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Currently I have two transcripts from two different universities. The first transcript is from a university that I left after first year with a full course load of non punitive withdrawals (8 courses). The second transcript is a full four year undergrad degree. Assuming that I have the LSAT and GPA to get into the T14, would having all those punitive withdrawals on record impact me negatively in the application process? Thanks!

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CoolHouse wrote:Currently I have two transcripts from two different universities. The first transcript is from a university that I left after first year with a full course load of non punitive withdrawals (8 courses). The second transcript is a full four year undergrad degree. Assuming that I have the LSAT and GPA to get into the T14, would having all those punitive withdrawals on record impact me negatively in the application process? Thanks!

I think the rule is that if the withdrawals were non-punitive, then they don't count against you, and won't be included in your LSDAS GPA. I withdrew from 4 credit hours, for example, and it was non-punitive, and therefore, it was on my college transcript that I withdrew, but it didn't get calculated into my LSDAS GPA. So essentially, if you simply withdrew, you did it correctly, and they don't count as Fs on your transcript, then you should be fine. Hope this helps a bit!

Although the withdrawals won't affect your LSAC GPA, you definitely want to write an addendum explaining them. 8 is a lot, and it will raise eyebrows when someone's reviewing your transcripts.

caitlinrw wrote:

CoolHouse wrote:Currently I have two transcripts from two different universities. The first transcript is from a university that I left after first year with a full course load of non punitive withdrawals (8 courses). The second transcript is a full four year undergrad degree. Assuming that I have the LSAT and GPA to get into the T14, would having all those punitive withdrawals on record impact me negatively in the application process? Thanks!

I think the rule is that if the withdrawals were non-punitive, then they don't count against you, and won't be included in your LSDAS GPA. I withdrew from 4 credit hours, for example, and it was non-punitive, and therefore, it was on my college transcript that I withdrew, but it didn't get calculated into my LSDAS GPA. So essentially, if you simply withdrew, you did it correctly, and they don't count as Fs on your transcript, then you should be fine. Hope this helps a bit!

Did you write an addendum? Or were you accepted without one?

CoolHouse wrote:Currently I have two transcripts from two different universities. The first transcript is from a university that I left after first year with a full course load of non punitive withdrawals (8 courses). The second transcript is a full four year undergrad degree. Assuming that I have the LSAT and GPA to get into the T14, would having all those punitive withdrawals on record impact me negatively in the application process? Thanks!

I had 11 (I think) and cycle played out as good/better than I expected.

LandMermaid wrote:

CoolHouse wrote:Currently I have two transcripts from two different universities. The first transcript is from a university that I left after first year with a full course load of non punitive withdrawals (8 courses). The second transcript is a full four year undergrad degree. Assuming that I have the LSAT and GPA to get into the T14, would having all those punitive withdrawals on record impact me negatively in the application process? Thanks!

I had 11 (I think) and cycle played out as good/better than I expected.

Did you write an addendum or did you just submit your transcript without one?

I had at least 9 and no addenda

Clearly wrote:I had at least 9 and no addenda

All at once, though? That's the part that stuck out to me right away. If there's an entire extra year of withdrawals from a totally separate institution, I feel like an explanation might be in order.

cavalier1138 wrote:

Clearly wrote:I had at least 9 and no addenda

All at once, though? That's the part that stuck out to me right away. If there's an entire extra year of withdrawals from a totally separate institution, I feel like an explanation might be in order.

Both! Whole semesters withdrawn and additional ones too

CoolHouse wrote:

LandMermaid wrote:

CoolHouse wrote:Currently I have two transcripts from two different universities. The first transcript is from a university that I left after first year with a full course load of non punitive withdrawals (8 courses). The second transcript is a full four year undergrad degree. Assuming that I have the LSAT and GPA to get into the T14, would having all those punitive withdrawals on record impact me negatively in the application process? Thanks!

I had 11 (I think) and cycle played out as good/better than I expected.

Did you write an addendum or did you just submit your transcript without one?

I had a medical reason for a chunk of them so wrote an addendum for those. At the bottom I tacked on a sentence saying something along the lines of "the remainder of the withdrawals were due to the flexibility I had in my schedule as I entered school with a number of credits already completed"