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I started college and screwed up my first 3 semesters terribly. I was diagnosed with anxiety/ADHD since then and have cleaned up my act and SEVERLY improved my GPA compared to those semesters. However my LSAC calculated GPA still stands at 2.57 regardless. Since my sophomore year I have worked part-time during the school year and full-time over the summer at the same job (IT for my schools foundation) and have also taken overloaded schedules and summer school to catch up and graduate on time.

What are my chances of getting into a decent law school??? What do I do?

You should work for several years. If you do, you'll likely get into Northwestern, maybe even with a bit of money. You also would have shots at a few other t14s. However, you are almost certainly gonna have to take a ton of debt.

What state do you live in?

Gaining WE is never going to hurt you, and certainly has the effect of improving your chances not only of getting into law schools but also getting better summer job opportunities (employers like students who won't be taking their first office job with them).

That said, this is one of those times where you (if you're comfortable doing so) should out that in an addendum. Especially if your UG transcript shows the significant upward trend you claim is there.

Have you checked with your school about the possibility of retroactive withdrawals for the terrible semesters?

Have you graduated? If not, and if retroactive Ws aren't possible, why not take an extra year to load up on easy classes and get your GPA to 3.0 or better before graduating, if possible? You'll probably get into NU as is with some work experience, but you're no lock with a 2.5x. With a 3.0 or better, the rest of your app would have to be a disaster to keep you out, and you might have other options as well. Get your GPA up to 3.3 and you'll have several options for sure.

Even with a whole year left it is gonna be difficult to get to a 3.0, but it is possible. Either way you should be making straight A's no matter what. If you are in TX then you might have a decent shot at the UT ED, it comes with a scholarship and would be a good option.

Pneumonia wrote:Even with a whole year left it is gonna be difficult to get to a 3.0, but it is possible.

Right. But if OP takes an extra year of easy-A classes beyond what's necessary to graduate, it's very doable.

OP look into your school's policy of having those grades removed from your transcripts. At my school, you had to wait 5 years before you could apply to have your grades removed.

Yeah, you really need to try for retroactive withdrawals. Check into your school's policies and gather as much evidence as you can: medical information, letters from doctors, etc. With a 2.5 and a 177, you'd probably get Northwestern, but it would be at sticker. Don't go to law school at sticker (unless you have rich parents footing the bill or something, of course.)

Ti Malice wrote:

Pneumonia wrote:Even with a whole year left it is gonna be difficult to get to a 3.0, but it is possible.

Right. But if OP takes an extra year of easy-A classes beyond what's necessary to graduate, it's very doable.

So...take on an extra year's worth of UG debt for the chance of getting into a law school where OP might have to deal with sticker debt?

Not a good solution.

sd5289 wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:

Pneumonia wrote:Even with a whole year left it is gonna be difficult to get to a 3.0, but it is possible.

Right. But if OP takes an extra year of easy-A classes beyond what's necessary to graduate, it's very doable.

So...take on an extra year's worth of UG debt for the chance of getting into a law school where OP might have to deal with sticker debt?

Not a good solution.

Exactly what appealing options do you think most people with 2.57 GPAs have?

Anyway, taking a year to boost the GPA is not as fraught with undesirable consequences as your simple evaluation would make it seem. He's already essentially radioactive with the 2.57. CC courses don't cost much. With his 177 he could teach LSAT classes for one of the companies that pays well while going to school. Or he could come up with some other plan. It's really not that hard.

People with a 3.0x can get some money from NU, and his odds of landing a full ride a decent regional would increase with an improved GPA.

Ti Malice wrote:But if OP takes an extra year of easy-A classes beyond what's necessary to graduate, it's very doable.

This. If I were you, I would be taking every community college class available over the next year. Pottery 101 at a community college counts just as much as a 400 level class (assuming its a credit class) at your university. Get that GPA to a 3.X and your options will be exponentially better.

whitespider wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:But if OP takes an extra year of easy-A classes beyond what's necessary to graduate, it's very doable.

This. If I were you, I would be taking every community college class available over the next year. Pottery 101 at a community college counts just as much as a 400 level class (assuming its a credit class) at your university. Get that GPA to a 3.X and your options will be exponentially better.

And, I mean, the schools won't GAF since all they care is what the stats say.