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explaining grades at interview
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:47 pm
by Anonymous User
Hi all, I magically got quite a few interviews from ewi andmy grades are quite a bit below median. I'm wondering if the grades come up(which I'm sure they will) how I should go about explaining them? I was able to boost my gpa quite a bit over the summer but it is still extremely low.
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:55 pm
by Anonymous User
No one will ask about your grades. And there's no useful explanation for overall low grades; just talk about how much you've grown through your wonderful summer job experience and how highly your LRW professor spoke of your writing, or something.
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:58 pm
by Cupidity
Are there any variation amoung the grades? If your grades suck because you got B,C,B, B+ or something like that, a question is unlikely. If, however, your grades suck because you got A-, B+, C, C-, you better have an explanation prepared.
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:38 pm
by Anonymous User
hey my grades were mor like mainly b, b-, 1 c+ and 1 b+
however my summer grades were much higher.
Does it look like they might ask about my low grades during the semesters?
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:40 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:hey my grades were mor like mainly b, b-, 1 c+ and 1 b+
however my summer grades were much higher.
Does it look like they might ask about my low grades during the semesters?
You need to have an answer, just in case you are asked.
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:15 pm
by goodolgil
If asked emphasize performance in LRW (I guess that won't work your class was graded and you did poorly) and your summer job after quickly acknowledging that law school exams may not be your strongest suit.
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:11 am
by Anonymous User
what if i did very well over the summer and i emphasize how i ve learned the way of taking law school exams?
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:50 pm
by Anonymous User
OP of the thread anyone have any opions on the explanation I gave on the previous post?
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:28 pm
by TooOld4This
Yes. That would be the obvious answer. If your most recent grades have improved, sell this point.
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:00 pm
by nealric
I had an interview where the first thing the interviewer did was pick out my worst grade and ask me about it. Some interviewers like to see how a candidate will respond to stress. However, my grades rarely came up in interviews.
Keep in mind that most interviewers don't interview more than a few times a year and aren't trained in interviewing. A lot of them just ask what is on the candidates mind.
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 1:23 pm
by Anonymous User
OP here:
I'm also wondering if I should include my new gpa on the resume (2.96) it used to be 2.8 with all As and A- from summer classes. (For obvious reason y gpa was not on the old resume)
or should i still not include gpa since it is still under 3.0 and just hand in a new grade sheet? (what I'm afraid of here is they wont look at the new grade sheet until after interview)
Thank you guys so much, you guys have been extremely helpful
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:17 am
by Anonymous User
still OP here and any opinion on this issue would be greatly appreciated
Re: explaining grades at interview
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 7:15 am
by LogosEther
Maybe consider something like:
"2.96 GPA (3.7 during previous semester)"
Some firms will think "who cares, not good enough." Others might (hopefully) think "well maybe we have ourselves a sleeper pick."