Top Law Schools

My semester did not go as well as planned and I have a 3.55 at a top 25 school. I was very close to top ten, but I'm from a small school so its staggered: top 10-15 are the same gpa, and then top 20. If I get my GPA up, and I can get around top 10, do I have a shot at Berkeley? I have ties to the Bay Area.

Thanks

anonymous627 wrote:My semester did not go as well as planned and I have a 3.55 at a top 25 school. I was very close to top ten, but I'm from a small school so its staggered: top 10-15 are the same gpa, and then top 20. If I get my GPA up, and I can get around top 10, do I have a shot at Berkeley? I have ties to the Bay Area.

Thanks

What's the %? or...how many people in your class?

The percentage is the top 20% as there are just the staggered tiers right now. The class size is around 180. We only had 3 grades, so it's a bit annoying with ranking and grades.

anonymous627 wrote:The percentage is the top 20% as there are just the staggered tiers right now. The class size is around 180. We only had 3 grades, so it's a bit annoying with ranking and grades.

Eh, where you are at, I don't think it will happen. If you can manage top 10%, maybe...but if you manage top 10%, then I'm not sure it would be worth the transfer...

The conventional wisdom is that top 10% at a T25 is more or less the cutoff to transfer to Berkeley. I imagine slightly lower rank isn't unheard of, but top 5% getting rejected isn't unheard of either. Whatever the case, working hard to do as well as possible this next semester will work in your favor even if it ends up not being enough to xfer. If Berkeley is a big wish for you, I'd say throw your app in at them if you can get at least top 15% and cross your fingers.

So would high second semester grades make up for lower first semester grades? What if you applied as a transfer in the top 20%, will the school wait for your second semester grades if you ask them to?

Metaread wrote:So would high second semester grades make up for lower first semester grades? What if you applied as a transfer in the top 20%, will the school wait for your second semester grades if you ask them to?

Insofar as high second semester grades improve your cumulative GPA, absolutely. In terms of just showing you made a big improvement, I think it makes an impression but cumulative GPA would still mostly win out. That is to say, from what I've read, someone who was top 5% both semesters is preferable to someone who was top 20% first semester, then top 2% second semester and say, top 10% overall. When it comes down to two applicants who are both top 10% overall, though, showing you can outperform and perhaps would've been a top student if you understood the lawschool game the first semester might help give an edge. In any case, it's in your favor to do as well as possible second semester.

IIRC you can submit your application whenever they open up for them, and they will wait for your grades, though they won't review your application until second semester grades are in.

sillyboots wrote:

Metaread wrote:So would high second semester grades make up for lower first semester grades? What if you applied as a transfer in the top 20%, will the school wait for your second semester grades if you ask them to?

Insofar as high second semester grades improve your cumulative GPA, absolutely. In terms of just showing you made a big improvement, I think it makes an impression but cumulative GPA would still mostly win out. That is to say, from what I've read, someone who was top 5% both semesters is preferable to someone who was top 20% first semester, then top 2% second semester and say, top 10% overall. When it comes down to two applicants who are both top 10% overall, though, showing you can outperform and perhaps would've been a top student if you understood the lawschool game the first semester might help give an edge. In any case, it's in your favor to do as well as possible second semester.

IIRC you can submit your application whenever they open up for them, and they will wait for your grades, though they won't review your application until second semester grades are in.

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