Senior year GPA Forum
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Senior year GPA
Hey guys, new user here. I'm currently a junior in undergrad. my GPA is a little low right now (3.3), but i think I can get it up to 3.4-3.5 range. I only have 12 classes left to take with 3 semesters to go. So my question is, do you think it would be beneficial for me to try and graduate a semester early in December, in order to maximize my GPA? From what I've looked at your second semester senior year grades aren't going to play a a factor in law school admissions, so do you think that it would be beneficial to try and get all 12 done my next two semesters and over this summer, instead of wasting time taking classes after already getting decisions back from law schools? Would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions, thanks.
- UVA2B
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Re: Senior year GPA
They will when you make a better decision and work for a few years before applying to law school.Kittykat2199 wrote:Hey guys, new user here. I'm currently a junior in undergrad. my GPA is a little low right now (3.3), but i think I can get it up to 3.4-3.5 range. I only have 12 classes left to take with 3 semesters to go. So my question is, do you think it would be beneficial for me to try and graduate a semester early in December, in order to maximize my GPA? From what I've looked at your second semester senior year grades aren't going to play a a factor in law school admissions, so do you think that it would be beneficial to try and get all 12 done my next two semesters and over this summer, instead of wasting time taking classes after already getting decisions back from law schools? Would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions, thanks.
That said, you want your GPA as high as possible generally. But the relative value of a 3.4 vs. 3.5, for instance, will be marginal in that it will be well below medians at a lot of schools you're ideally applying at.
Your GPA is a major part of your application, but even that number should be understood in context. If you are able to drive your GPA above a school's median, it'll be helpful. If it only marginally pushes you closer to the median, then the boost will be much less pronounced. It won't be zero, but it won't be as big a boost as when you get near/above a median.
If I were to rank the relative boosts of bringing up a GPA, it'd go something like this:
1. Lifting GPA above a median
2. Going over a major milestone where soft GPA floors exist, such as above a 3.0 or 3.5 (edit note: not all schools have these floors, so this is unique to schools that actually have GPA floors)
3. Lifting GPA above 75th
4. Lifting GPA above 25th
5. Going higher over a median
6. Going higher over a 75th
7. Going higher over a 25th
8. Getting closer to GPA floor, but not over it
Hope this helps.
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Re: Senior year GPA
Thanks for the response, definitely helpful. Just curious though on why your better off working for a few years versus going to law school after undergrad? Is that a steadfast rule that you have?
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Re: Senior year GPA
There is extensive data to show people with work experience tend to outperform their peers who apply right out of undergrad, even with equal numbers. So yeah, go do something else first for a few years. Plus it makes you more employable once you get into OCI.Kittykat2199 wrote:Thanks for the response, definitely helpful. Just curious though on why your better off working for a few years versus going to law school after undergrad? Is that a steadfast rule that you have?
- cavalier1138
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Re: Senior year GPA
You get work experience. You learn how to do things like pay rent. You gain general life experience and maturity. And you get the chance to figure out if you actually want to be a lawyer.Kittykat2199 wrote:Thanks for the response, definitely helpful. Just curious though on why your better off working for a few years versus going to law school after undergrad? Is that a steadfast rule that you have?
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Re: Senior year GPA
That makes a lot of sense. Any suggestions of jobs in the legal field I could get in between undergrad and law school. I'd rather not just get some random job for a few years. Even if it pays well that just seems like kind of a waste of time if it's not in a field I'm interested in.cavalier1138 wrote:You get work experience. You learn how to do things like pay rent. You gain general life experience and maturity. And you get the chance to figure out if you actually want to be a lawyer.Kittykat2199 wrote:Thanks for the response, definitely helpful. Just curious though on why your better off working for a few years versus going to law school after undergrad? Is that a steadfast rule that you have?
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Re: Senior year GPA
Working a year or two as a paralegal would give you exposure to a law firm.