Hi everyone!
I’ve been feeling pretty anxious about my undergraduate GPA and how it may affect my law school applications. I graduated in 2021 with a 2.1 GPA. I can’t really blame COVID or one particularly bad semester because, truthfully, I struggled academically throughout undergrad. I’m a first-generation college graduate, and at the time, I didn’t fully understand how much my academic record would matter later. More than anything, though, I simply wasn’t focused or putting in the effort that I should have.
Fast forward to now, and I’m in a master’s program with a 3.9 GPA and have made the Dean’s List for two consecutive terms. It took me some time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, but I now know that I want to become an attorney. I’m proud of the academic turnaround I’ve made, but I still worry that my undergraduate GPA will overshadow the person and student I am now.
I know that my graduate GPA won’t replace my undergraduate GPA for law school admissions purposes, so I’m approaching the LSAT as the part of my application that I have the most control over. I’ve been studying consistently for the past few months, and I’m giving myself about a year to really learn the test rather than rushing to take it. My goal is to score in the 170s and hopefully give myself the strongest chance possible despite my GPA.
I know someone who had a 2.4 GPA and scored a 163 on the LSAT. She ended up receiving a full-tuition scholarship from a lower-ranked law school where her LSAT was above the school’s 75th percentile. Seeing her experience reminded me that a low GPA doesn’t necessarily mean law school is impossible, but I’m still trying to figure out how realistic I should be when building my school list.
There are several schools I’m genuinely interested in because of their specific programs, clinics, and opportunities, but some of them are highly competitive, and I know my GPA puts me at a significant disadvantage regardless of how much I’ve grown academically.
For those who have applied with a GPA in the low 2s, especially anyone who was a significant splitter, how did you approach your application and school list? How much do you think a strong LSAT, graduate-school performance, work experience, and a well-written GPA addendum helped you? Did you still apply to reach schools where your GPA was far below the 25th percentile?
I rarely see applicants with GPAs around mine talk about their experiences, so I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has been in a similar position. I know my GPA is something I can’t change at this point. I’m mainly trying to figure out how to build the strongest application possible with the things I can control.
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