Low UGPA but extensive work experience Forum

[Msirchia]

Just gauging my options when applying to law school.

I attended college almost 12 years ago and of course partied my life away, walking with a GPA in the low 2's. I'm taking my LSAT this July with aims of coming close to if not hitting 170.

However, that was a longtime ago and have since refocused myself and have become quite successful in my given industry which is mainly within the Music industry.

So my question is will strong LORs from top guys in my field and top lawyers coupled with my extensive work history help an admissions board not give too much weight to my UGPA considering it means nothing now?

For reference I will be applying and hopefully working in NYC post graduation.

[sparkytrainer]

It will help at the margins, but if your GPA is in the low 2's, you are not going to get into a school worth going to. No offense, law school is just not going to be an option for you. And that is fine! Most lawyers actually regret going to law school and becoming lawyers. The profession has the highest alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and one of the highest depression rates in any profession.

A low 2ish gpa is the kiss of death to your app. Even if you got a 180, your cycle is going to be wildly unpredictable and best case you get into some lower tier 3-4 schools that are objectively garbage options. Enjoy the freedom of not going to law school and studying for the LSAT!

[Msirchia]

I feel like a low GPA is more common for people applying that have been out of college for 5+ years, I've heard that including an addendum with you app explaining the low GPA helps.

But is GPA so heavily weighted considering 4 years at trade school compared to 4 years at harvard means something different as well?

[sparkytrainer]

I feel like a low GPA is more common for people applying that have been out of college for 5+ years, I've heard that including an addendum with you app explaining the low GPA helps.

But is GPA so heavily weighted considering 4 years at trade school compared to 4 years at harvard means something different as well?

The truth is a gpa addendum can help slightly, but it’s not going to save a low 2s gpa. Remember, schools have to report your undergrad gpa regardless if you graduated yesterday or 2 decades ago and they don’t report any circumstances surrounding the numbers. At the end of the day, reported gpa and Lsat are 95% of the equation (assuming you aren’t an urm).

Further, school doesn’t really matter. There is some evidence that there is a bump for Princeton, Yale, and Harvard, but the latter two grade inflate heavily. The only school that there is strong evidence for getting a gpa bump is Princeton. I have also heard there is some slightl room for the three service academies as well, but that is more speculative. What matters at the end of the day is your raw numbers.

Truthfully, even if you got a slight unofficial gpa bump, you still have a low 2s gpa. That is the start and end of your app right there.

[ExperssioUnius]

Sparky's advice is far too pessimistic. Your GPA puts you in a real bind and very likely excludes you from consideration at most T1 schools. That said, if you hit 170 or 172, you have a chance at a very respectable region law school. As much as lower T1 or T2 school will dislike reporting your GPA number, they will also get to report an LSAT score well above their 25%-75% range. Additionally, Spakry's rather fatalistic approach that admission committee members only care about the numbers they have to report is wrong. They are also looking at who are the best applicants who appear ready for law school and able to contribute to their institution. In this sense, your work experience will be of value. Plus, even under the reporting number is the end all be all of admissions theory, if you apply to schools with large entering classes, one low GPA number will be of little statistical significance (what your GPA will do is place you in a group of similar applicants all fighting for a very few number of spots).

Finally, undergraduate school does matter. Maybe not as much in your situation where you've been out for a few years but a low 2 GPA from a solid undergrad institution is far better than a low 2 GPA from a third rate undergrad institution (on this point I speak from experience working with admissions at my law institution for two of the years I was in attendance)

[ExperssioUnius]

I'll add that if you are looking toward the NY area, you may want to take a look at schools like Rutgers. It is a mid-T2 school with a large entering class and your numbers, assuming a 170+ on LSAT, will provide a splitter situation.

[nixy]

a low 2 GPA from a solid undergrad institution is far better than a low 2 GPA from a third rate undergrad institution

However, a higher GPA from the third rate institution will beat out the lower GPA from the solid undergrad.