GPA question from an old fogey

Claire Z.

I graduated from college back in the dark ages when GPAs didn't go over 4.0. Do I need to point that out?

On the one hand, the dates I attended are clearly written on my resume and I don't want to sound whiny.

On the other hand, David advises us to point out different aspects of our GPA if it makes us look good. For example, he says to compare your GPA to the class average if you benefit from the comparison. While researching I found that the average high school GPA for students enrolling in my former college is 4.23. I realize that's high school but still - it drew me up short. My college GPA of 3.74 may or may not be impressive to the admissions officers, but it definitely won't if 4.23s are typical.

Or is it only high schools that go above 4.0 and not colleges?

help

Leah M B

I don’t think it’s as much of an era thing as it is school by school policy. I’m in the same boat. I transferred from a school that does give A+s (which I had one) to a school that doesn’t (boo). LSAC standardizes our GPAs, though it irritates me that that’s one thing they don’t account for. I don’t think it’s worth pointing out; I didn’t when I applied last year. 3.74 is still a very good GPA and they’ll have your full transcripts to review as well. It’s a common thing that some schools don’t give A+s. And I think pointing that out might not put you in the best light - as if you’re complaining about a 3.74 GPA when that is already very good. It’s just shy of median at pretty much the whole T14, and well above most of their 25ths. With a strong LSAT score, you're in fine shape.

Claire Z.

Leah, how does LSAC standardize our GPAs?

Thanks for the good advice. I definitely don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I appreciate it!

MissChanandler

Yeah, I’m also at a school that won’t give over a 4.0. Kinda sucks! But like others have said it’s not something that needs to be mentioned.

Leah M B

@"Claire Z." said:
Leah, how does LSAC standardize our GPAs?

Thanks for the good advice. I definitely don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I appreciate it!

Here's some info on what LSAC does to convert grades:

https://www.lsac.org/applying-law-school/jd-application-process/cas/requesting/academic-record#GradeConversionTable

There's a chart that shows various grading scales and how LSAC converts them to a 4.0 scale.

This is a little more in depth:

https://www.lsac.org/applying-law-school/jd-application-process/cas/requesting/transcript-summarization

_oshun1_

I don’t think A+s are given out in community college, or at least they weren’t in mine. And in my university, the criteria for an A+ was subjective. Few professors labeled anything 96% and up as an A+, most labeled 99% and up as A+, and many just didn’t give them out. I don’t think there’s any point in mentioning it.

Ohnoeshalpme

Don’t worry too much about it, A+ grades are still very rare.

AudaciousRed

A+'s in my university are usually 97 or 98%+. And not all classes offer them (but I find a surprising amount do, even some extremely difficult ones). I had no classes in community college that did A+'s.Usually, if they come with pluses, though, they also come with minuses. And LSAC penalizes you for minuses. It makes the window for a 4.0 that much smaller than in some other classes.