Murky water - Highish LSAT, low GPA, a gap in schooling.....

LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐
in General 13286 karma

Hey everyone,

So I just spent the last hour or so psyching myself out. I feel like there is no chance of getting into one of the better law schools any more. The reason for this is quite simply, I sucked at college on my first attempt.

I went to college, dropped and failed classes and this absolutely destroyed my GPA.

I then joined the United States Marine Corps and took about a 4 year break from school (while acquiring a couple more F's because of deployment....damn.)

After the Marine Corps I went back to school and graduated with a B.A. my GPA after the Marine Corps was a 4.0.

The LSAC calculates my cumulative GPA as a 2.7 (shoot me) and my Degree GPA as a 4.0

Right now I'm PT'ing in the 165-169 range. So my LSAT score is at least helping me a bit.

Will law schools take all this into account? Will the see I am different now with the 4.0 I achieved and the highish LSAT score? Or will they just dismiss me as a failure? Am I doomed to bad schools? I dream of T-15 but this seems unrealistic.

Any advice?

Comments

  • ZaTablerZaTabler Alum Member
    513 karma

    I think you're going to be okay! I'm in a similar situation and spoke with a few prospective law schools this week, all of which said they take everything into account. Improvement in grades, lsat etc. I wouldn't worry.. keep plugging away!! I've seen people with felonies get in.

  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma

    @LSATcantwin said:
    Hey everyone,

    So I just spent the last hour or so psyching myself out. I feel like there is no chance of getting into one of the better law schools any more. The reason for this is quite simply, I sucked at college on my first attempt.

    I went to college, dropped and failed classes and this absolutely destroyed my GPA.

    I then joined the United States Marine Corps and took about a 4 year break from school (while acquiring a couple more F's because of deployment....damn.)

    After the Marine Corps I went back to school and graduated with a B.A. my GPA after the Marine Corps was a 4.0.

    The LSAC calculates my cumulative GPA as a 2.7 (shoot me) and my Degree GPA as a 4.0

    Right now I'm PT'ing in the 165-169 range. So my LSAT score is at least helping me a bit.

    Will law schools take all this into account? Will the see I am different now with the 4.0 I achieved and the highish LSAT score? Or will they just dismiss me as a failure? Am I doomed to bad schools? I dream of T-15 but this seems unrealistic.

    Any advice?

    You can absolutely hit the T14 range especially if you can get that LSAT up to 170+ range. There's plenty of splitters with sub 3.0 GPAs and high LSAT scores that are accepted into the T14 schools every year. Your service to our country and 4.0 Degree summary will be taken into account. Also it is good that you decided to take 4+ years to distance yourself from the lower grades. With a well written addendum and a high LSAT I think you have a shot at many of the schools in the lower T14. So, no, you are not doomed to bad schools. Don't psych yourself out! :)

  • NotMyNameNotMyName Alum Member Sage ⭐
    5320 karma

    Don't psych yourself out! You've got a great story to tell and the numbers to back it up!

    But I also wouldn't consider any school outside of T15 a bad school :smile:

  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27900 karma

    You will want to write an addendum for sure. Explain--without making excuses--how you weren't ready for college when you first went, that your experience in the Marine Corps served as a catalyst in your life, and that your 4.0 after your military service proves that empirically. You're stuck with bad numbers, but if you can give them an LSAT above their median I think you'll be an excellent applicant.

  • LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐
    13286 karma

    @"Connie Lingus" Thanks I'll keep it up. I can't just let these dreams and goals pass me by. I'll have to just work extra hard on the LSAT.

    @"Alex Divine" Hey! Thanks for the encouragement. I think it's time to double down on the LSAT, it looks like this test has my entire future riding on it haha! Gotta figure out how to break that 170 mark.

    @jkatz1488 It's hard to see the numbers from those schools and not be scared! I know that other schools are just as good. I've just been told my whole life that I am not of the right caliber for those "high end schools" so I've kind of got that personal goal driving me forward.

    @"Cant Get Right" I'll will write the addendum no problem. I guess I need to double down on the LSAT. This new 165-167ish range is hard to break out of for some reason. I have time though so I'll keep at it. Thanks!

  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma

    @LSATcantwin Hey man, you're username says it all :) the 165 to 170 plateau can be difficult to break, but it is doable. I actually think that if someone can hit 165+ they have the ability to hit a 170. This is where you might want to invest in a way to record yourself taking section and possibly enlist the help of a 7Sage tutor who can customize advice to help you personally address any issues you may be having. Even a 3 hour session may be enough to help you significantly!

    Good luck ( not that you'll need it ;) )

  • LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐
    13286 karma

    @"Alex Divine" said:
    @LSATcantwin Hey man, you're username says it all :) the 165 to 170 plateau can be difficult to break, but it is doable. I actually think that if someone can hit 165+ they have the ability to hit a 170. This is where you might want to invest in a way to record yourself taking section and possibly enlist the help of a 7Sage tutor who can customize advice to help you personally address any issues you may be having. Even a 3 hour session may be enough to help you significantly!

    Good luck ( not that you'll need it ;) )

    How would I go about getting a tutor for a session or two? I think a new set of eyes and viewpoint might help me out. Is this something under resources I can look into?

  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma

    @LSATcantwin said:

    @"Alex Divine" said:
    @LSATcantwin Hey man, you're username says it all :) the 165 to 170 plateau can be difficult to break, but it is doable. I actually think that if someone can hit 165+ they have the ability to hit a 170. This is where you might want to invest in a way to record yourself taking section and possibly enlist the help of a 7Sage tutor who can customize advice to help you personally address any issues you may be having. Even a 3 hour session may be enough to help you significantly!

    Good luck ( not that you'll need it ;) )

    How would I go about getting a tutor for a session or two? I think a new set of eyes and viewpoint might help me out. Is this something under resources I can look into?

    Here is a list of all the available tutors and what they specialize in: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/4760/7sages-approved-tutors/p1

    Just contact them via PM and set something up! :)

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