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Thanks for the advice, everyone. Just called admin at my school; I'm going to go ahead and finish on the normal track. Edited this point down to the basics.

• The numbers:
  
  1. GPA is currently 3.04
  2. LSAT is 180
  　
• The question:
  
  Could [staying in undergrad longer to boost my GPA from 3.3/3.4 to more like 3.4/3.5] translate to a meaningful difference in admissions outcomes?

Not an admissions consultant so grain of salt. I think it's likely not worth it to push your apps years in the future for .1 on the GPA, especially since you're essentially the same candidate with a 3.3 and a 3.4. The only thing you have to really be worried about there are GPA floors and it seems 3.3 is the only identifiable floor I've found for schools you would have a shot at anyway (Columbia seems fine with 3.3 173 last cycle for instance).

So then consider that the application pool seems to be getting more difficult this year, you ain't improving your LSAT, and it sounds like you have a reason. If I were you, which I'm not, but if I were, I would bust my ass to finish, give evidence to your addendum with some treatment and then As, and the apply with your 3.3 and enjoy Columbia, UVA, Michigan, or Nwestern

Generally agree with poster above about GPA. Once you're below a school's 25th percentile GPA, slight differences are not going to matter all that much.

That being said, good work experience could bolster your resume and separate you slightly from your lower GPA. It's also just great for life perspective.

Whether spring or fall, graduate on time and then get work experience.

I'd think about avoiding mentioning mental health in your apps btw. Not sure how you'd avoid mentioning it but just know that has red flags of its own.

Congrats on that awesome LSAT.

allezallez21 wrote:Generally agree with poster above about GPA. Once you're below a school's 25th percentile GPA, slight differences are not going to matter all that much.

Perhaps, but I'd need to get north of 3.5 to start hitting the 25th %ile of any T13 save Northwestern, which is still just barely out of reach at my current pace. If crossing that line changes the scholarship picture significantly (does it? I'm looking at a MyLSN sample of like 4 people) then it might be well worth the ~$30k or whatever in extra college tuition.

Rigo wrote:I'd think about avoiding mentioning mental health in your apps btw. Not sure how you'd avoid mentioning it but just know that has red flags of its own.

Yeah, it's definitely a thorny topic. I've considered dropping Spivey a line on how best to present that whole story. Fortunately I won't be applying for a good while so I'm just going to cross that bridge when I come to it.

Rigo wrote:Whether spring or fall, graduate on time and then get work experience.

AJordan wrote:I would bust my ass to finish

I'm getting the sense that, barring the aforementioned scholarship consideration, TITCR

I don't think it's worth an additional $30k in the red when you could be putting money in the bank, especially since it doesn't seem like you'd be able to change your relative position to the class profile.