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New to TLS here, so forgive me if this topic has already been addressed!

I'm wondering if I need an addendum for my low cumulative GPA (~3.4). I got a 2.0 my freshman year but my second, third, and fourth year GPA have all been 3.80+. I changed majors before my second year and getting adjusted to the college life is mostly the reason for the trend. Will this upward trend and major switch be apparent on my transcript to the adcomms or is it worth mentioning explicitly in an addendum?

Had just over a 3.4. Not needed, not a problem.

It doesn't sound like you have anything to explain. You haven't given any indication the low grades were because of something you couldn't control, like a medical situation or crisis. If you want, on your resume' you can list a cumulative GPA and a major GPA, since that will be higher.

Having a poor freshman year is common.
I wouldn't write one.

grades?? wrote:Had just over a 3.4. Not needed, not a problem.

Mr. Archer wrote:It doesn't sound like you have anything to explain. You haven't given any indication the low grades were because of something you couldn't control, like a medical situation or crisis. If you want, on your resume' you can list a cumulative GPA and a major GPA, since that will be higher.

Rigo wrote:Having a poor freshman year is common.
I wouldn't write one.

Awesome, thanks for the help guys! I had a couple more questions, hopefully someone can answer??

How much weight do law schools put toward your upward trend in GPA? Will they weigh my 3.8s more heavily than the cumulative ~3.4?

Also, anyone know how to find out which schools are splitter friendly? I have a 170 LSAT and I'm having a hard time figuring out my chances... Thanks in advance!

Almost everyone has an upward trend in GPA. So no, they won't care.

You'll have a solid shot at the mid-to-lower T-14 with that score, but you'll want to apply broadly. There's also a good chance that WashU would throw you a full ride. But splitter cycles are inherently unpredictable.

cavalier1138 wrote:Almost everyone has an upward trend in GPA. So no, they won't care.

You'll have a solid shot at the mid-to-lower T-14 with that score, but you'll want to apply broadly. There's also a good chance that WashU would throw you a full ride. But splitter cycles are inherently unpredictable.

Hey Cavalier,

Thank you for your help! I'll take your advice and apply broadly. I agree splitter cycles are very unpredictable and it's even harder since there's not too many data points for splitters.