UNC Law Forum

[Buck Strickland]

I am a North Carolina resident with a 3.31 GPA and 166 LSAT. That puts me below median GPA-wise but about as far above the LSAT median. I've got a unique story to tell in my personal statement, some decent work experience coupled with a lot of volunteer work I've done over the years, and letters of recommendation from two teachers who know me very well and a mentor I worked closely with while doing a fellowship at Lincoln Center in New York. I think that my application looks pretty good, especially considering the fact that UNC is required to take about three quarters of each class from within the state of North Carolina, but I worry about my GPA. I've spoken to a few UNC grads who seem to think I'll be fine, but it's hard to take comfort in that because these are all very kind people who might just say that to everybody. Thoughts from the board?

[nebula666]

You won't be rejected but could be waitlisted. Good luck!

[Motivator9]

Retake and save yourself the trouble of not having to worry about not getting in.

[balzie94]

I am a current 3L at UNC. Don't come here without a substantial scholarship.

[jbagelboy]

I am a current 3L at UNC. Don't come here without a substantial scholarship.

I'd listen to this guy

[Buck Strickland]

I am a current 3L at UNC. Don't come here without a substantial scholarship.

I'm thinking that with my numbers I don't have many scholarship options unless I set my sights much lower. As a NC resident, UNC is already a very affordable option and makes good sense for me considering my goals for the future, so with or without a scholarship I would be happy to end up there. Are you implying that I have a decent shot at UNC but may not see much money? If it makes any difference, I seem to be in good shape to have an application submitted pretty much as soon as they start accepting them on October 1st.

[Nova]

Wait what? 3/4 of the class??? Really?? You sure that's not just undergrad?

Regardless, I think your chances are pretty good and you'll probably get in

[TJ90]

I am a current 3L at UNC. Don't come here without a substantial scholarship.

I'd listen to this guy

balzie94 has a point - below a certain threshold in terms of median income/% employed after graduation, you shouldn't go above a certain amount of debt. It's up to you (OP) to figure out how much debt you're willing to absorb given UNC's return of this (2012 data will be out in a month):

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... class=2011

However, balzie94 is unlikely to be a 3L at UNC - so even his "on the ground" opinion isn't worth much. Claims to be a current 3L at Washington University of St. Louis on his profile, to have just graduated from Notre Dame on a post, and to live in Boston and be from the area in another post.

[Nova]

Nice first post.

Eagerly awaiting balzies explanation

[Buck Strickland]

Wait what? 3/4 of the class??? Really?? You sure that's not just undergrad?

Regardless, I think your chances are pretty good and you'll probably get in

I know it sounds a little bit hard to believe, but 73% of the class of 2015 is instate.

I am a current 3L at UNC. Don't come here without a substantial scholarship.

I'd listen to this guy

balzie94 has a point - below a certain threshold in terms of median income/% employed after graduation, you shouldn't go above a certain amount of debt. It's up to you (OP) to figure out how much debt you're willing to absorb given UNC's return of this (2012 data will be out in a month):

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... class=2011

However, balzie94 is unlikely to be a 3L at UNC - so even his "on the ground" opinion isn't worth much. Claims to be a current 3L at Washington University of St. Louis on his profile, to have just graduated from Notre Dame on a post, and to live in Boston and be from the area in another post.

Good looking out! I see people doing that kind of thing all over this forum and that's why I waited as long as I possibly could before giving in and creating a profile. This is the first time I've ever seen somebody get so totally called out for being a troll and it was very awesome. Thanks for that and for some solid advice. From the same source claiming that 73% of the class of 2015 is from North Carolina I also found that the average amount borrowed by graduation is $76,642. That seems pretty reasonable to me, especially considering how big that number could be at another school.

http://www.law.unc.edu/documents/admiss ... t12-13.pdf

[TheSpanishMain]

Good looking out! I see people doing that kind of thing all over this forum and that's why I waited as long as I possibly could before giving in and creating a profile. This is the first time I've ever seen somebody get so totally called out for being a troll and it was very awesome.

This kind of stuff blows my mind. What kind of person has such a soul crushingly dull life that they lie to random strangers on a message board? Not even entertaining lies, either. Just pointless nonsense lies.

[I Used to Be a Spy]

Just a side note, althrough you probably will get in I wouldn't expect any scholarship money. UNC has a very limited scholarship pool with most awards ranging in the ridiculous 500-1500 range.

But hey, they make up for it with great basketball.

[dstars823]

Just a side note, althrough you probably will get in I wouldn't expect any scholarship money. UNC has a very limited scholarship pool with most awards ranging in the ridiculous 500-1500 range.

But hey, they make up for it with great basketball.

you might not get good basketball this year with all the trouble our top scorer has gotten in

[Buck Strickland]

Ok, so LSAC just got hold of my transcript and things hit the fan. I went from a 3.31 to 3.27. That was such a kick in the nuts. So I guess I should ask the question all over again: with this in mind, what do you think my odds are? How much do you think it will help that in spite of my low GPA I have an academic teacher with an endowed professorship writing a letter in high praise of my work in his class? Will that plus a good addendum curb the impact of that disgustingly low number?

[Nova]

.31 and .27 are pretty much the same...

What would you write an addendum on?

[Buck Strickland]

You're right about that. Just seeing that .3 turn into a .2 hurt.

My addendum is about how during college I was pursuing a music degree and had plans to go on to a conservatory for graduate school. I make the case that grad programs for music really don't care about GPAs, just about whether or not you play a killer audition, so I, like most music students, sometimes sacrificed time in the library for time in the practice room. My hope is that my resume, which is loaded with music opportunities that my playing (not my GPA) allowed me to capitalize on, will indicate that my priorities paid off when my focus was still music. I also try to present a 3.27 as a good GPA considering that a GPA wasn't going to open any doors along the path that I was on at the time.

If you'd be willing to read it (it's very short) I could PM it to you. I'd really appreciate it and wouldn't mind taking the time to read anything of yours in return.

[Nova]

Honestly, I would not recommend writing an addendum about that.

Many applicants don't consider going to law school till late in their academic career or after graduating. "I didn't know my GPA was going to be relevant" is not a good reason to write an addendum.

[jackattack17]

Actual current UNC 3L here. To answer a few of the questions raised in this thread: UNC Law is required to take (I think) 70% in-state students. It's lower than undergrad (80-82% I think), but still significant, and in-state applicants get a significant boost. OP has a good LSAT, and will either be admitted outright or WL-admitted. .04 GPA points is insignificant, especially assuming that the difference won't bump you below the GPA 25%ile. UNC does not give a lot of scholarships, and OP is unlikely to get one with that GPA. But, debt is very manageable for in-state students (consider residency a $15-20k scholarship from a private school--looking at you, Wake Forest), especially if you want to practice in NC afterword, as you'll have a leg up being a UNC grad. No need to write an addendum--as another poster mentioned, you don't have a good excuse. Sounds like you have a good recommender lined up that can speak to how your freshman grades aren't indicative of your intelligence/work ethic/whatever. On a side note, talking about your experiences with music might be good for a personal statement. PM me if you have any more specific questions.