Summer classes to raise gpa? Forum

[slpara]

I'm applying to law school in the fall and my current GPA is a 3.899. I have the option to take 9 credit hours this summer which would raise my GPA to a 3.912. Is this a big enough difference that it would be worth it to take the summer classes or is the difference so marginal that law schools wouldn't care?

[decimalsanddollars]

Your GPA is going to be good regardless, but going from 3.89x to 3.91x would help with YSH and certain GPA-picky schools to some degree. If it puts you from below median to median or above at a target school, I think it's worth it---unless there's a significant cost to taking the summer classes, in which case you should weigh the admissions benefits against the cost. If the opportunity cost were a paid or prestigious internship for a good company, firm, NGO, agency, etc., I'd say not worth it, but I imagine that's off the table given the circumstances. It's hard to increase your GPA, but if you can do it, it's worth a try.

[oatmilk]

LSAC rounds at .007, so this is actually a .01 difference and is simply not worth it imo. Your time would be better spent prepping for the LSAT, working on your PS, getting work experience, etc

[BrainsyK]

I'd do it because it would bother the hell out of me to have graduated so close to a 3.9 but not quite there. Looking back, I think that I do actually remember that a pattern of schools giving larger scholarships to many 3.9s over 3.8s so that tenth digit may actually matter as a break point for schools granting scholarships. Whether it's intentional or a psychological barrier of seeing that .X or coincidence or me misremembering, I don't know, but I'd do it.

The LSAT is more important, but if you're sure that you can handle both, my vote is do it.

[The Lsat Airbender]

LSAC rounds at .007, so this is actually a .01 difference and is simply not worth it imo. Your time would be better spent prepping for the LSAT, working on your PS, getting work experience, etc

Agreed - you already have the shiny 3.90 from a LS admissions perspective. Another reason I wouldn't do this is that you run the risk of getting an A- or something and actually reducing your GPA.