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Just wanted to provide some data points for HLS 1Ls and 2Ls wondering where they stand re: honors cutoffs. I've lurked the forums a bit myself trying to figure this out, but information is kinda sparse. HTH

Hit cum laude with around a 3.58, which is probably right on the line.
Someone said they missed with a 3.56 in 2012:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=187017

Another got cum laude (in 2013 I think) with somewhere in the low 3.6 range (see DoubleChecks' post):
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 8&start=25

So assuming distributions are relatively steady year-to-year, the cum laude (~40th %ile) cutoff probably floats around 3.57, and a low 3.6-something has been above the cutoff the past 3 years.

Not sure about magna, but the second link above contains some further speculation on that cutoff.

helmsleyB wrote:Just wanted to provide some data points for HLS 1Ls and 2Ls wondering where they stand re: honors cutoffs. I've lurked the forums a bit myself trying to figure this out, but information is kinda sparse. HTH

Hit cum laude with around a 3.58, which is probably right on the line.
Someone said they missed with a 3.56 in 2012:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=187017

Another got cum laude (in 2013 I think) with somewhere in the low 3.6 range (see DoubleChecks' post):
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 8&start=25

So assuming distributions are relatively steady year-to-year, the cum laude (~40th %ile) cutoff probably floats around 3.57, and a low 3.6-something has been above the cutoff the past 3 years.

Not sure about magna, but the second link above contains some further speculation on that cutoff.

What percent get Cum Laude

Desert Fox wrote: What percent get Cum Laude

It doesn't appear to be exact. Summa is based on a GPA cutoff; Magna is top 10% that didn't get Summa; Cum laude is next 30% that didn't get Magna. So (40+S)% make cum laude or higher, where S = % with 4.75+ GPA.

Source

4. For students who matriculated as of, or after, Fall Term 2008, the summa cum laude will be determined by the requirement of a 4.75 GPA. The honor is exact and does not involve "rounding off"; ie., a GPA of 4.749 does not result in a degree summa cum laude. If, in a given year, no student earns a GPA of 4.75 or higher, summa cum laude will be awarded to the student (or students in the case of a tie) with the highest overall GPA.

5. The magna cum laude will be awarded to the next ten percent of the entire class.

6. The cum laude will be awarded to the next 30 percent of the entire class.

BVest wrote:

Desert Fox wrote: What percent get Cum Laude

It doesn't appear to be exact. Summa is based on a GPA cutoff; Magna is top 10% that didn't get Summa; Cum laude is next 30% that didn't get Magna. So (40+S)% make cum laude or higher, where S = % with 4.75+ GPA.

Source

4. For students who matriculated as of, or after, Fall Term 2008, the summa cum laude will be determined by the requirement of a 4.75 GPA. The honor is exact and does not involve "rounding off"; ie., a GPA of 4.749 does not result in a degree summa cum laude. If, in a given year, no student earns a GPA of 4.75 or higher, summa cum laude will be awarded to the student (or students in the case of a tie) with the highest overall GPA.

5. The magna cum laude will be awarded to the next ten percent of the entire class.

6. The cum laude will be awarded to the next 30 percent of the entire class.

I'd just assume 40%. Doesn't seem to be that many Summa grads, so they are probably a rounding error.

Only 1 person got summa this year, and i'd be surprised if that wasn't the case in most/all years. A 4.75 is really really high.

To OP, thanks for the data point

I know a 3.578 who got cum laude (assume s/he did the math accurately). That's the most useful data point for cum laude that we have so far, I think.

tachikara wrote:Only 1 person got summa this year, and i'd be surprised if that wasn't the case in most/all years. A 4.75 is really really high.

To OP, thanks for the data point

Yup no one ever makes the grade cut off. It just defaults to the #1 student in the class.