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i'm worried about my 3.0 GPA

vivianudoh53vivianudoh53 Alum Member
in Law School Admissions 23 karma

Hi all,

I am very worried about my GPA not cutting through for Law school admission. I have been studying really hard for the LSAT and plan on writing this November 2018. My fear of rejected from law schools just kicked in as the date approach near. I am beginning to think that my GPA isn't strong enough and regardless of all other factors that may count to being accepted I might not make it.
Also, I am at a disadvantage because I am a visible minority without permanent residence or citizenship, just an immigrant working towards getting her PR next year. I currently work full time hours as a legal assistant.

Any advice or uplifting words? they will be appreciated :)

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Comments

  • LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐
    13286 karma

    I got accepted to Northwestern off their waitlist with a 2.83 GPA.

    It took hard work, endless amounts of dedication, and huge sacrifices but I got there.

    A high LSAT is NECESSARY to offset the low GPA. When I say high, I mean 170+ if you are shooting for the T-14 schools.

    There is still hope and an opportunity to get into law school. Believe in yourself, set goals and work until you get there. Don't beat yourself up, it is wasted energy. You've got this!

  • Tom_TangoTom_Tango Alum Member
    902 karma

    There is literally nothing you can do to change your GPA now..stop thinking about it. The bottom line is yes it puts you at an disadvantage. The great thing is however that the most important part of admissions is still in your control..the LSAT.

    I too have an extremely low GPA so I understand. Just focus on ensuring you get a super high LSAT (above the 75%ile for your choice school). That should be your priority.

    When it comes to your own mental sanity, I think the second most important thing is taking ownership of your low grades. I've noticed that many people have these extravagant list of excuses for why their grades are so low (second cousin died, dog was sick, etc). I'm not saying that there aren't legitimate reasons for low grades but don't be that person that does this especially if you're writing an addendum.

    It also helps to put some time in between your last year of school and when you enter law school.

  • vivianudoh53vivianudoh53 Alum Member
    23 karma

    @LSATcantwin said:
    I got accepted to Northwestern off their waitlist with a 2.83 GPA.

    It took hard work, endless amounts of dedication, and huge sacrifices but I got there.

    A high LSAT is NECESSARY to offset the low GPA. When I say high, I mean 170+ if you are shooting for the T-14 schools.

    There is still hope and an opportunity to get into law school. Believe in yourself, set goals and work until you get there. Don't beat yourself up, it is wasted energy. You've got this!

    Thank you for sharing @LSATcantwin I certainly feel like i can DO IT just reading your story.

  • vivianudoh53vivianudoh53 Alum Member
    23 karma

    @Tom_Tango said:
    There is literally nothing you can do to change your GPA now..stop thinking about it. The bottom line is yes it puts you at an disadvantage. The great thing is however that the most important part of admissions is still in your control..the LSAT.

    I too have an extremely low GPA so I understand. Just focus on ensuring you get a super high LSAT (above the 75%ile for your choice school). That should be your priority.

    When it comes to your own mental sanity, I think the second most important thing is taking ownership of your low grades. I've noticed that many people have these extravagant list of excuses for why their grades are so low (second cousin died, dog was sick, etc). I'm not saying that there aren't legitimate reasons for low grades but don't be that person that does this especially if you're writing an addendum.

    It also helps to put some time in between your last year of school and when you enter law school.

    Thank you for responding @Tom_Tango i definitely will get out of the habit of making excuses and fighting for what I desperately want that is, getting into Law School. Thank you :)

  • Beast ModeBeast Mode Live Member
    855 karma

    I couldn't agree more with the comments above. You can't change the past. What you can do is focus on the present, work hard and get a high LSAT score. I know it's difficult but you still have a chance to improve as long as you stay positive and work really hard. You only know what you're capable of and it will pay off in the end. If you focus on the GPA, it will likely distract you from studying for the LSAT.

  • Leah M BLeah M B Alum Member ⭐
    8392 karma

    Agreed with all the others. The one thing to note is that you will be a splitter and splitter cycles tend to be extremely unpredictable. You'll want to apply very broadly, to a lot of schools.

  • studyingandrestudyingstudyingandrestudying Core Member
    5254 karma

    Not an expert, but I'd say get good recommendation letters. Is English your first language?

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