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Subject to academic disqualification
mel.2265
Member
I graduated in 2013 with a 2.88 GPA, and my winter quarter freshman year, I totally tanked. At the time, I was playing a collegiate sport, and had taken chem/calc. Needless to say, my grades were awful, and I was subject to academic disqualification as a result. I quickly changed my major, and stopped sports at the end of my freshman year (mostly due to injuries, partly due to grades). I was in good academic standing for the remainder of undergrad.
For the most part, my grades slowly got better after that one quarter, but in general, I was not a good student my first two years - I wasn't very mature, and didn't take some classes seriously. To add to that, I also graduated two quarters early, so I wasn't able to take extra classes to boost my GPA.
My official transcript does not show that I was in bad standing that one quarter, but I plan on applying to law school at the same place I did my undergrad, as well as a couple other places. Regardless, is this something that I should/need to discuss in an addendum?
I'm planning on taking the LSAT in August, with a goal of 170. I worry that with anything much lower than that, I will be discarded, due to my GPA.
Comments
Hey there,
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you and I truly think it's good to fill out any addendum necessary and explain your situation completely. Low GPA's can be quite discouraging but they say strengthen your application wherever else you can. It's realistic to assume that you probably won't be able to get into some of the top law schools but I think there are many options to choose if you can afford to move out of state. With that being said I wish you the best of luck!
Get that 170 and u can still get into many of the top schools with a well written addendum
Hey,
We're not admissions consultants so I would reach out to one of the 7Sage consultants directly since they'll be able to give you more reliable advice imo!
But that said, I definitely think a GPA addendum would be a good idea; you made a mistake (took on more than you could chew, let's say. Also sports + hard subjects is a compelling explanation unlike sports + any random class), accepted responsibility and learned from it, and have improved since. I wouldn't include the bit about extra classes to boost your GPA though. Saying that you graduated early is enough--admissions can make their own judgements about that.
Again, definitely reach out to a consultant. You could also post on Reddit's r/lawschooladmissions. There are a lot of people there so you might hear from people with similar experiences who've applied this cycle.
I don't think it matters if it shows you were in "bad standing" or not. With a 2.88 GPA you definitely should write an addendum. In fact my GPA was 3.5, but I had two semesters that I had bad grades because of health issues and definitely wrote an addendum. I don't see how it can ever hurt if it's well written. Just make sure to clearly explain the situation, and the steps you took to resolve it so that it won't happen again. Letters of Rec from professors from your school that can prove you took it seriously after your two years would help.
Thank you all for your responses. I'll definitely include an addendum based on your feedback, and I'll look into a consultant!
Question back on this - it's been almost 7 years since I graduated, and I didn't really know any of my professors. I doubt any of them would remember me. At this point, I think it would be more beneficial to get letters of rec from current/previous employers that can actually provide a recommendation, rather than just a form letter. Considering my situation, should I throw this thinking out the window, and try to get a letter from a professor?
Thank you! It's nice to hear I'm not the only one! Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to move, but I'm lucky in that there are quite a few law schools within 30 min to 2 hours of where I'm currently living. I may change my mind after getting LSAT scores back, and doing more research, but right now, I'm planning on staying put.
That's tough. The school I am applying to allows for four letters I am not sure if that is standard or if it depends on the school. It wouldn't hurt to reach out to a professor that you had a good grade in them and just check in and tell them your situation and gently remind them who you are. I'm not really sure how important letters are but my strategy is one is from the program leader for my department, one from professor of that department, one from a professor in the history department that really liked me and we had debates and groups, and the fourth one is my "flex" slot I am using for someone that hasn't known me for very long but highlights something in my personal statement I want to highlight.
That’s true. Two professors come to mind that I could reach out to. One led a small seminar I was in, and the other I didn’t have much interaction with, but I did really well in his class (when apparently a lot of others did not). I think he’s interim dean now too. It’s worth a shot!