Median at GULC, Start Considering Drop Out? Forum

[ab12]

I just got my 1L fall grades back at GULC. I received a A-, B+, and B. That puts my GPA at exactly 3.33 which is the median at GULC from what I understand. Legal Writing is a year long class so we don't have a grade yet for that, but based on the work graded so far I am at an A-.

I worked very hard in the fall, so I'm a little disappointed in my 1L fall grades. I was hoping to be around a 3.5, not exactly at the median with a 3.33. My concern here is that, statistically, it just seems to me unlikely that at the end of the Spring my GPA will go up a huge amount. Statistically, it seems to me most likely that I could get a mix of A-s and B+s and maybe an unexpected B like this semester. So, statistically, it just seems most probable that at the end of the Spring my GPA will be in the 3.33 to 3.4 range.

My worry here is that it seems like I am on track just to be an "average" GULC student, and I just don't know how marketable it is to be that kind of student or the job opportunities available either. From looking at the ABA stats GULC puts out, it seems like it is the top 1/3 of the class that has really great options but after that it is just not clear to me how decent the job prospects are for people that are exactly in the middle of the class or below the middle.

In terms of my goals, I am hoping to do Big Law. If Big Law doesn't work out, I would be open to a prestigious federal government position.

I have a decent scholarship at GULC; it covers a little less than half my tuition per year. So I have to take out some loans for the rest of my tuition and living expenses. I worked before coming to GULC, and I think my resume is very strong in terms of my prior work experience and other "soft" factors.

I'm wondering if I should start considering dropping out? I think dropping out now would be too soon and I should go through the Spring and see what happens and even try out OCI over the summer to see what happens. If all of that goes well, fine, but, if not, then this summer I feel like I will face a really hard decision in terms of whether I should come back to GULC for my 2L year or just cut my losses and leave. As I said, I am just worried that I am on track to end up an "average" GULC student that is stuck right around the median in terms of GPA and the dead center of the class in terms of class rank, and I just really don't know how marketable or valuable a degree from GULC is with that kind of GPA and class rank and what kind of opportunities I will have with it.

[runinthefront]

I just got my 1L fall grades back at GULC. I received a A-, B+, and B. That puts my GPA at exactly 3.33 which is the median at GULC from what I understand. Legal Writing is a year long class so we don't have a grade yet for that, but based on the work graded so far I am at an A-.

I worked very hard in the fall, so I'm a little disappointed in my 1L fall grades. I was hoping to be around a 3.5, not exactly at the median with a 3.33. My concern here is that, statistically, it just seems to me unlikely that at the end of the Spring my GPA will go up a huge amount. Statistically, it seems to me most likely that I could get a mix of A-s and B+s and maybe an unexpected B like this semester. So, statistically, it just seems most probable that at the end of the Spring my GPA will be in the 3.33 to 3.4 range.

My worry here is that it seems like I am on track just to be an "average" GULC student, and I just don't know how marketable it is to be that kind of student or the job opportunities available either. From looking at the ABA stats GULC puts out, it seems like it is the top 1/3 of the class that has really great options but after that it is just not clear to me how decent the job prospects are for people that are exactly in the middle of the class or below the middle.

In terms of my goals, I am hoping to do Big Law. If Big Law doesn't work out, I would be open to a prestigious federal government position.

I have a decent scholarship at GULC; it covers a little less than half my tuition per year. So I have to take out some loans for the rest of my tuition and living expenses. I worked before coming to GULC, and I think my resume is very strong in terms of my prior work experience and other "soft" factors.

I'm wondering if I should start considering dropping out? I think dropping out now would be too soon and I should go through the Spring and see what happens and even try out OCI over the summer to see what happens. If all of that goes well, fine, but, if not, then this summer I feel like I will face a really hard decision in terms of whether I should come back to GULC for my 2L year or just cut my losses and leave. As I said, I am just worried that I am on track to end up an "average" GULC student that is stuck right around the median in terms of GPA and the dead center of the class in terms of class rank, and I just really don't know how marketable or valuable a degree from GULC is with that kind of GPA and class rank and what kind of opportunities I will have with it.

That's not how this works. Don't drop out; just recalibrate your gameplan and figure out where you went wrong this semester. Practice interviewing. Do OCI. And if you don't get what you want in August 2018, then you can consider whether it's worth continuing. But any talk of dropping out over a 3.33 from GULC is really, really, really premature.

[runinthefront]

True story: one of my best friends ended 1L Fall semester with a 3.4 from GULC . . . 5 semesters later (s)he graduated with magna honors, LR, a very good biglaw job, etc. It happens. Just figure out where you went wrong. It's only January.

