Does undergrad GPA matter after graduating law school? Forum

[thedude221]

I am going to a top 5 law school next year in large part because I had a robust GPA at the time of my application. Since being accepted I have seen it drop from a 3.96 to a 3.79 and it will probably go down further after my summer semester. Does it really matter from a standpoint of employment or internships now that I am going to a top law school?

[brownpride]

I don't think it should... your JD is all that will really matter in most cases, and the fact that you got into a top law school is evidence enough that you did very well in undergrad. Even if you end up with a 3.7, that's not bad at all. In any case, I can't see t mattering except in the odd case the subject of the undergrad degree was extremely relevant to the position. Don't worry about it though.

[bk1]

I feel like you just pulled a fantastic con on the top 5 school you are going to.

[fingersxd]

I feel like you just pulled a fantastic con on the top 5 school you are going to.

+1. btw, has it ever happened that an acceptance was rescinded where grades dropped SO drastically?

OP, no your undergrad GPA won't matter after law school, but I'm at a loss as to how you could drop .17 (and perhaps further) in one semester. You must have REALLY started slacking.

[thedude221]

I feel like you just pulled a fantastic con on the top 5 school you are going to.

+1. btw, has it ever happened that an acceptance was rescinded where grades dropped SO drastically?

OP, no your undergrad GPA won't matter after law school, but I'm at a loss as to how you could drop .17 (and perhaps further) in one semester. You must have REALLY started slacking.

I was really just mostly getting B's and it wasn't in one semester it was in two. But just so we are clear, I applied ED so there is no way they can cancel my acceptence right?

[bk1]

I was really just mostly getting B's. But just so we are clear, I applied ED so there is no way they can cancel my acceptence right?

I'm fairly sure they have a clause saying that they can rescind acceptances if your GPA drops by a significant amount. What that amount happens to be is up to their discretion. Since it is a fairly rare occurrence and something practically unheard of on TLS, I don't think they will.

Though you've basically pulled a bait and switch on them from raising one median and lowering the other to now lowering both medians.

[sunynp]

Do you have a good reason why your GPA dropped so much? Usually we see people here with the opposite problem, they had a fun freshman year and then decided to work hard to pull up their GPA. Personally, I don't have a problem with this. I think admissions relies way too much simply on numbers and if they get burned once in a while, it evens out the process a tiny bit.

[thedude221]

Do you have a good reason why your GPA dropped so much? Usually we see people here with the opposite problem, they had a fun freshman year and then decided to work hard to pull up their GPA. Personally, I don't have a problem with this. I think admissions relies way too much simply on numbers and if they get burned once in a while, it evens out the process a tiny bit.

It was a number of different factors, one semester I had a 60 hour a week internship, over the last two including the summer I have had to take science and language courses that are not exactly in my wheelhouse. Should I be worried? I mean if my GPA is in the 3.70-3.75 range should I really be concerned?

[bk1]

Should I be worried? I mean if my GPA is in the 3.70-3.75 range should I really be concerned?

I would be slightly worried. I mean they admitted you when you had a GPA above their median and an LSAT that was below median and they only admitted you because your GPA redeemed you. Now that GPA isn't really redeeming you anymore because it is below their median and dragging it down (they're going to have to report your new GPA to the ABA and not the one you had when you applied).

But it is only a .1-.2 drop so not even a third of a letter grade and I don't see a school being such a dick about it as to drop you at the last moment (especially a top tier school like UChi). So I'd be slightly concerned but I don't think they will do anything.

[fingersxd]

I'm assuming they have your latest grades and so have seen the downward trend, right? If so, and if they haven't done anything yet, I doubt they will only a few weeks before school starts. That said, I really think you got pretty lucky here. A drop from 3.96 to 3.7-3.75 is pretty huge and a 3.75/169 def. would not have been good enough for an acceptance.

So yes, some concern is warranted, but I think you can breathe easier with each passing day.

P.S. - 60 hr a week internship is a decent reason (though I suspect they might question why in the world you would work that many horus while in school full-time all of a sudden), but science/language classes that are "hard" are really a poor excuse and not a positive reflection on you.

[thedude221]

I'm assuming they have your latest grades and so have seen the downward trend, right? If so, and if they haven't done anything yet, I doubt they will only a few weeks before school starts. That said, I really think you got pretty lucky here. A drop from 3.96 to 3.7-3.75 is pretty huge and a 3.75/169 def. would not have been good enough for an acceptance.

So yes, some concern is warranted, but I think you can breathe easier with each passing day.

P.S. - 60 hr a week internship is a decent reason (though I suspect they might question why in the world you would work that many horus while in school full-time all of a sudden), but science/language classes that are "hard" are really a poor excuse and not a positive reflection on you.

Why would they have my grades?

[RCRARollin]

All schools care about is the number reported to LSAC which they can report.

Just don't update LSAC and send your transcript to the school only when asked.

[fingersxd]

All schools care about is the number reported to LSAC which they can report.

Just don't update LSAC and send your transcript to the school only when asked.

Don't you need to send an official transcript (usually no later than August 1)?

If any case, OP, they won't have your grades until you actually provide them.

[PancakeMonster]

All schools care about is the number reported to LSAC which they can report.

Just don't update LSAC and send your transcript to the school only when asked.

Don't you need to send an official transcript (usually no later than August 1)?

If any case, OP, they won't have your grades until you actually provide them.

My school required that my final transcript be sent to them directly from my UG, not through LSAC.

[thesealocust]

(1) OP you have absolutely nothing to be worried about.

(2) In 99.99% of cases it neither matters nor will come up or be discussed.