How to figure out percentage from GPA in law school Forum

[lawgod]

So I'm wondering how to translate my GPA into an approximate class rank, since my school doesn't rank.
We know the curve, but clearly there is a difference between getting one A, and four A's.
There must be a way. How?

[09042014]

So I'm wondering how to translate my GPA into an approximate class rank, since my school doesn't rank.
We know the curve, but clearly there is a difference between getting one A, and four A's.
There must be a way. How?

You need a median and a datapoint.

[lawgod]

median and datapoint.
Well, presumably the median is exactly the median grade on the curve, since we can presume that more or less half the class does better on average and half does worse on average.
What is a data point?

[09042014]

median and datapoint.
Well, presumably the median is exactly the median grade on the curve, since we can presume that more or less half the class does better on average and half does worse on average.
What is a data point?

It doesn't always work out that way. Many time the median grade is also the 60th percentile.

A datapoint would be knowing what top 10% is or what top 30% is.

[8ballistic]

A quick and dirty way to do it assume a normal distribution. If you know the mean grade, and the top 10 percent (or historical top 10% for 1L years is ok), take the different between that, divide it by 1.6, then you have a rough approximation for standard deviation. Then 1 standard deviation is about top 15%, half a standard deviation is about top quarter or third. That's about the best you can do, and it can be wildly wrong.

[lawgod]

all this math stuff.
I'm in law school.
thank you for replying, but I don't even have than information.

[spacepenguin]

all this math stuff.
I'm in law school.
thank you for replying, but I don't even have than information.

Take the class mean, subtract your gpa, divide by the standard deviation. I know you don't have this information..but I'm sure you can ask the school for it?

[lawgod]

ok. I guess there must be someone I can ask for that
thanks

[spacepenguin]

all this math stuff.
I'm in law school.
thank you for replying, but I don't even have than information.

Take the class mean, subtract your gpa, divide by the standard deviation. I know you don't have this information..but I'm sure you can ask the school for it?

I should also note that this is a standardized ratio--so you'd then have to look at a Z-table to get the actual percentage.

[lawgod]

thanks spacepenguin.