters above have provided that advice.

A few additional thoughts. Apologies in advance if I sound unnecessarily blunt or harsh.

1. Do you know what the underlying reason why you're bad at school? If you don't identify the root cause (lazy, unmotivated, busy with part time job, illness, learning disability, whatever) none of this will matter. Whatever it is that's giving you trouble in school will carry over to your legal career. You will struggle to do well in law school. You will struggle to pass the bar exam. You will struggle to find a job. Having a T14 on your resume will not fix these underlying issues.

2. What are your long term goals? How sure are you that you want to be a lawyer? Optimizing your crap GPA for law school will make you lose out on other opportunities. For example if your major is CS and you switch to some humanities major, you're probably not gonna be able to land a developer job if you decide law school isn't for you. Take some time to think on it.

3. Don't go to grad school to fix your GPA issues. Go if you want a MBA, etc. But don't go just to make up for your terrible grades. It's a waste of time and money that's better spent on making sure you get that high LSAT. Which brings me to my next point.

4. You're not going to get a 178. Also, if you're shooting for ambitious goals why did you choose to go for 178 instead of 180? I sincerely hope you make me eat my words (and do quote me on this if you prove me wrong) but the numbers aren't in your favor. But that's okay. You don't need anywhere near a 178 to get into a good school. If you can raise that GPA to something in the high 2s, you can get into a top 25 school with a score in the high 160s.

5. In the end if you decide you do want to do whatever it takes to go to law school, go all out for it. Take those BS classes to raise your GPA. Pay $$$ for a high quality LSAT prep course. If you're focused, a 1.9 GPA (or whatever) as a rising junior won't stop you.

Good luck.

[MusicallyGinger]

The simplest way to optimize your record for law school is to take enough easy classes to raise your GPA but not so many classes that it'll cause you to underperform. There are a few additional hacks, like taking time off from your main school and load up on community college courses. Most of the posters above have provided that advice.

A few additional thoughts. Apologies in advance if I sound unnecessarily blunt or harsh.

1. Do you know what the underlying reason why you're bad at school? If you don't identify the root cause (lazy, unmotivated, busy with part time job, illness, learning disability, whatever) none of this will matter. Whatever it is that's giving you trouble in school will carry over to your legal career. You will struggle to do well in law school. You will struggle to pass the bar exam. You will struggle to find a job. Having a T14 on your resume will not fix these underlying issues.

2. What are your long term goals? How sure are you that you want to be a lawyer? Optimizing your crap GPA for law school will make you lose out on other opportunities. For example if your major is CS and you switch to some humanities major, you're probably not gonna be able to land a developer job if you decide law school isn't for you. Take some time to think on it.

3. Don't go to grad school to fix your GPA issues. Go if you want a MBA, etc. But don't go just to make up for your terrible grades. It's a waste of time and money that's better spent on making sure you get that high LSAT. Which brings me to my next point.

4. You're not going to get a 178. Also, if you're shooting for ambitious goals why did you choose to go for 178 instead of 180? I sincerely hope you make me eat my words (and do quote me on this if you prove me wrong) but the numbers aren't in your favor. But that's okay. You don't need anywhere near a 178 to get into a good school. If you can raise that GPA to something in the high 2s, you can get into a top 25 school with a score in the high 160s.

5. In the end if you decide you do want to do whatever it takes to go to law school, go all out for it. Take those BS classes to raise your GPA. Pay $$$ for a high quality LSAT prep course. If you're focused, a 1.9 GPA (or whatever) as a rising junior won't stop you.

Good luck.

It sort of a harsh reality in general, so no problem here.
I have boiled down my issues in school to do with poor time management.
I do believe I have a solid long term goal of being a patent lawyer, if I do switch majors I do intend to keep up with CS so it is a reference point in case the goal of being a lawyer is not immediately attainable but will take more time than before.
Going to grad school feels a bit off track when my ultimate goal does not involve a grad school degree.
I personally do believe that I am shaping up to the point of landing a 170-180 score. The reason I stated 178 was because that is what I believed a solid goal score would be.
I'm committed to my goal and will follow through on it. I'll quote you if I can make it.

[zeglo]

.

[MusicallyGinger]

I'm pretty sure to take the patent bar, you need a STEM major, so keep the major. And it makes you employable if you want to get a job in the meantime or a year before applying, etc.

As far as making us hold you accountable for the LSAT, it doesn't work that way. You need anyone's approval. No one will tell you how to study for it. There is no secret ring of people doing the exact same thing. You take the LSAT and apply on your own will.

As far as your GPA, it's salvageable, but it's pretty messy. I would have realistic expectations of what you expect. Once you have a goal, to quote Nike, Just Do It.

I am a business major who has been in the corporate world for a bit now. When I decided to take the LSAT and apply to law school, it was a ten-month process and a pretty quiet process. Only my family knew, I really didn't make big to-do out of it until I had an official LSAT score on record. Even now, I don't ask for anyone's approval. I just do it.

Thats been my motto so far, I just need to do it for me. So i'm going to follow through.