[cavalier1138]

If Big Law doesn't work out, I would be open to a prestigious federal government position.

I agree that you shouldn't drop out, but this is the opposite of a backup plan.

[Loquitur Res]

I just got my 1L fall grades back at GULC. I received a A-, B+, and B. That puts my GPA at exactly 3.33 which is the median at GULC from what I understand. Legal Writing is a year long class so we don't have a grade yet for that, but based on the work graded so far I am at an A-.

I worked very hard in the fall, so I'm a little disappointed in my 1L fall grades. I was hoping to be around a 3.5, not exactly at the median with a 3.33. My concern here is that, statistically, it just seems to me unlikely that at the end of the Spring my GPA will go up a huge amount. Statistically, it seems to me most likely that I could get a mix of A-s and B+s and maybe an unexpected B like this semester. So, statistically, it just seems most probable that at the end of the Spring my GPA will be in the 3.33 to 3.4 range.

My worry here is that it seems like I am on track just to be an "average" GULC student, and I just don't know how marketable it is to be that kind of student or the job opportunities available either. From looking at the ABA stats GULC puts out, it seems like it is the top 1/3 of the class that has really great options but after that it is just not clear to me how decent the job prospects are for people that are exactly in the middle of the class or below the middle.

I agree with above comment that this is not how it works. Right now it might be hard to imagine having an outcome that is far different from your first semester, but the difference between getting an "unexpected B" and getting a B+ is pretty big. Also, A "mix of A- and B+s" could mean a lot of different things. My 1L spring grades were .3 higher than my 1L fall grades, and my 2L fall grades were .5 higher than my 1l fall grades. After 2l fall my cumulative GPA had risen .25 points. In other words, after one semester it is far too premature to say that you are "on track just to be average." Not saying you wont be (you are right in that being around median is statistically the most likely outcome), its just way too early to tell.

[biglawhopeful18]

Seems like this may be about your ego/unmet lofty expectations as much as your employment concerns.

Regardless, any consideration of dropping out is premature. You have less than half your grades, and even if you finish exactly where you are right now, median is absolutely in the running for biglaw at EIW. If you were at 3.0 or under, I'd say think long & hard about it, but you are not, nor are you a KJD.

First step is figure out how you can improve this semester; second is to stop comparing yourself to your classmates.

[PorscheFanatic]

Agree that dropping out now, especially with scholarship money is way premature. I'd take a $15k gamble on a $180k/yr job with significant yearly raises any day of the week (presumably GULC costs around $60k/year, you get $30k in scholly, so you're only looking at an additional $15-20k in loans to stick it out one more semester).

Try to step back and look at this more rationally/big picture, and stick with your statistical theme. You're right around median after your first shot at this law school thing. Statistically, some people will continue doing what they're doing, comfortable at median, and stay there. Others will get complacent, and fall below median after spring semester. And others will try to improve their grades, and land above median after spring semester. Be in the last group.

Looking even bigger picture, how many things in life have you tried at first, not been great at, and then been able to improve upon or get better at? Law school is like everything else, too, it just requires more hard work to get better than learning to ride a bike. If you try to improve and do better, it is likely that you'll in fact get better. But you have to work really hard to do this. You're far from down and out, so just go talk to your professors, reflect on what you can continue to do this semester to get better at taking law school exams, and start executing. Start taking practice exams before finals a little earlier this time around, and take more of them this time around.

Just go all in focusing only on succeeding in law school for the next 3-4 months and you'll be fine.

[Alive97]

Buck up and focus on your spring classes. Median at GULC is not a bad place to be.

https://www.facebook.com/hollybutcher90 ... 1745460694

[lavarman84]

Do you want to be a lawyer?

[Wild Card]

https://www.law.georgetown.edu/campus-s ... 6-2017.cfm

3.33 is probably top 40%, but you are whining histrionically. Unfortunately, you rank higher than only 350 of your classmates. Oh, no, they're not as stupid as you thought!

You know as well as we all do that you're sticking it out.

[jbagelboy]

You’re obviously not dropping out. Just focus on improving next semester and fixing what you think went wrong with your B grade class. If you were going to drop out with median grades at Georgetown, you never should have gone to law school in the first place.

[beforethelaw]

46% of Georgetown grads got big law jobs last year. 5% took federal clerkships. And I'm sure there were plenty of students who could have gotten a big law job but chose to do public interest instead. That means if you were at median at graduation last year, you were very much in the running for big law.

https://www.lstreports.com/schools/gulc/jobs/

Is this a troll?

[Leviathan1]

lol I know you will be fine.

[biglawhopeful18]

.