Being 0.2 below firm's average GPA Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm at a T14, and I'm stressing out about OCI. My GPA is 0.2 below the average GPA for all the firms I got scheduled interviews for. How screwed am I? So stressed.

[Anonymous User]

MANY of my friends were .3-.4 GPA below the average. They are all 180King right now. The easiest way is to both have the GPA and not be aspie. But if you are a little below in GPA but are a decent person with likable personality, you have a shot. dont even stress about the GPA. Once you get in the interview room, act as if you are just as qualified as anyone else. if they bring up the GPA thing, then quickly give a believable response and move on. GG

[Anonymous User]

MANY of my friends were .3-.4 GPA below the average. They are all 180King right now. The easiest way is to both have the GPA and not be aspie. But if you are a little below in GPA but are a decent person with likable personality, you have a shot. dont even stress about the GPA. Once you get in the interview room, act as if you are just as qualified as anyone else. if they bring up the GPA thing, then quickly give a believable response and move on. GG

I've been told I'm likable, but I take everything with a grain of salt, so all I can say is that I'm not super detestable or anything. I don't usually feel nervous about interviews, but I'm stressing out like crazy right now, because of all the average GPA information. My law school application cycle was pretty much on point / as expected (heavily numbers based), so I'm scared this will be the same.

[Anonymous User]

What is a good way to address the GPA issue? From what I hear, providing an excuse is a no no (unless chemo or something else dire I presume). Would I just explain how it happened, what steps I took to improve the situation, what lessons I've learned, and how I've changed going forward?

[Anonymous User]

What is a good way to address the GPA issue? From what I hear, providing an excuse is a no no (unless chemo or something else dire I presume). Would I just explain how it happened, what steps I took to improve the situation, what lessons I've learned, and how I've changed going forward?

you weren't stressing before you began looking at GPA average. Stop looking at it. I seriously doubt the interviewer is going "hmm... this guy/gal is .2 below average. that might bring down the average GPA of the incoming class, so let me end this quickly." Once you meet the interviewer, none of this matters. They're not there to discuss your GPA. Only they know whether your GPA is acceptable or a deal breaker. Your job is to prove you are a good fit. Keep looking over your resume and know who you are and why you want this firm. Be a good, kind, energetic, and smart applicant.

[Anonymous User]

What is a good way to address the GPA issue? From what I hear, providing an excuse is a no no (unless chemo or something else dire I presume). Would I just explain how it happened, what steps I took to improve the situation, what lessons I've learned, and how I've changed going forward?

you weren't stressing before you began looking at GPA average. Stop looking at it. I seriously doubt the interviewer is going "hmm... this guy/gal is .2 below average. that might bring down the average GPA of the incoming class, so let me end this quickly." Once you meet the interviewer, none of this matters. They're not there to discuss your GPA. Only they know whether your GPA is acceptable or a deal breaker. Your job is to prove you are a good fit. Keep looking over your resume and know who you are and why you want this firm. Be a good, kind, energetic, and smart applicant.

Ok thanks for the advice. I'm the OP but I'm not the person that commented about addrsesing the GPA issue. I wasn't ever going to bring this up lol. Was hoping to sweep this one under the carpet and get by on whatever social charm I have

[bdubs]

Does being 0.2 below average put you at your school's median or below?

The higher the "average" GPA for a callback/offer the more likely the firm is going to have a relatively wide range above/below that for consideration (i.e. the random V5 that has a top 10% average GPA will look at most candidates in the top 33%). The closer to median that the firm's average is the more likely it can be picky about candidates' GPAs, because there are a lot of students at/around median.

Either way, folks are right that you can't change your GPA now so don't sweat it too much. But the above should help guide you in deciding whether to bid a firm or not.

[Anonymous User]

What is a good way to address the GPA issue? From what I hear, providing an excuse is a no no (unless chemo or something else dire I presume). Would I just explain how it happened, what steps I took to improve the situation, what lessons I've learned, and how I've changed going forward?

The chemo excuse doesn't work with every firm. Trust me, I tried (and yes, I was actually on chemo drugs).

[cron1834]

What is a good way to address the GPA issue? From what I hear, providing an excuse is a no no (unless chemo or something else dire I presume). Would I just explain how it happened, what steps I took to improve the situation, what lessons I've learned, and how I've changed going forward?

