LSAC and Community College Transcripts Forum

[Utlonghorn91]

I just realized that you have to turn all of your transcripts to LSAC. This being said I have only taken 2 classes at a community college to be transferred to the university. My first class was an American History class, but I had to drop it because they told me I had to turn in my university transcript or else be dropped. Well, I couldn't and I even turned in a drop form just to make sure. Two years later I take another class where I got an A and on that transcript I see that I was given an F for the American History class. I have a 2.00 in that community college.

My questions are:

1) Why is the LSAC GPA important and do law schools consider it?
2) What happens if you don't turn in all your transcripts?
3) Can I explain what happened with that F grade?

[gaud]

1) Not 100% sure why, but I'd assume they consider the LSAC GPA important because it's cumulative? Yes, law schools consider this GPA more so than your degree GPA

2) Um.. you should definitely turn in all of your transcripts.

3) Yes, you can write an addendum

[kalvano]

1) LSAC GPA is the only one that law schools consider, because it's the one reported to USNWR.

2) You can not get to practice law because you lied on your application.

3) You can write one, but it won't help much.

[941law]

1) Why is the LSAC GPA important and do law schools consider it?
2) What happens if you don't turn in all your transcripts?
3) Can I explain what happened with that F grade?

LSAC makes everything much easier for law schools and unfortunately lsac looks at your FULL body of work when deciding your GPA

Does your University have all your transcripts? I'd imagine when they send your official degree posted transcript it will show you attended this CC. You better send LSAC those trans.

Yes, you can attach an addendum to each application explaining what happened, but make sure you take responsibility for the 'F'. Personally, I'd just leave it alone.

[bdm261]

I am in a similar boat I think. I attended a local community college for about 2 months back in 2004. My plan was to do two years there and transfer to a four-year program. The school was 40 miles away and I hated driving there every single day, plus the school was pretty much crap. It was so disorganized... on orientation day when they split everyone up into their majors to go off with an adviser/teacher to discuss stuff, I was just left standing in the middle of the room because there was no one there to talk to students doing the "transfer module."

I did get A's and B's there mostly in my 2 months except for a math class. By October/November of that year, I just quit going. I don't even remember if I withdrew or just failed. A year later I started at my present university, and although it's taken 7-8 years, I will finally graduate with my B.A. in Dec and a GPA around 3.6.

I went on LSAC and listed the community college as an "institution attended" and I submitted a request for my transcript to be sent to LSAC, as well as a letter to the CC explaining the situation and asking if they even had record of me.

Will this reflect poorly on me or will LS just examine my grades at my current Uni; because I was only 18 at the time, I am 26 now, and my time at that CC really has no relection whatsoever on my current academic performance.

[Oklahoma2014]

BDM - Pretty sure those CC grades are going to count, or at least mine did. Had 2 F's and a D from my original attempt at college. Later I returned to get an associates degree from that same CC before getting a BA from a state school. Anyway, I wish I had asked the CC if there was any way they would drop those grades. Instead, I took the classes over again and for my UG degree those original grades were erased. It was only later that I too discovered that those grades still count for your LSAC GPA. Good luck!

[bdm261]

Thanks, but will the fact that the original poor grades occurred 9 years before the year that I plan on entering law school mean anything? Or do they just look at the numbers and not the circumstances?

[Oklahoma2014]

BDM - LSAC only calculates a number, there is no time frame that grades drop off, that I am aware of. I am 35, my bad grades occured when I was 18. LSAC still counted them.

[bdm261]

Would it be advisable to write an addendum to law schools I apply to? Or will they be able to see when/where the poor grades occurred and base judgment on that? My "upward trend" certainly counts toward me, correct?

[rinkrat19]

Would it be advisable to write an addendum to law schools I apply to? Or will they be able to see when/where the poor grades occurred and base judgment on that? My "upward trend" certainly counts toward me, correct?

Yes, an addendum is a decent idea. Schools will see the upward trend.

That said, don't expect it to be anything other than a minor tiebreaker between you and another applicant with equal numbers. Your GPA is what it is, and schools have to report GPAs for the rankings calculations.

[bdm261]

Looks like I'm screwed, I saw my CC transcript and I have 3 F's and 1 D. That brings my LSAC GPA to 3.17. My GPA was all I really had going for me, I had a 3.59 and figured that meant I could skate by with a 155-160 LSAT into the law schools I am aiming for and have a good chance getting in.

[Ludo!]

