Serious GPA Troubles - How Can I Salvage This? Forum

[icechicken]

Hey friends,

edit: Thanks to everyone who responded earlier. Edited to minimize the chance of someone identifying me based on the fairly-specific things I discussed.

[IExistedOnceBefore]

This is the kind of situation where you meet with your school about non-punitive retroactive withdrawals. Explain how it will help you to continue on the path your on.

I am sorry for your loss.

[waldorf]

This is the kind of situation where you meet with your school about non-punitive retroactive withdrawals. Explain how it will help you to continue on the path your on.

I am sorry for your loss.

+1.

Someone can answer your first couple of questions better than I can, but I'm not sure I'd write an addendum if the effect of your mother's suicide lasted four semesters. It might raise a red flag if adcoms think that any difficult event will have such a lasting effect. However, using what you learned from your mother's death and how you have chosen to move forward, you could write an excellent personal statement.

I lost my father, so I know how unbelievably difficult it is to lose a parent. I am so sorry for your loss, and I wish you all the best.

[Platopus]

.

[rpupkin]

I'm sorry about your mother. Here are some answers to your questions, as well as some unsolicited advice:

1. I would write an addendum, but it's not likely to make a difference. You're still probably going to get admitted (and rejected) in line with your numbers.

2. I'm not sure your instincts about the LSAT are correct. The higher the score the better, but the difference between, say, a 176 and a 178 is very marginal, especially for the schools where you'll have a shot.

3. Don't get hung up on schools that are out of reach due to your GPA. The difference between the schools you may not be able to get into (e.g., Chicago, Berkeley, Columbia, NYU) and the schools you have a shot at getting into (e.g., Michigan, NU, Penn, UVA) is too small to worry about.

Now for the unsolicited advice: don't go to law school right after undergrad. Work for at least a couple of years first. You'll be a better law student (and a much better lawyer) if you work in a job--any job--for a decent period of time before law school.

Good luck.

[icechicken]

Thank you all for your responses.

...

[Damage Over Time]

If you're able to get your GPA up to 3.3-3.4 and can produce a high 170s score, you'll have some decent options. Focus on your mental health and grades for now, and reevaluate your law school options closer to graduation. It will probably be to your benefit to take some time off between undergrad and law school, but in any event, take it one day at a time for now.

Best of luck, I'm pulling for you.