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Related Discussions
Fine arts major with no GPA...
vitamincoverdose
Member
Hello everyone,
I'm an artist. I got my undergrad degree from an art school with P/F system, so I don't have a GPA.
I recently got MFA in sculpture, but want to pursue law. Oh, I do have GPA from grad school. but I also read that GPA from grad schools don't really count?
Because I'm an artist, my resume looks very different from most people, and it's mostly shows and residencies I did with very few work experiences, mainly as a designer and art instructor.
How will this affect my chances with t14 schools? I see that GPA and LSAT score are the most important factors in the admissions, but I don't have a GPA... and I feel like my resume doesn't reflect some of the qualities the schools might look for in an applicant, whatever that quality is.
Heeeeelp...
Comments
GPA or no GPA, getting into a T14 is typically going to require a pretty solid LSAT score. I would say that should be your primary focus at this point.
I think law schools just want to know that you are capable of performing at a high level and will be successful in the classroom. Because you don't have a GPA, this may be a little harder to show but not impossible. You are going to need stellar recommendations from professors you've worked with closely and I also think it will be key to write a personal statement that explains this intersection of interests between art and law.
Law schools like to see applications from a variety of fields. You're right that the grad GPA doesn't count for your LSAC GPA, but the schools will definitely see and consider it. If you haven't done this yet, you'll also want to take a look at the numbers for this cycle.
This is a very interesting case... I'd be willing to bet that, with some creativity, you could put together an awesome application that stands out from the others. Getting a high LSAT would lend a lot of credibility to what you are trying to do and would likely be enough for them to not care as much about lacking a GPA.
Without a stellar LSAT I don't think it would be convincing though... some people can fall back on a 4.0 GPA if their LSAT is 164 (for a decent chance) for the T14, but you would almost certainly need to crush the LSAT as it would be your only numerical stat for them to go off of.
I feel like they would just treat you like an overseas applicant whose grades don’t translate. Might even benefit you in making you a unique applicant. I think if anything law schools would like someone with no GPA bc you can’t mess up their GPA stats. The residencies and master’s degree are good softs. Just crush the LSAT and write an interesting PS.
I agree with you. It can't help - but it wouldn't hurt as bad as a low GPA either.
I think your chances will be most similar to international applicants, but that you will probably have a slight performance edge over them since you are not international. Craft a logically convincing story about how your experience with the fine arts has led you to the law, and I bet adcomms eat it up. Your situation is unique and schools love diversity.
Since you probably will not have a GPA, your sole numerical factor will be the LSAT.
@LindsMitch @lsatplaylist @"mickey.caleb" @"surfy surf" @Ohnoeshalpme @goingfor99th @FixedDice
Thank you everybody! I was initially planning on doing Lsat part time, but I guess I really should be focusing on studying. 40hrs/wk for 7 months should be sufficient... right? tho I guess it depends.
Lsat and ps. got it
I'd say study full-time if you can. That being said, it's important that you incorporate other things into your week. Maybe work part-time on a personal project or do some charity work. Something to take your mind off of the LSAT a few times a week and something that would look good on a resume.
Agreed, 40hrs/wk on the LSAT for 7mo is too much. I think the initial phase of studying, ie the core curriculum portion of the 7sage material, is good for long hours of studying because it's a lot of reading and watching videos where you are taking some notes.
Once you get to the point where you are doing full-on 5 section timed practice tests you would not be getting too many more benefits doing 40hrs/wk than you could with 25hrs/wk. The reason being that you can only fire your brain up to maximum intensity for so many hours and still perform at a high level. Sure, you could take it to its limit every day, but I guarantee that limit will start to decrease unless you get a little time off.
When you are doing full PTs I highly encourage you to spend a fair amount of time on blind reviewing (you will learn about this) between your PTs, not just because it's crucial for finding/fixing your weaknesses, but because it will afford you something you can do to continue improving while giving your brain a little rest for the next 3.5hr sprint on your next PT!
I don't have advice, but I'm also coming from an undergrad with a P/F system and feeling a lot of frustration about how that makes it impossible for me to predict my cycle. The only advice I've gotten is to kick butt on the LSAT and make sure essays and resume reflect an interesting and academic story.
Hopefully we'll both be fine!
I just wanna say it is not healthy to study 40 hours a week. I agree with @"mickey.caleb". Yes you can do the very beginning of the CC for hours straight as it's all very explanatory. It's like going to school, of course you can sit and listen and take notes all day.
Once you get to the problem sets, you really shouldn't be trying to bust through 20 problem sets in one 8 hour sitting. Although it is possible, you're not gonna learn anything. The next day you'll be on to learning the next question type, and you'll be on information overload, not having fully learned the previous question type. LSAT studying isn't like last minute cramming for a final. And even last minute cramming for a final is like 4 hours the night before.
So if you do have room to study "full time," I'd say max out at 5 hours a day (with a lunch break in the middle) and take at least one full day off. With 7months to study, you have room to get burned out and take a break for a couple weeks, and throw in another couple weeks of just being tired/having some other things going on and only studying for 2 hours a day here and there.