End of the LSAC Saga....

LSATcantwin

Hey all,

As many of you know my application cycle did not go very smoothly. One of the biggest obstacles I faced during this process was the LSAC. My transcripts from about 10 years ago underwent a change after I spoke to the Dean of my old community college. She enrolled me in an academic renewal policy that removes all credit attempted and calculated for grades given at the college. I re-submitted my transcripts to the LSAC, because based on their posted policy at the time my GPA should have been significantly improved. (2.8 - 3.1)

I fought with them for months, filled out forms they had for me, updated schools of my situation, put my applications on hold, and ultimately I truly believe this is what landed me on all the wait-list as I still have not been able to send a final update to the schools as to what the outcome will be.

I fought very hard against the LSAC because I knew their policy was wrong. I filed a complaint with the BBB and during the correspondence there they continued to reviel that they did not understand their own policy. The contradicted themselves multiple times, and I even received an E-mail from the BBB agent that stated she saw their inconsistency and left the complain as "unresolved".

I brought all this to a lawyer, who believed I 100% had a case against them. Their policy was wrong, and they were holding it against me. It was up to them to change their policy, but they DID hold my applications back. He advised me not to litigate though because he thought they'd appeal me to hell. I'm still unsure if I will purse this.

Some good has come out of this however, the LSAC HAS UPDATED their entire transcript summerization policy due to my persistence. While the LSAC has ultimately crushed my dreams and hampered all my hard work, I have at least ensured that it wont happen to someone else.

(failing grades, and grades to be excluded are totally different now)

https://www.lsac.org/aboutlsac/policies/transcript-summarization

Their new policy explicitly excludes me from having my grades changed now, and replaces ALL the wording I pointed to that showed them why it should be changed.

It's a hallow victory, I am sitting on a ton of waitlists now and I really do contribute it to this. Especially after e-mailing schools to put my applications on hold for almost a month.

Just know, you should NEVER back down. You should always fight for yourself. Always fight for what is right, even if it doesn't help you know it can help someone else later.

I plan on staying on 7Sage, especially if I don't get off a waitlist. I hope to help and get you to realize some of your dreams as well. Keep up the hard work 7Sagers.

10000019

Hey I don't have much to say about the ordeal you went through, but I wanted to wish you luck next cycle. I feel like this transcript issue definitely is what kept you back. I applied ED to a T14 school around the same time you did with a slightly lower LSAT score but higher GPA (still well below 25th percentile) and was accepted. My softs are nothing compared to yours.

If the government is taking care of your bills then I hope you take advantage of tactical early decisions. I'd be shocked if you didn't make it to a T14 in the next cycle.

While the extra year of waiting sucks, you can get some serious 1L prep in.

keets993

First of all, I've been seeing your posts since the September 2017 lsat and I'm sorry you went through a lot this cycle. Even a lot seems like an understatement and not adequate enough. I really hope that if need be, next application cycle will be a lot smoother for you and that you get in since your GPA will be fixed and you have a stellar lsat score.

Second, horray for small moral victories. You took on the system and won. I mean... An aspiring lawyer making the lsac admit to their mistake and changing it is pretty cool. Maybe that can be a story you tell in your apps of a time you've done something that impacted others. Depending on the rest of your life goes, this might turn into a lifetime movie.

And on behalf may the 4th, Anakin changed the Jedi system too...

Freddy_D

Fighting the good fight for future applicants! I commend you, brother!!

OverRatedUnderAchiever

@LSATcantwin said:
Hey all,

As many of you know my application cycle did not go very smoothly. One of the biggest obstacles I faced during this process was the LSAC. My transcripts from about 10 years ago underwent a change after I spoke to the Dean of my old community college. She enrolled me in an academic renewal policy that removes all credit attempted and calculated for grades given at the college. I re-submitted my transcripts to the LSAC, because based on their posted policy at the time my GPA should have been significantly improved. (2.8 - 3.1)

I fought with them for months, filled out forms they had for me, updated schools of my situation, put my applications on hold, and ultimately I truly believe this is what landed me on all the wait-list as I still have not been able to send a final update to the schools as to what the outcome will be.

I fought very hard against the LSAC because I knew their policy was wrong. I filed a complaint with the BBB and during the correspondence there they continued to reviel that they did not understand their own policy. The contradicted themselves multiple times, and I even received an E-mail from the BBB agent that stated she saw their inconsistency and left the complain as "unresolved".

I brought all this to a lawyer, who believed I 100% had a case against them. Their policy was wrong, and they were holding it against me. It was up to them to change their policy, but they DID hold my applications back. He advised me not to litigate though because he thought they'd appeal me to hell. I'm still unsure if I will purse this.

Some good has come out of this however, the LSAC HAS UPDATED their entire transcript summerization policy due to my persistence. While the LSAC has ultimately crushed my dreams and hampered all my hard work, I have at least ensured that it wont happen to someone else.

(failing grades, and grades to be excluded are totally different now)

https://www.lsac.org/aboutlsac/policies/transcript-summarization

Their new policy explicitly excludes me from having my grades changed now, and replaces ALL the wording I pointed to that showed them why it should be changed.

It's a hallow victory, I am sitting on a ton of waitlists now and I really do contribute it to this. Especially after e-mailing schools to put my applications on hold for almost a month.

Just know, you should NEVER back down. You should always fight for yourself. Always fight for what is right, even if it doesn't help you know it can help someone else later.

I plan on staying on 7Sage, especially if I don't get off a waitlist. I hope to help and get you to realize some of your dreams as well. Keep up the hard work 7Sagers.

I think myself & a few others will be here with you after this fall. I'll be here too, for a very long time. I'm working on my Masters and intend to then go to law school, so I'm not going anywhere either. You've been very motivating and we all admire it.

Seeking Perfection

I bet your lawyer is right about LSAC appealing any decision and generally opting to drag it out and make it expensive. If you could identify others who have been affected you might be able to do a class action law suit of some sort which might make the burden of the appeals process more spread out and bearable. I still wouldn't do this though since they have already caved and changed their policies and you are unlikely to win in a reasonable timeline anyway.

Generally I would say you will do better applying next year. I think all the uncertainty damaged you more than the GPA difference since either way you are below the 25th percentile.

If I were you, I would work with some professional to make sure your GPA addendum and your essays are perfect and apply early next year.

I would also recommend retaking the LSAT to make sure you are above 75th at as many schools as possible.

Additionally, keep working those waitlists. One should pan out. I might let those schools know in a carefully written email that you have decided to stop fighting it and that LSAC has changed their policies.