The real way to address it is to try and pick up interviews with firms in your range, either by mingling at OCI or by mass mailing firms. You should really do both. Everyone should, but especially you.

[Desert Fox]

Prepare a spiel about grades just in case someone asks, but never bring it up. You should highlights your good points instead of trying minimize your weaknesses. Most of your interviewers won't have gotten great grades in law school.

Plus .2 GPA below average callback GPA for a firm isn't actually bad. Firms will call back nearly everyone with great grades and that really juices the average GPA. If a firm has 10 interviews, each interviewee has a GPA randomly distributed from 3.0 - 4.0, and the firm decides to callback everyone over 3.5, then the average GPA will be 3.75 even though 3.5 is fine.

[Lexaholik]

Don't worry. Even if you fall below the firm's lowest GPA, you still have a shot (assuming you're at a T14/Lottery school).

If you're above the previous year's lowest GPA/slightly below the median you should be doing everything you can to kill the interview. Interviewing skills are hugely underrated in the OCI game.

[Anonymous User]

Bump. I received a CB from a top NY firm whose median GPA for hiring from my lower T14 is almost .2 above my GPA.

I understand that I have a "chance" and that firms don't offer CBs to candidates they are not seriously considering, but are my chances of being given an offer significantly lower than someone with a GPA at the firm's median? I did fairly well at OCI in terms of CBs, but this CB in particular was surprising.

[tyroneslothrop1]

Probably you should stop freaking out. Generally speaking, callbacks are concerned with fit/personality. If they were not going to offer you based on grades, you would have been dinged at the screener stage. That being said, if you are neck and neck with a candidate who's at the firm's median, well, that candidate has a slight advantage.

[Anonymous User]

Depends on which firm. According to the data @ my school the CB to Offer rate at DPW for example is super low. They don't offer that many people from the people that get the CB. Whereas with a place like Sullivan and Cromwell nearly everyone who gets a CB gets an offer. You're anonymous. Post the firm and I can give more info based on my school's data. PM me if would like.

[Anonymous User]

Depends on which firm. According to the data @ my school the CB to Offer rate at DPW for example is super low. They don't offer that many people from the people that get the CB. Whereas with a place like Sullivan and Cromwell nearly everyone who gets a CB gets an offer. You're anonymous. Post the firm and I can give more info based on my school's data. PM me if would like.

It's Cleary, which I think is in the same boat as DPW in terms of CB --> offer rates. I'm just more concerned with whether I am going in with a loss compared with the person who is at median or .1 or .05 below.

[Anonymous User]

Depends on which firm. According to the data @ my school the CB to Offer rate at DPW for example is super low. They don't offer that many people from the people that get the CB. Whereas with a place like Sullivan and Cromwell nearly everyone who gets a CB gets an offer. You're anonymous. Post the firm and I can give more info based on my school's data. PM me if would like.

It's Cleary, which I think is in the same boat as DPW in terms of CB --> offer rates.

At my non-CCN T10, it's about ~50% CB to Offer rate. Sample size is not big though. DPW is actually much lower at about ~40. Depends on school too I guess.

[Anonymous User]

Try not to think about your chances. I had CBs where my grades were obviously a problem for others at the firm. It's out of your hands at this point — do your best at the CB.

[Anonymous User]

Depends on which firm. According to the data @ my school the CB to Offer rate at DPW for example is super low. They don't offer that many people from the people that get the CB. Whereas with a place like Sullivan and Cromwell nearly everyone who gets a CB gets an offer. You're anonymous. Post the firm and I can give more info based on my school's data. PM me if would like.

It's Cleary, which I think is in the same boat as DPW in terms of CB --> offer rates.

At my non-CCN T10, it's about ~50% CB to Offer rate. Sample size is not big though. DPW is actually much lower at about ~40. Depends on school too I guess.

I would also not think about chances too much, but in the hopes of giving you more confidence Cleary at my non-CCN T10 is 75% CB:Offer.

[Anonymous User]

Cleary has a GPA CB cutoff for each school that's roughly enforced by the partner doing the screener. Once your past that, your grades really don't matter much. The recruiting committee will consider your grades as well as feedback from the attorneys you interviewed with, but if your grades weren't good enough, you wouldn't have the CB.