GPA from 2.0 to 3.7 Forum

[pineappleexps]

Hi guys, so I got sophomore slump and came out with a GPA of 2.0 but had an upward trends, and in my senior year I finished off with a GPA of 3.7. I took my LSAT last summer for the 1st time and got 159 with 77 percentile.

My dream school is Columbia Law and I wanna ask what are the practical things I could do right now to get into Columbia Law? Also, I heard from current Columbia Law student that being a woman helps the chances. Is that true? I saw UChicago Law stats that for the incoming class there are more women than men.

Thank you so much for your help in advance.

[QContinuum]

Hi guys, so I got sophomore slump and came out with a GPA of 2.0 but had an upward trends, and in my senior year I finished off with a GPA of 3.7. I took my LSAT last summer for the 1st time and got 159 with 77 percentile.

Is your LSAC GPA 3.7? Law schools only care about your overall GPA.

Even if your LSAC GPA is 3.7, that's still on the low side for the T13. Columbia students have a median GPA of 3.75, so even with an overall GPA of 3.7 you'd be below median GPA-wise, and would need to compensate for that with a high LSAT (preferably above the school's 75%). For Columbia that means you'd need a 174+ LSAT score.

So in terms of practical things you could do right now, do whatever it takes to get a sky-high LSAT. Do that and you'll be set.

Also, I heard from current Columbia Law student that being a woman helps the chances. Is that true?

No. You should expect to perform in line with your LSAC GPA and LSAT score, as predicted by MyLSN. Unless you also happen to be an underrepresented minority (URM) for law school admissions purposes - that means Native American, African-American, Mexican-American, or Puerto Rican.

[Npret]

With your current numbers you have no chance of being admitted to Columbia. You need to study and raise your LSAT as high as possible to even be in consideration.

Put aside any idea that being a woman will make up for or numbers.

Why do you want Columbia? It’s not smart to fixate on one school.

[Mccoyology]

Why do you want Columbia? It’s not smart to fixate on one school.

Yeah this isn't good advice.

[cavalier1138]

Why do you want Columbia? It’s not smart to fixate on one school.

Yeah this isn't good advice.

Yes, it really is.

Narrowing your school options before you even apply limits your ability to compare and negotiate scholarships among schools that will give you practically identical outcomes. The OP doesn't have a chance at the T13 with her current numbers, but if she is able to raise her LSAT into the 170s, she'll be a splitter. It would be a horrible idea for someone with those numbers to do anything less than apply everywhere from CCN down (maybe leaving out more GPA-conscious schools like Berkeley and Chicago.

Top law schools are pretty much interchangeable. Don't buy into the admissions office line in the brochure about the unique culture or alumni network. A UVA degree and a Michigan degree get you substantively identical job opportunities after graduation.

[toast and bananas]

Why do you want Columbia? It’s not smart to fixate on one school.

Yeah this isn't good advice.

Yes, it really is.

Narrowing your school options before you even apply limits your ability to compare and negotiate scholarships among schools that will give you practically identical outcomes. The OP doesn't have a chance at the T13 with her current numbers, but if she is able to raise her LSAT into the 170s, she'll be a splitter. It would be a horrible idea for someone with those numbers to do anything less than apply everywhere from CCN down (maybe leaving out more GPA-conscious schools like Berkeley and Chicago.

Top law schools are pretty much interchangeable. Don't buy into the admissions office line in the brochure about the unique culture or alumni network. A UVA degree and a Michigan degree get you substantively identical job opportunities after graduation.

I'm far removed from this process but just genuinely curious - how is a 170/3.7 a splitter? because of the bad start or something?

[cavalier1138]

Why do you want Columbia? It’s not smart to fixate on one school.

Yeah this isn't good advice.

Yes, it really is.

Narrowing your school options before you even apply limits your ability to compare and negotiate scholarships among schools that will give you practically identical outcomes. The OP doesn't have a chance at the T13 with her current numbers, but if she is able to raise her LSAT into the 170s, she'll be a splitter. It would be a horrible idea for someone with those numbers to do anything less than apply everywhere from CCN down (maybe leaving out more GPA-conscious schools like Berkeley and Chicago.

Top law schools are pretty much interchangeable. Don't buy into the admissions office line in the brochure about the unique culture or alumni network. A UVA degree and a Michigan degree get you substantively identical job opportunities after graduation.

I'm far removed from this process but just genuinely curious - how is a 170/3.7 a splitter? because of the bad start or something?

If I read the OP correctly, they had a 2.0 through sophomore year, then they improved their performance and hit a 3.7 for their senior year alone. I'm not sure what their actual overall GPA is, but it isn't 3.7. I don't think it would actually be possible to maintain a 3.7 overall with a semester's worth of credits at a 2.0 average.

[QContinuum]

I'm far removed from this process but just genuinely curious - how is a 170/3.7 a splitter? because of the bad start or something?

It varies from school to school. A "splitter" is someone whose GPA is below a particular law school's median GPA, but whose LSAT is at or above that law school's 75th LSAT percentile. For Columbia, a 3.7/170 isn't even a splitter - she's simply a below-median applicant, as both her GPA and LSAT are below Columbia's medians. With a 3.7 you'd need at least a 174 on the LSAT to hit Columbia's 75th LSAT and qualify as a splitter.

Now, make no mistake: a 3.7/170 is a very strong set of stats. These are terrific stats. They just aren't quite enough for the T6.

[NoLongerALurker]

This person’s cumulative GPA is probably low 3’s with an LSAT sub 170 (sub 160, even). I think best advice to OP is to just let Columbia go rather than embarking on this.

[totesTheGoat]

Narrowing your school options before you even apply limits your ability to compare and negotiate scholarships among schools that will give you practically identical outcomes. The OP doesn't have a chance at the T13 with her current numbers, but if she is able to raise her LSAT into the 170s, she'll be a splitter. It would be a horrible idea for someone with those numbers to do anything less than apply everywhere from CCN down (maybe leaving out more GPA-conscious schools like Berkeley and Chicago.

Top law schools are pretty much interchangeable. Don't buy into the admissions office line in the brochure about the unique culture or alumni network. A UVA degree and a Michigan degree get you substantively identical job opportunities after graduation.

*nods emphatically*

Locking in on one school is like getting heart surgery without a second opinion. It's way too big of a decision to lean on only one option.

[notinbiglaw]

Only thing you can do is crush the LSAT (176+) and hope when Columbia sees your app, they’re looking for help with their lsat scores.