not-so-good freshman GPA... Forum

[expelliarmus]

I have been over-involved during my freshman year, and some classes. I ended up with a 3.72 GPA.

I am hoping to get into top6 law schools when i graduate.
Since I have heard that the learning curve is pretty steep, I am worried that my GPA will still go down over the course of college.

Did your GPA increase or decrease through the course of college?

[krasivaya]

Increased significantly, intro classes are a bitch.

Then again my school is known for hazing freshman.

[Momentum]

I have been over-involved during my freshman year

I am hoping to get into top6 law schools

I am worried that my GPA will still go down over the course of college.

Then, given you goals, you should probably drop all but your most meaningful extracurricular activities and concentrate on preventing what you're worried about. If you want to go to a T6, you need to get and keep your GPA above where it is now. I did the over-involved thing my second and third years and I'm paying the price now. Go with the 4.0 semesters, not being president of silly, college clubs.

[dpk711]

If you want to go to a T6, you need to get and keep your GPA above where it is now. I did the over-involved thing my second and third years and I'm paying the price now. Go with the 4.0 semesters, not being president of silly, college clubs.

Not true, enjoy your undergrad life, do as many extracurriculars as you want. Besides 3.7 isn't bad at all. I had a 3.5 and got into a T6. Just do well on your LSAT later, but don't worry about it know.

[Momentum]

Just do well on your LSAT later, but don't worry about it now.

Congrats on the T6, but it has to wiser to not dig oneself a hole. He's a freshman, and his GPA is still malleable. If OP is a long-term-planning, end-goal-in-mind type, then he should tape a poster of the Sterling Buildings at Yale to the back of his dorm room door so he can look at it every time he closes it to study.

[expelliarmus]

I have been over-involved during my freshman year

I am hoping to get into top6 law schools

I am worried that my GPA will still go down over the course of college.

Then, given you goals, you should probably drop all but your most meaningful extracurricular activities and concentrate on preventing what you're worried about. If you want to go to a T6, you need to get and keep your GPA above where it is now. I did the over-involved thing my second and third years and I'm paying the price now. Go with the 4.0 semesters, not being president of silly, college clubs.

I am over involved partly because that I am still exploring the campus, and I wasn't sure what major I would like to be in. (I came in as a history major, and hated it; so I switched to physics and philosophy, and my classes are better now.)

I am a bit worried that law schools would ask for extracurricular activities. I don't want to have a blank resume. But I do agree that I should quit some of the clubs.

[CoriOlivia]

Drop the extracurriculars... apparently they count for close to nothing when applying to law school unless you have something phenomenal. You want to focus on GPA, GPA, and GPA some more. It doesn't matter what classes you take as long as you get good grades. Having a 3.7 after one year and realizing you need to raise it/keep it up is SO MUCH BETTER than realizing when you're a junior/senior and have screwed around too much to raise it as much as you'd like before graduation. Being involved (minimally) in a group or two here and there is plenty to keep your resume from appearing blank. Do some good volunteerwork between semesters, but don't let your grades suffer. I wish I would have been determined to keep my GPA up for a top law school when I was a freshman/sophmore. It sure would make life easier now. :-/

[Momentum]

Drop the extracurriculars... apparently they count for close to nothing when applying to law school unless you have something phenomenal. You want to focus on GPA, GPA, and GPA some more. It doesn't matter what classes you take as long as you get good grades. Having a 3.7 after one year and realizing you need to raise it/keep it up is SO MUCH BETTER than realizing when you're a junior/senior and have screwed around too much to raise it as much as you'd like before graduation. Being involved (minimally) in a group or two here and there is plenty to keep your resume from appearing blank. Do some good volunteerwork between semesters, but don't let your grades suffer. I wish I would have been determined to keep my GPA up for a top law school when I was a freshman/sophmore. It sure would make life easier now. :-/

This is correct. Do this.

[ThomasMN]

I for one will tell you not to drop the extracurricular activities. Getting a GPA over a 3.9 is not that difficult in college if you a) manage your time wisely and b) enjoy yourself when you can. I have a friend who I consider just as intelligent as myself who works herself to the bone for her classes ( half of which are the same courses I have taken) and she always gets slightly lower grades than I do. It would be nice to think its just because I'm "better," but the reality is that she is constantly stressed about school while I make sure to schedule myself sleep, time for research, and the weekly night out with my friends.

Do the extracurricular activities that you feel passionate about or enjoy and drop those that you might be doing just to throw on your resume. Do not become a crazed obsessive GPA rat.

[Ruxin1]

I had a 3.4 after my Freshman year of adjusting, then started rattling off 4.0 semesters, don't change your life. If all you care about is sitting in your room so you can get an A in a bs poli sci class that won't mean anything then nobody is going to want to hire your miserable self anyways. Your going to need to know time management, so start now. Go out, just go out less

[Ruxin1]

a 3.9 with a 160 lsat
or a 3.7 with a 175....choose your life

[bartleby]

a 3.9 with a 160 lsat
or a 3.7 with a 175....choose your life

??

[dr123]

3.7? You're not even going to get into to Cooley with that TTT GPA, might as well transfer to Hamburger University.

But seriously, since when is 3.7 a bad GPA? You got what? All A's and one B? Chill the fuck out.

[notanumber]

Chill the fuck out.

+1

Study smarter. Choose your classes wisely. Keep doing things you enjoy and have fun.

[slacker]

If your first year of college you think you did horribly bad and ended up with a 3.7 then you're going to be fine.

