3.96 vs 4.0

MGreene412

Straight up, does the .04 matter? Didn't think ITAL 101 would be the class to kill perfection, but here we are. I plan on applying to a T14 law school. I am reaching for HYS, but if a fall short, I would be perfectly content. That said, would a small difference in GPA carry significant sway at a school like Harvard or Yale that likely see many 4.0 applicants? If my LSAT score is around their 25th percentile, would falling short of the golden "4.0" actually have any significance in their admittance decision (ceteris paribus)?

Not pulling my hair out over the issue, but I am curious about the implication small differences in GPA make in law school admissions.

Law and Yoda

@taschasp posted this link a few post ago- https://www.lawschooldata.org/school

Not sure how reliable that data is but nonetheless it is interesting to see. I've heard that your GPA might fluctuate as well based on the terms LSAC uses to calculate it. I honestly don't think a .04 difference would be an end all be all if your entire package (PS, resume, recommendation, etc) is favored by admissions.

taschasp

I doubt it'd be a determining factor. Kind of like differentiating between a 177 and a 178 on the LSAT.

simple_jack

It can only hurt you, right?

lexxx745

@taschasp said:
I doubt it'd be a determining factor. Kind of like differentiating between a 177 and a 178 on the LSAT.

Comparison is good and so is conclusion. Because 177 and 178 is so uncommon difference between 4.0 and 3.96 also wont make a difference. But it could be determining factor when compared to another applicant that does a 178 and other things similar to you.

And 4.0 - 3.96 diff might be more important than LSAT diff. Because way more people with high GPAs than high LSATs so that 4.0 might matter a bit bit more. Either way, I doubt itll matter, 3.96 is p much higher than all 75th percentiles, which i heard is the determining factor, the percentile its in