Self-paced
I recently realized that all undergrad grades are computed in LSAC GPA, which makes total sense, but means that my reported gpa is lower as I transferred schools after my freshman year. I was doing a sport at a D1 level which meant my grades suffered a bit (not a ton but enough to lower my gpa below most top 20 medians). I am aiming to score as high as possible on the LSAT as I know that will only help me in this case but I'm wondering if my only chances for top 20/30 school admissions are slim even with a high lsat if my gpa is below median or even 25th percent. How much do top schools value gpa addendums, am I being unrealistic expecting consideration from top schools? My gpa trended upward - ending at 3.8-4.0 for my last few semesters that focused on my specific major courses. I am 2+ years out of college and have since held jobs in the legal field and have strong professional recs but I'm aware that that won't help school stats or medians so just trying to figure out how to approach applications. Also will LSAC only evaluate the credits that transferred from my first institution that were awarded to my degree? Or is it every course I have taken regardless of whether it was accepted as a credit by my second institution?
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@mkos99 Just to answer your question about what grades do or don't count, the answer is "every undergrad course taken towards your first bachelors." What that means in plain English for you is "yes, your transcript from the school you attended freshman year and - yes - ALL the classes you took."
And regarding an Addenda, I think this is a pretty clear cut case where providing one is beneficial. As an admissions officer, I'll see the transfer, I'll see the GPA trend, but it's nice for you just to walk me through things quickly to make sure I don't miss anything.
I hope that helps!
@JacobBaska this definitely helps - thanks! Can a reasonable addendum offset a below median gpa? Also, do you do one on one admissions advising?
@mkos99 It's not really about "offsetting," per se, but about "providing necessary context to understand what's up."
For example, let's say that someone had a significant health issue during one semester (mono + broke a leg + a concussion, etc). It's absolutely unreasonable to assume that they would perform at their best that semester, right? Your case is a bit less dramatic (at least I hope it is!) but it's still good just to have you walk me through things in one paragraph.
And to your last question, we actually do offer time in 30 minute increments and you can learn about that here. I'm mindful of costs so I try to talk VERY FAST during that period. But I also do a weekly admissions AMA on Wednesdays at 1PM Eastern and you're welcome to pop in there and ask a few questions. It's anonymous (like here) and we're answering questions in public, but we can at least get into greater detail than a chat room AND it's still free.
@JacobBaska great thanks so much! I just booked a session with you!
i think its every undergrad course you have taken prior to receiving your degree. But yes you can definitely still get accepted with a gpa below their 25%, you just have to make up for that with other factors like a high LSAT. The fact that it is a 25th percentile explicitly means that there ARE students below that mark, and they got accepted of course.