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I have a 4.0GPA, but it's deceiving because only 30 of my UG credits were graded, the rest were pass/fail.
With a decent LSAT (lets say 168+), how much do you think this will affect my chances at T1 schools?

Bill99 wrote:I have a 4.0GPA, but it's deceiving because only 30 of my UG credits were graded, the rest were pass/fail.
With a decent LSAT (lets say 168+), how much do you think this will affect my chances at T1 schools?

How much of a bum school? The general consensus is that a 4.0 is a 4.0, and will be regarded as such no matter where you graduated from. If you get a 168+ I'd say your chances at a T1 are really good.

However, only 30 graded UG credits does seem a bit odd.......

Its a state college, the kind where everyone who applies is admitted. Fully accredited etc etc, but not remotely prestigious.

How did you do three years of ungraded classes?

Challenge exams.

Bill99 wrote:Challenge exams.

Huh? Please elaborate.

CLEP and other standardized exams, some schools will let you use them to "test out" of their course equivalents.

Bill99 wrote:CLEP and other standardized exams, some schools will let you use them to "test out" of their course equivalents.

So you tested out of three years of undergrad?

Yep.

Bill99 wrote:Yep.

So you're what? 19? And you want to go to law school before you're even allowed to drink? That's like <badmetaphor> going parachuting without knowing how to pack a chute. </badmetaphor>

I think the traditional wisdom of TLS, is that it doesn't matter what school you go to; LSDAS GPA is treated essentially the same. It may be looked at as a positive soft if you went to a school with a rigorous reputation or if you had a difficult major, but not really.

I would add an addendum explaining why so many of your courses were ungraded - that you had strong secondary educational opportunities that allowed you to test out of the majority of your UG curriculum.

I am actually in a similar situation as this. I am getting a degree from Excelsior College and around 80 of my credits are pass/fail. I'm really uncertain of how this will work out, so if anybody has any information it will be greatly appreciated. Also, do you think that if I got rejected with this degree and my Lsats are in the 50% range of what that school normally accepts that i should try to get a regular undergrad degree? Or maybe a second degree? (Sorry to kind of hijack the thread, but the answer to my questions could be helpful to you as well).

Lol 19, I wish. I'm 30. Started late, long story.
Thanks for the info/advice, much appreciated.

boogie with stu wrote:I am actually in a similar situation as this. I am getting a degree from Excelsior College and around 80 of my credits are pass/fail. I'm really uncertain of how this will work out, so if anybody has any information it will be greatly appreciated. Also, do you think that if I got rejected with this degree and my Lsats are in the 50% range of what that school normally accepts that i should try to get a regular undergrad degree? Or maybe a second degree? (Sorry to kind of hijack the thread, but the answer to my questions could be helpful to you as well).

I think LSAC only calculates the GPA for the first bachelor's degree. Any classes after that will be sent, but won't go towards the LSDAS GPA they submit. So another degree probably wouldn't help that much. Shoot for a broad grouping of law schools - where you're between the 25th and median, between the median & 75th and above the 75th for the LSAT.

First rock your LSAT - then worry about where you'll get accepted into.

If you frame it right, it can go in your favor. You obviously have an interesting enough bio to warrant a crap ton of credits based on CLEP. That says enough. However, what little grade history you do have is spectacular. Plus, you're older and presumably have quite a bit of work experience.

If you couple this with a 170+ LSAT then I think you'd have an awesome shot at AT LEAST Northwestern.

bad metaphor was a serious understatement

You're fine. I had a 3.92 from a shitty online school and it didn't affect me.

Sweet. Where did you get accepted, if you dont mind me asking?

Bill99 wrote:Sweet. Where did you get accepted, if you dont mind me asking?

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/blhoward2

FTR, my online school while shitty is geared towards the military so I probably did better than U of Phoenix would do. But it is definitely comparable to any state school.

Very helpful, thanks!

TommyK wrote:

boogie with stu wrote:I am actually in a similar situation as this. I am getting a degree from Excelsior College and around 80 of my credits are pass/fail. I'm really uncertain of how this will work out, so if anybody has any information it will be greatly appreciated. Also, do you think that if I got rejected with this degree and my Lsats are in the 50% range of what that school normally accepts that i should try to get a regular undergrad degree? Or maybe a second degree? (Sorry to kind of hijack the thread, but the answer to my questions could be helpful to you as well).

I think LSAC only calculates the GPA for the first bachelor's degree. Any classes after that will be sent, but won't go towards the LSDAS GPA they submit. So another degree probably wouldn't help that much. Shoot for a broad grouping of law schools - where you're between the 25th and median, between the median & 75th and above the 75th for the LSAT.

First rock your LSAT - then worry about where you'll get accepted into.

What if i apply as a transfer student to a (not online)college and get a regular (not a second) degree from there? Would that not count as well? Would i be required to send them the transcript from the degree I got from Excelsior?

boogie with stu wrote:

TommyK wrote:

boogie with stu wrote:I am actually in a similar situation as this. I am getting a degree from Excelsior College and around 80 of my credits are pass/fail. I'm really uncertain of how this will work out, so if anybody has any information it will be greatly appreciated. Also, do you think that if I got rejected with this degree and my Lsats are in the 50% range of what that school normally accepts that i should try to get a regular undergrad degree? Or maybe a second degree? (Sorry to kind of hijack the thread, but the answer to my questions could be helpful to you as well).

I think LSAC only calculates the GPA for the first bachelor's degree. Any classes after that will be sent, but won't go towards the LSDAS GPA they submit. So another degree probably wouldn't help that much. Shoot for a broad grouping of law schools - where you're between the 25th and median, between the median & 75th and above the 75th for the LSAT.

First rock your LSAT - then worry about where you'll get accepted into.

What if i apply as a transfer student to a (not online)college and get a regular (not a second) degree from there? Would that not count as well? Would i be required to send them the transcript from the degree I got from Excelsior?

All classes post-secondary classes you take prior to receiving your first bachelor's degree counts. So yes - you would have to get a transcript from all institutions of higher education you attended and the LSAC will calculate the overall LSDAS GPA for you.