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1 Like
To give up or not to give up...
sbc.mom_3x
Alum Member
I haven't had it easy to say the least. Without delving into my life story, I'll just sum it up to, my goal is law school. I'm trying really hard. I am 3 semesters shy of completing undergrad. I am retaking the LSAT this September. My first score was below 150. I anticipate my GPA being right at or just right below a 3.0. With that being said.. I actually have a few F's on my transcript, but I did retake those courses and replaced the F's. But I know they are still "there" although the GPA was recalculated, the failing grades are still in existence. I'm just wondering am I completely doomed with these F's on my transcript.. or what? I read (too much) on the internet, and other sites and forums, and some people say that the schools / LSAC rarely even take into account the personal statement or hardships, etc. (I'm doing pretty well considering circumstances)... *sigh* I do not want to give up, but if it's nearly not even possible then.. I would hate to have wasted time and money. Guess I'm feeling discouraged.. but don't encourage me just because. Honest, blunt opinions please!
Comments
It seems like you really are putting in effort and that your circumstances haven't exactly dealt you a strong hand. In this case, personal statement, addendums, and diversity statements are particularly helpful to building your case. If you are able, contacting a consulting group could be a major boost to your chances, though they're expensive, and they aren't for everybody. I believe many of the consulting firms do free consultations and will tell you if you have substantive reasons to take in their services.
Definitely keep at it and work hard to perform as best you can on the LSAT. Given that the LSAT is generally the biggest factor in determining your place in applications, you still have a lot of potential to become a great applicant. What seem to be damaging life circumstances can be explained and possibly even make you a standout among the rest of us.
Also, you're 3 semesters shy of completing undergrad yet you've already taken the LSAT? What's the rush? While circumstances may vary, I tend to think people take the exam at least during the end of their junior year. Even then, many people take gap years so they can study and really do well. A good LSAT score can do wonders for you and I wouldn't get discouraged just because of your GPA. Other things you could do if you're worried about your grades is to take some time off and get a decent job related to law. This way you'll distance yourself from your grades and give schools solid proof of your capability to do well as a prospective law student.
Why not readjust your priorities so as to focus solely on your GPA the last three semesters? Not only does three semesters provide you with a decent opportunity to boost your GPA at least somewhat, it could also display a new and improved track record. Kick butt the last few semesters and law schools will notice, especially via your addendum. Showing dramatic improvement in the face of an overall GPA speaks volumes. Then, of course, you also open the opportunity to excel at the LSAT, since you have a sole focus with a longer amount of time to spend on that focus.
A year wait isn't fun, but in the grand scheme of things, it's an investment well worth your while. If you've always wanted to go to law school, why compromise on that dream? Provide yourself with the best opportunities to meet that goal in ways far better than settling for just anything.
I don't know what school or score you're aiming for and that can make a big difference. I also don't know about your capacity to improve from a 150 to the score you want but I can say it may take time to improve. It all depends on how well you're scoring right now and whether you still feel like there's potential to improve.
Before you ask yourself if the 4 and 1/2 months or so until September will be adequate to get that score you want, you should get a firm grip on how well you're doing. I'd recommend you consult some of the free resources on this site, like the 7sage Blind Review method {https://7sage.com/the-blind-review-how-to-correctly-prep-for-lsat-part-1/}. After taking a few tests and reviewing them properly, you'll be better situated to know where you stand. Then you'll be better able to judge where you should go from here. Even if you're aiming for September, there's still a lot of time to get a sense of where you are and what you should do. Don't rush into making a decision or into taking the exam without this. Prioritize studying properly to get to the score you want, be very diligent and honest about the time you'll need, and go from there before you decide on what you should do.
I got into Northwestern on a half tuition scholarship—a T14 school—with a sub 3.0 GPA and a 170. If they didn't take anything beyond numbers into account, I wouldn't have gotten in anywhere.
Take heart, OP. Focus on school for now. Later, focus on LSAT. Some doors will be closed with a sub-3.0 GPA (HYS, Chicago, Berkeley) but many, many more will remain open. Consider working with a consultant when the time comes and consider taking several years to get substantial work experience. Those things are especially important for splitters.
