Graduate GPA Forum

[SoxyPirate]

Is it true that admissions boards don't look at graduate GPA?

[Portal]

They look at it. It doesn't matter much.

[SoxyPirate]

Well, by "look at it" I was asking "does it matter much"....

Care to explain the rationale? And if GPA doesn't matter, does having a Master's matter?

[SoxyPirate]

Anyone?

[Judicial]

It is the UGPA that they report to the ABA and USNEWS, which determines their rankings, so GGPA becomes a soft factor at best.

[Portal]

Well, by "look at it" I was asking "does it matter much"....

Care to explain the rationale? And if GPA doesn't matter, does having a Master's matter?

Masters might matter a little. Graduate GPA doesn't matter, in general, because of two main factors:

(a) It tends to be quite high. Most people can get 4.0 in graduate school.

(b) Most students don't have graduate GPAs, so they can't be used as a fair method of comparison.

Basically, the Admissions Committee will care that you had a graduate degree, but it won't be a huge factor in general. If you get a PhD, that will of course matter more.

[SoxyPirate]

Well, I have mixed feelings about this...since my graduate GPA is high. But at the same time it's good to know that there is less pressure on me to get a 4.0 in Grad school. I had a 3.85 UGPA.

I sure hope that the extra time and effort (and money) put into a graduate degree in Economics will work in my favor though.

[UFMike]

Every one of the previous posters are correct. Graduate GPA matters in the same sense that working for a year/two does -- it is a soft. I have a PhD in engineering and it really won't make a difference for my app either. Your numbers have to be competitive for the school you are trying to reach. Logic:

1. Everyone is assumed to do well in grad school (The gentleman's B -- a B in grad school means you did average. a C means you had no idea what was going on in the class)
2. Not everyone has grad grades so how do you compare?
3. LSAC doesn't report the grad numbers so if you undergrad GPA is low, it will lower the school's averages.

Same is true for the master's degree. It is nice and will help you against someone with similar numbers. It won't bump you above someone with better numbers (Unfortunately, neither will my PhD). Where it will matter is when you apply for jobs. If you are interested in Biz, then having the degree will make you more competitive than your peers fighting for the same jobs.

Looks like you will be just fine because your uGPA was fantastic. Assuming your LSAT score is OK then you should be great. It does give the school more evidence that you are an excellent law school candidate.

[SoxyPirate]

I see. Well, at least it can't hurt me (I hope)!

[bigben]

Every one of the previous posters are correct. Graduate GPA matters in the same sense that working for a year/two does -- it is a soft. I have a PhD in engineering and it really won't make a difference for my app either. Your numbers have to be competitive for the school you are trying to reach. Logic:

1. Everyone is assumed to do well in grad school (The gentleman's B -- a B in grad school means you did average. a C means you had no idea what was going on in the class)
2. Not everyone has grad grades so how do you compare?
3. LSAC doesn't report the grad numbers so if you undergrad GPA is low, it will lower the school's averages.

Same is true for the master's degree. It is nice and will help you against someone with similar numbers. It won't bump you above someone with better numbers (Unfortunately, neither will my PhD). Where it will matter is when you apply for jobs. If you are interested in Biz, then having the degree will make you more competitive than your peers fighting for the same jobs.

Looks like you will be just fine because your uGPA was fantastic. Assuming your LSAT score is OK then you should be great. It does give the school more evidence that you are an excellent law school candidate.

Not to hijack this thread but why the heck are you going to law school? I mean, you will have absolutely insane career opportunities, IP is the most in demand field, and with your background you could get biglaw coming from a tier 3 school... But aren't there already great career opps for a PhD in engineering?

[SoxyPirate]

Every one of the previous posters are correct. Graduate GPA matters in the same sense that working for a year/two does -- it is a soft. I have a PhD in engineering and it really won't make a difference for my app either. Your numbers have to be competitive for the school you are trying to reach. Logic:

1. Everyone is assumed to do well in grad school (The gentleman's B -- a B in grad school means you did average. a C means you had no idea what was going on in the class)
2. Not everyone has grad grades so how do you compare?
3. LSAC doesn't report the grad numbers so if you undergrad GPA is low, it will lower the school's averages.

Same is true for the master's degree. It is nice and will help you against someone with similar numbers. It won't bump you above someone with better numbers (Unfortunately, neither will my PhD). Where it will matter is when you apply for jobs. If you are interested in Biz, then having the degree will make you more competitive than your peers fighting for the same jobs.

Looks like you will be just fine because your uGPA was fantastic. Assuming your LSAT score is OK then you should be great. It does give the school more evidence that you are an excellent law school candidate.

Not to hijack this thread but why the heck are you going to law school? I mean, you will have absolutely insane career opportunities, IP is the most in demand field, and with your background you could get biglaw coming from a tier 3 school... But aren't there already great career opps for a PhD in engineering?

Do what you love. It makes the consumption/leisure problem much simpler (for those of you who have taken labor economics).

[UFMike]

Not to hijack this thread but why the heck are you going to law school? I mean, you will have absolutely insane career opportunities, IP is the most in demand field, and with your background you could get biglaw coming from a tier 3 school... But aren't there already great career opps for a PhD in engineering?

One of my outside minors for the PhD was in business at Haas (I'm at Berkeley). I realized that what I really wanted to do was IP law. I already had a masters at this point and it was 2 years to finish the PhD or quit. I didn't want to turn back and I really think the PhD will be an asset -- so I decided to plow through and finish it before law school.

There are a lot of great opportunities with a PhD, but I don't want to be a staff scientist or a professor. I considered consulting engineering, but I really want to be more on the policy side of things. I have a pretty bitchin lsat score and this (to me at least) confirmed that I am going in the right direction.

Yes for ME you don't need a PhD but I have one and I'm proud of it. In Bio/Chemistry it is required, but for mechanical it isn't.

[bigben]

Not to hijack this thread but why the heck are you going to law school? I mean, you will have absolutely insane career opportunities, IP is the most in demand field, and with your background you could get biglaw coming from a tier 3 school... But aren't there already great career opps for a PhD in engineering?

One of my outside minors for the PhD was in business at Haas (I'm at Berkeley). I realized that what I really wanted to do was IP law. I already had a masters at this point and it was 2 years to finish the PhD or quit. I didn't want to turn back and I really think the PhD will be an asset -- so I decided to plow through and finish it before law school.

There are a lot of great opportunities with a PhD, but I don't want to be a staff scientist or a professor. I considered consulting engineering, but I really want to be more on the policy side of things. I have a pretty bitchin lsat score and this (to me at least) confirmed that I am going in the right direction.

Yes for ME you don't need a PhD but I have one and I'm proud of it. In Bio/Chemistry it is required, but for mechanical it isn't.

Sweet, well there you go. Congrats man. Your position is enviable.