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Returning Student w/Low GPA. Do I have a chance?
olderstudent19
Free Trial Member
I am an older student (almost 40). I dropped out of college in 2001 with a sub-2.0 GPA due to domestic violence/abuse issues. I worked full-time throughout my first stint in college. After I dropped out, I continued to work full-time, and decided to go back to school in 2016 to complete my degree. In my second stint at college, I needed 24 hours to graduate, and although I completed those 24 hours with a 3.5+ GPA, it only raised my cummulative GPA to 2.1. I completed my degree in May 2018. I have taken the January administration of the LSAT. I don't have my score back yet, but have also signed up for the March administration of the test. Assuming I score 165+ on the test, do I have any chance of getting into a decent school? I know my overal GPA is terrible and relatively recent, but the bulk of the damage was done 15+ years ago. Thank you for any feedback you can offer.
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I'm in a similar boat. 28 y/o who graduated with a 2.7 at age 22. Recently returned to pick up some more credit hours, as well as a nice recommendation letter. Any chance of getting a letter of your own from one of your profs?
I assume you know that we aren't an anomaly, and the status we are hoping to achieve is what's known as a "splitter." Low GPA and high LSAT score or vice versa. Many schools seem to weigh the LSAT more heavily than the GPA. Check out the percentile ranges of LSAT scores for some of the schools you're interested in. Try to reach the score in the range of the top 25%.
Also, you said you're trying again in March. Are you sure you'll be ready so soon? Since you're so heavily reliant on the LSAT, why not wait until July to take it and really buckle down. You CAN see major improvement in your score by diligent effort. I know you're eager to get going, but you've waited this long. What difference is one more year gonna make?
Good luck! Do logic games every day, that's where you'll likely see the most improvement.
Thanks for the input. I am now working on a second BA (to further demonstrate that I can succeed in an academic setting), and got my con law prof to write one LOR for me and a colleague at work to write another LOR. I would love to get my boss to write an LOR, but I don't want to alert him to the fact I would be leaving the company. I've been studying for the LSAT since mid-December, putting in 3-4 hours every day. It's grueling, but I think it's worth it. I'm okay with waiting until next year to attend if I have to, but I would really like to get the second half of my life going. I do logic games every day, and they are finally looking like less of a foreign language to me.
Check out these links where you can input your GPA & lsat score to show your chances of admission:
https://7sage.com/predictor/
https://mylsn.info/h0io78/
http://users.lawschoolnumbers.com/gpa-lsat
For splitters like us, the results largely hinge on the LSAT score. The higher the score, the better our chances. I have no idea how a second BA would count for law schools.. Though as you're a non-traditional student, if you're able to explain the extenuating circumstances that contributed to your lower first-time GPA in an addendum, I think that would help.
What schools are you interested in?
The door to a good law school is 100% not shut with a 2.2 GPA and a stellar LSAT score. Especially due to the fact you’re older and have distanced yourself from the GPA with work experience.
I’ve seen many students with low 2.0 GPAs and high LSAT scores admitted to T20 schools like WashU. There’s almost certainly old threads with people in the same position as you on top law schools. Check those out for a dose of motivation!
Best of luck!
Know that you are not alone. I am 46 and am applying in the current cycle with a 2.73 LSAC GPA (from 1998, after 2 attempts at college) and a 163 LSAT. I've been accepted to multiple strong regional T1 and T2 schools, some ranked as high as the low 20's. You need to demonstrate in your application that you have grown and are not the same student that you were back then. I also tried to visit each school in person prior to submitting my application or receiving a decision so they would have a real person in mind when they read my package. In my opinion, in-person visits are key to get schools to overlook not-shiny aspects of our applications.
Full transparency, if you have a good story, the issue is not getting accepted but receiving merit scholarship consideration. Schools are definitely willing to let you in with a good LSAT; however many calculate scholarships based on an index score combining your GPA and LSAT. The math hurts those of us fighting sub 3 GPAs. My advice is to apply widely and make sure some of your choices include schools that give >90% of their applicants scholarships.
This is really helpful. Thank you for this information. I think visiting the law schools is a brilliant suggestion.
I also have a low GPA. I'm trying to combat that with a very strong LSAT. The LSAT has been tough on me, but after all this time studying, I definitely think it is a very learn-able exam. With that said, my advice is to take as much time as you can to learn the LSAT and get a very competitive score (I would say 165+) Good luck! There is hope!
My opinion is that you definitely have a chance, although you should probably join one of the admissions webinars on wednesday evenings to ask some professionals, live, to confirm. I believe that the schools will, assuming you write a GPA addendum, weigh your last credits much more heavily than the rest of your GPA. With so much work experience, they will definitely place more value on your LSAT than your GPA, as it is much better of a representation of your current capabilities.
Anyway, yeah, I recommend the webinars:
https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/18349/admissions-office-hours-on-wednesdays-at-9-p-m-et
Felllow non-traditional here, too, out of UG for 15+ years -- subpar UGPA, but then went on and got more degrees. I was told by some admissions counselors that helps negate my UGPA, but I don't know how much. I agree w/ what everyone above has said, but would also say that you might be able to build in your experience (the why left UG the first time bit) as part of your Personal Statement. I strongly suggest using the Admissions Unlimited Editing package if you can swing it financially with 7Sage. I did and my editor really helped me craft a strong statement which helped cover my growth (which someone mentioned above). You have a unique story to tell, if you're able, regarding your in-between UG experiences. That ends up helping talk about your growth and readiness for law school especially when looking at a lower UGPA and split experience, and maturity, as well as being a personal story that does well in a PS. You can (I did) write a UGPA addendum, also.
Hey hey! I’m a 29 year old in my first year of law School at Northwestern. I also had a poor cumulative GPA (2.83).
The LSAT is your door opener - with a high LSAT (171) I was able to get waitlisted at a ton of great schools and ended up in a T-14!
Don’t give up, work hard and you can be in almost any school you want to. Persistence and patience is key!
Some hope here for me as well in this post.
i'm 35 with a FT gig, family, kids, mortgage, etc. But law school is a calling. Ironically, unlike the younger applicants who are desperate to finish school and get onto life, I've already gotten that out of the way.
It really makes me feel like time is on my side.
I think you are just as qualified as any other applicant
Your persistence is evident.
You made the effort to complete your degree and you have great marks to show for them.
Life happens. We should never allow it to dishearten us.
I am sure in the future I will see a post from you telling us your continued story and the amazing law school you were admitted into