The best thing you can do going forward is to give them the best numbers you can. Of course the F’s aren’t great, but ultimately it’s your GPA that they care about. The rankings are determined by GPA so if you’ve been able to replace the F’s so that they don’t affect your GPA, that’s the most important thing for them. And you’ve got an additional three semesters, that’s great! You’ve got an opportunity to really control your narrative and give admissions something to think about. Finish strong and your narrative could be, “My GPA isn’t a 4.0, but check it out. I hit some bumps earlier in my academic career. I handled it. Then I destroyed everything in my path.” If your transcript tells that story, that will really help you out. Focus on finishing your degree strong, it’s worth holding off on the LSAT.
And then there’s the LSAT. You’ve just got to invest the time to get it right. It will get you into better schools with more money. Even looking at it purely economically, it’s a good investment. If you can go from getting in to a school to getting in with 100k in scholarships, that’s worth it. I will have studied for a little over a year by the time I take the LSAT this fall. That’s a long time, but economically, there’s no better way for me to have spent that year. Once you finish your degree out strong, sign up for 7Sage and slay this thing. It’s a monster of a test, but I get the feeling you can handle a monster. You got this.
You can't improve your past grades (and believe me, I wish it weren't so). No point in spending any time there.
You can improve your overall GPA. It's going to demand some time. If you set aside (not give up) the LSAT studying you can focus your current classes and nail them.
You can improve your LSAT. It, too, will demand time. Completing your degree is going to give you a sense of accomplishment and, more importantly, more time to study for the LSAT.
The potential payoff is huge. By boosting your numbers you're likely to give yourself more options for school. Imagine being able to chose between several programs based on what best fits your children's schedule, or your budget. While it will demand a great score there might even be some schools that offer financial aid.
Look, if you're suffering a terminal illness then I understand the rush. If your death is eminent then waiting a cycle could have a dramatic negative impact on you.
Short of that, there's really not a whole lot of negative to waiting a year and nailing your LSAT. I can just about guarantee you that in the long run there will be no difference between beginning law school at 29 and beginning law school at 30. When you're 60, you're not going to look back and see that one year as pivotal (unless you go to a crappy school and accrue massive debt because you rushed things).
It sounds like you've had some challenges and I can respect that. I'd encourage you to ask yourself if any of those were the result of rushing something. I don't know any of your circumstances so I don't know the answer to that question. I mean no judgement. If, however, you're like myself you can probably look back and say, "Man, I really wish I had slowed down and thought about that a little more."
Plus, since you're obviously a dedicated parent, I think this is a real chance to teach your kids a valuable lesson. You'd really be demonstrating to them that while it's not always easy to be disciplined, it's worth taking the time to slow down and do things the right way.
All grades and credits earned for repeated courses will be included in the GPA calculation if the course units and grades appear on the transcript. A line drawn through course information or a grade does not eliminate the course from GPA calculation if the course units appear on the transcript." See: http://www.lsac.org/aboutlsac/policies/transcript-summarization
BUT this does make it even more important for you to really focus on your remaining 3 semesters and if possible, add in a class or two that you feel you can achieve a guaranteed A in, if possible. The more credits with As the better your UGPA will be. You can do the math using a UPGA calculator, to see if it makes much of a difference (adding in extra classes).
I too am an older student, and I was in a rush as I was extremely interested in JAG, however I accepted, I will age out before I am able to pass the BAR. Unless you have something like that (and even with that) you have to hit pause to do what is best for you.
Your entire world can change with a better GPA and a higher LSAT score. You are in a position to be able to control both, so work on the GPA first, then go after that LSAT and test when you have the score you need.
It will be tough, and it will take time, but my advice to you is to immerse yourself in the LSAT full time post graduation. Take as many PT's as it takes to start scoring in your goal range. Don't rush into retaking the LSAT, you only get three chances so wait until you're consistently hitting your goal score before you take an administered one again.
You're in an adverse situation, but all you can do in adverse situations in life is to wake up every morning and keep chopping wood. Work your butt off to finish undergrad with the best GPA possible. Work your butt off on the LSAT when you graduate. You can do it if you're willing to put in the time and effort.
+ apply for earliest admissions (~Sep onward) with your LSAT score known beforehand
+ if not happy with score, you can still re-take Sep (largest test pop.)
+ use rest of Jun-Aug to focus 100% on finalizing your admit packet (PS, LORs)
+ June tests are MON 12:30pm (sleep in a bit and prep!); all other tests are SAT 8:30am
If you start to prepare now, and schedule smartly around your other responsibilities, there is sufficient time to do extremely well. Many top scorers, who started out with mediocre scores and juggled work/school, simply invested the proper time and dedication. You can, too.
- fellow older student with a family