[bhan87]

I have been over-involved during my freshman year, and some classes. I ended up with a 3.72 GPA.

I am hoping to get into top6 law schools when i graduate.
Since I have heard that the learning curve is pretty steep, I am worried that my GPA will still go down over the course of college.

Did your GPA increase or decrease through the course of college?

Absolutely it increased over the years. And I can tell you, I came back from a much worse deficit than you have right now (i.e. a .8+ GPA climb) and now will be happily attending a T6 in the Fall. As mentioned above, intro courses are steep. Just choose your classes and professors wisely from now, and look for any opportunity to grab an A+ (this is what ended up saving me). Don't hesitate to retake professors that you know give out A+s. I had two professors I knew gave them out and I ended up taking 3 different classes with one and 4 with the other, nabbed quite a few A+s to fix my mediocre first quarter grades.

[beachbum]

3.7? You're not even going to get into to Cooley with that TTT GPA, might as well transfer to Hamburger University.

But seriously, since when is 3.7 a bad GPA? You got what? All A's and one B? Chill the fuck out.

+1. The fact that you're getting your panties in a bunch over a 3.7 kinda makes me hate you. I had a 2.6 after my first year and ended up doing ok in the end. Come back when you fall below 3.0.

[dpk711]

I have been over-involved during my freshman year, and some classes. I ended up with a 3.72 GPA.

I am hoping to get into top6 law schools when i graduate.
Since I have heard that the learning curve is pretty steep, I am worried that my GPA will still go down over the course of college.

Did your GPA increase or decrease through the course of college?

Absolutely it increased over the years. And I can tell you, I came back from a much worse deficit than you have right now (i.e. a .8+ GPA climb) and now will be happily attending a T6 in the Fall. As mentioned above, intro courses are steep. Just choose your classes and professors wisely from now, and look for any opportunity to grab an A+ (this is what ended up saving me). Don't hesitate to retake professors that you know give out A+s. I had two professors I knew gave them out and I ended up taking 3 different classes with one and 4 with the other, nabbed quite a few A+s to fix my mediocre first quarter grades.

OP, does you school hand out A+s?

[northwood]

ratemyprofessor.com or the equilivent professor insight web page

OP- take as many classes with the same professors as possible, if you like them and do well. That way in 3 years, if you stilll want to go to law school you can get solid LOR's from them. IF you change your mind, so be it.

But seriously- chill out. You are still a freshman- enjoy the college experience

[CoriOlivia]

I for one will tell you not to drop the extracurricular activities. Getting a GPA over a 3.9 is not that difficult in college if you a) manage your time wisely and b) enjoy yourself when you can. I have a friend who I consider just as intelligent as myself who works herself to the bone for her classes ( half of which are the same courses I have taken) and she always gets slightly lower grades than I do. It would be nice to think its just because I'm "better," but the reality is that she is constantly stressed about school while I make sure to schedule myself sleep, time for research, and the weekly night out with my friends.

Do the extracurricular activities that you feel passionate about or enjoy and drop those that you might be doing just to throw on your resume. Do not become a crazed obsessive GPA rat.

I wouldn't have said to drop the extracurriculars if OP seemed concerned about enjoying a variety of groups/clubs. It came across (to me) that he/she was concerned about having a blank resume and admitted to being "overinvolved." In that case, I would definitely recommend dropping the clubs that are not going to help with an law school app.

Also, I (reasonably easily) pulled off a 4.0 this semester as a single mom of 2 kids taking 21 hours. I know it can be done by kids who are taking 12/15 hours with no job or other concerns but it's not "easy" for everyone. Many people simply do not retain the information as well and truly have to study (very hard) in order to maintain a 3.9. I don't think everyone can do it while still enjoying other things. You probably are "better" (in terms of your scholastic abilities) than many of your classmates if you got As without working very hard while other people were studying nonstop for lower grades. This was the case with many (most, probably) of my classmates when it came to getting our midterms/exams back. I was almost always at the top of the class when my study parters were pulling in Bs. I don't think I could attribute it to my "having fun" or "relaxing." - It was because of my comprehension and retention of the course material. Be thankful for your gift for doing well in undergrad. I'm sure it will help in law school. Not everyone really has it that easy.

[balls]

op's "that guy."

[JamMasterJ]

op's "that guy."

seriously. this dude's a flame or kind of a dick. Not sure which one

[yngblkgifted]

op's "that guy."

seriously. this dude's a flame or kind of a dick. Not sure which one

both.

[Saul Goodman]

OP- take as many classes with the same professors as possible, if you like them and do well. That way in 3 years, if you stilll want to go to law school you can get solid LOR's from them. IF you change your mind, so be it.

THIS. I also had a 3.7ish my first semester, and I'm graduating with my GPA above a 3.9. I did worse on Intro classes and "easy" classes because professors gave all the older kids, who they knew (and who knew how to write) As. Pick your major early and pick it wisely. Make sure it's in a subject you will enjoy and be motivated to thrive in. If you budget your time well enough, you may be able to keep the extra curriculars. Don't put the extra currics first, though, the president of the pre-law society at my school (who is also the president of a few other things) is going to a T2 school because he thought his resume really made a difference.

[legaleagle9]

your fine bro. I just finished my first year of college too and I finished with a 3.6, but thats because my first semester I was not nearly as motivated as I was now. Don't worry. Like other people said, the fact that you are ambitious enough that a 3.7 is making you worried means that you will go on to do just fine. Good luck buddy