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VasaVasori wrote:This is my first post on TLS, so hello everyone!

I was wondering whether or not one's distribution of grades is important during law school admissions. My GPA is 3.8 right now, but it is distributed across semesters in the following manner:

Fall Freshman: 4.2
Spring Freshman: 3.8
Fall Sophomore: 3.7
Spring Sophomore: 3.2
Fall Junior: 4.1

Will it make a difference that one semester is bringing me down (if you don't include Spring of my sophomore year, my GPA is 3.95)? Should I attach and addendum to my application explaining why I performed so poorly in the Spring of my sophomore year? I expect my GPA to be between 3.8 and 3.9 when I actually submit my application, and I really have no idea where my LSAT scores will be.

Thanks in advance for your help!

bostonlawchick wrote:

VasaVasori wrote:This is my first post on TLS, so hello everyone!

I was wondering whether or not one's distribution of grades is important during law school admissions. My GPA is 3.8 right now, but it is distributed across semesters in the following manner:

Fall Freshman: 4.2
Spring Freshman: 3.8
Fall Sophomore: 3.7
Spring Sophomore: 3.2
Fall Junior: 4.1

Will it make a difference that one semester is bringing me down (if you don't include Spring of my sophomore year, my GPA is 3.95)? Should I attach and addendum to my application explaining why I performed so poorly in the Spring of my sophomore year? I expect my GPA to be between 3.8 and 3.9 when I actually submit my application, and I really have no idea where my LSAT scores will be.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Only write an addendum if you have a legitimate reason. Death in the family=legitimate. Too many parties at the fraternity/classes were too hard= not legitimate.

NJcollegestudent wrote:

bostonlawchick wrote:

VasaVasori wrote:This is my first post on TLS, so hello everyone!

I was wondering whether or not one's distribution of grades is important during law school admissions. My GPA is 3.8 right now, but it is distributed across semesters in the following manner:

Fall Freshman: 4.2
Spring Freshman: 3.8
Fall Sophomore: 3.7
Spring Sophomore: 3.2
Fall Junior: 4.1

Will it make a difference that one semester is bringing me down (if you don't include Spring of my sophomore year, my GPA is 3.95)? Should I attach and addendum to my application explaining why I performed so poorly in the Spring of my sophomore year? I expect my GPA to be between 3.8 and 3.9 when I actually submit my application, and I really have no idea where my LSAT scores will be.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Only write an addendum if you have a legitimate reason. Death in the family=legitimate. Too many parties at the fraternity/classes were too hard= not legitimate.

I think it matters if you, say, had a 2.0 your first two years and then skyrocketed the next year or two.

Otherwise, during my application cycle, i found it did not matter.

The LSAT score counts significantly, and heavily, and grade point average, especially one as high as yours will not be nitpicked at.

Bottom line, combine that GPA with a decent LSAT and maintain those grades through graduation and you should be fine.