Straighterline Forum

(Applications Advice, Letters of Recommendation . . . )
Post Reply
amynyan

New
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:21 pm

Straighterline

Post by amynyan » Wed Mar 13, 2019 4:51 pm

I took a Straighterline course a while back to fulfil a requirement. Anyone here ever took one of those? When you sent them to LSAC, did they change your uGPA?

I'm asking because I got a B on that course, but since they're self-paced I can go ahead and churn out about 20 A courses in a week right before I graduate this May.

User avatar
cavalier1138

Moderator
Posts: 8007
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:01 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by cavalier1138 » Wed Mar 13, 2019 7:05 pm

I didn't know what Straighterline was before this post, so that's a thing...

If your university is one of the "partners" that accepts Straighterline courses for credit (and also transfers the grade to your transcript), then I assume it would be treated like a regular grade from your university. If that isn't the case, there's no way in hell LSAC is going to let you game your GPA like that.

amynyan

New
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:21 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by amynyan » Wed Mar 13, 2019 7:59 pm

cavalier1138 wrote:I didn't know what Straighterline was before this post, so that's a thing...

If your university is one of the "partners" that accepts Straighterline courses for credit (and also transfers the grade to your transcript), then I assume it would be treated like a regular grade from your university. If that isn't the case, there's no way in hell LSAC is going to let you game your GPA like that.
No, they only transfer, thank goodness. It would cost thousands to transfer that B along with a bunch of other grades to a 'real' transcript, and it probably would end up getting credited after I graduate anyway.

amynyan

New
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:21 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by amynyan » Thu Mar 14, 2019 1:55 pm

I spoke with LSAC over the phone and confirmed that SL courses count. Confirming via email.

User avatar
KunAgnis

Bronze
Posts: 303
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:41 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by KunAgnis » Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:33 pm

I felt pissed reading this because I wished I'd thought of this to "fix" my uGPA. Then I looked it up and realized my undergrad doesn't accept Straighterline for credit.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


QContinuum

Moderator
Posts: 3594
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:52 am

Re: Straighterline

Post by QContinuum » Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:41 pm

KunAgnis wrote:I felt pissed reading this because I wished I'd thought of this to "fix" my uGPA. Then I looked it up and realized my undergrad doesn't accept Straighterline for credit.
Didn't OP get a B in the only Straighterline course she's taken so far? Not sure how she can guarantee the ability to "churn out about 20 A courses in a week" right before she graduates (and further, would credit for those courses even transfer in time to be counted as pre-Bachelor's credits? Credits conferred after the Bachelor's is conferred won't be factored into OP's LSAC GPA, even if they would otherwise be eligible for inclusion).

Maybe Straighterline courses really are a joke and give As to everyone who pays, but if so then I'm not sure why OP would've gotten a B in that first class.

User avatar
cavalier1138

Moderator
Posts: 8007
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:01 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by cavalier1138 » Thu Mar 14, 2019 3:06 pm

amynyan wrote:I spoke with LSAC over the phone and confirmed that SL courses count. Confirming via email.
Even if you don't officially transfer the credits to a real school?

amynyan

New
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:21 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by amynyan » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:28 am

QContinuum wrote:
KunAgnis wrote:I felt pissed reading this because I wished I'd thought of this to "fix" my uGPA. Then I looked it up and realized my undergrad doesn't accept Straighterline for credit.
Didn't OP get a B in the only Straighterline course she's taken so far? Not sure how she can guarantee the ability to "churn out about 20 A courses in a week" right before she graduates (and further, would credit for those courses even transfer in time to be counted as pre-Bachelor's credits? Credits conferred after the Bachelor's is conferred won't be factored into OP's LSAC GPA, even if they would otherwise be eligible for inclusion).

Maybe Straighterline courses really are a joke and give As to everyone who pays, but if so then I'm not sure why OP would've gotten a B in that first class.
Because I don't speak Spanish.

amynyan

New
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:21 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by amynyan » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:29 am

cavalier1138 wrote:
amynyan wrote:I spoke with LSAC over the phone and confirmed that SL courses count. Confirming via email.
Even if you don't officially transfer the credits to a real school?
That's what the dude said. I'm holding off on churning until I see my uGPA go down.

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


QContinuum

Moderator
Posts: 3594
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:52 am

Re: Straighterline

Post by QContinuum » Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:39 am

cavalier1138 wrote:
amynyan wrote:I spoke with LSAC over the phone and confirmed that SL courses count. Confirming via email.
Even if you don't officially transfer the credits to a real school?
I feel like TLS needs to investigate this ourselves. If true, we are going to have to rethink our usual advice to applicants that they can only work on their LSAT, as their GPA is more or less set in stone. We may have to add SL churning to the list of suggestions we offer 0Ls!

AJordan

Silver
Posts: 533
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2016 3:48 am

Re: Straighterline

Post by AJordan » Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:02 am

QContinuum wrote:
cavalier1138 wrote:
amynyan wrote:I spoke with LSAC over the phone and confirmed that SL courses count. Confirming via email.
Even if you don't officially transfer the credits to a real school?
I feel like TLS needs to investigate this ourselves. If true, we are going to have to rethink our usual advice to applicants that they can only work on their LSAT, as their GPA is more or less set in stone. We may have to add SL churning to the list of suggestions we offer 0Ls!
I completely agree with you. My only hangup is that if it were indeed this easy, and this cheap, to dump 30 credits of 'A' to your uGPA I highly doubt it would be past the collective wisdom of all the folks who more or less obsess over this process, including consultants getting paid thousands of dollars, for advice like this.

amynyan

New
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:21 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by amynyan » Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:11 pm

AJordan wrote:
QContinuum wrote:
cavalier1138 wrote:
amynyan wrote:I spoke with LSAC over the phone and confirmed that SL courses count. Confirming via email.
Even if you don't officially transfer the credits to a real school?
I feel like TLS needs to investigate this ourselves. If true, we are going to have to rethink our usual advice to applicants that they can only work on their LSAT, as their GPA is more or less set in stone. We may have to add SL churning to the list of suggestions we offer 0Ls!
I completely agree with you. My only hangup is that if it were indeed this easy, and this cheap, to dump 30 credits of 'A' to your uGPA I highly doubt it would be past the collective wisdom of all the folks who more or less obsess over this process, including consultants getting paid thousands of dollars, for advice like this.
The strange thing is that I asked them, "so accreditation doesn't matter? If I got my friend to start a 'school' and have him write me a transcript for ten A+es, it would be counted?", the customer service representative said 'yeah, as long as there's a transcript'. So I'm not sure. Just waiting for them to process the transcript and give me a real answer so I can plan my final semester accordingly.

amynyan

New
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:21 pm

Re: Straighterline

Post by amynyan » Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:50 pm

Update: transcript accepted but no change in LSAC GPA. Whew.

QContinuum

Moderator
Posts: 3594
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:52 am

Re: Straighterline

Post by QContinuum » Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:56 pm

amynyan wrote:Update: transcript accepted but no change in LSAC GPA. Whew.
Thanks for the update! So, SL courses are officially recorded by LSAC, but are not factored into calculating an applicant's LSAC GPA. Makes sense.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Law School Admissions Forum”