A lot of people are in this same boat. I graduated from my university with a 3.9 but my LSAC GPA was 3.1 because of community college grades years before I ever thought about going to law school. That's why god invented the LSAT. Study hard, retake if necessary, and a 170+ will go along way towards making up for the GPA.

[Mike12188]

BDM - Pretty sure those CC grades are going to count, or at least mine did. Had 2 F's and a D from my original attempt at college. Later I returned to get an associates degree from that same CC before getting a BA from a state school. Anyway, I wish I had asked the CC if there was any way they would drop those grades. Instead, I took the classes over again and for my UG degree those original grades were erased. It was only later that I too discovered that those grades still count for your LSAC GPA. Good luck!

I did this with a course I took in HS for college credit, they told me they absolutely never remove anything from a transcript. I was under the impression it would only count if I got a C or higher, so after I did absolutely nothing my senior year and had a C going into the final I just filled out all A's on the scantron hoping to get below a C since I didn't need it to graduate. Turned out anything below a C didn't get you "credit" but it still showed up on your transcript. Started college with a 1.0. . Ended up retaking it getting an A and had to report both to LSAC.

I didn't explain the grade btw, I didn't explain anything that happend that first year of CC (Another D, and a couple C's). I had an upward trend, figured it spoke for itself.

[Oklahoma2014]

BDM - Pretty sure those CC grades are going to count, or at least mine did. Had 2 F's and a D from my original attempt at college. Later I returned to get an associates degree from that same CC before getting a BA from a state school. Anyway, I wish I had asked the CC if there was any way they would drop those grades. Instead, I took the classes over again and for my UG degree those original grades were erased. It was only later that I too discovered that those grades still count for your LSAC GPA. Good luck!

I did this with a course I took in HS for college credit, they told me they absolutely never remove anything from a transcript. I was under the impression it would only count if I got a C or higher, so after I did absolutely nothing my senior year and had a C going into the final I just filled out all A's on the scantron hoping to get below a C since I didn't need it to graduate. Turned out anything below a C didn't get you "credit" but it still showed up on your transcript. Started college with a 1.0. . Ended up retaking it getting an A and had to report both to LSAC.

I didn't explain the grade btw, I didn't explain anything that happend that first year of CC (Another D, and a couple C's). I had an upward trend, figured it spoke for itself.

I didn't try to explain either, other than in my PS the situation was self explanatory. Fortunately, I still managed a descent gpa even with my previous poor grades. Thankful there are degrees in history!

[bdm261]

So should I proceed forward as if I had a 3.6 GPA, as in still apply to schools that accept those numbers and just write an addendum. How do I go about writing an addendum without it coming off as a lame excuse? Because in all honestly, just I quit going to the CC after about 2 months and I never formally withdrew so instead of WDs I got mostly F's from not doing the coursework or showing up. My only excuse is I was 18, not ready to commit to school, had no idea of what path I wanted to take in life, and hated commuting back and forth. I don't have any medical or family excuse to justify it, I just don't want to be judged by my performance at a CC that I briefly attended 8 years ago.

[Ludo!]

So should I proceed forward as if I had a 3.6 GPA, as in still apply to schools that accept those numbers and just write an addendum. How do I go about writing an addendum without it coming off as a lame excuse? Because in all honestly, just I quit going to the CC after about 2 months and I never formally withdrew so instead of WDs I got mostly F's from not doing the coursework or showing up. My only excuse is I was 18, not ready to commit to school, had no idea of what path I wanted to take in life, and hated commuting back and forth. I don't have any medical or family excuse to justify it, I just don't want to be judged by my performance at a CC that I briefly attended 8 years ago.

No you proceed as if you had whatever your LSAC GPA is, because that's what it is. You can write an addendum about how you've matured since then and whatnot, but don't expect it to help much.

[bdm261]

I wrote an addendum, from what I understand they're supposed to be a short statement up to a paragraph with just the basis facts. Will this one do?:

I attended a community college for approximately two months back in 2004. At the time, I was not fully prepared or serious enough to take on the challenges of higher education and stopped attending without going through any formal withdrawal procedures. I have since matured and now regard school with much more deference, but due to this mistake, I received 3 Fs and 1 D on my transcript from that institution that has been factored into my overall G.P.A. I believe that my abilities and potential are much better represented by my more recent performance at the institution that has granted my degree.

[941law]

so l.s.a.c now equals lsac

[bdm261]

LSAC got my CC transcript in today. My LSAC GPA went down to 3.17 as I predicted. It also has a note of "academic action" for my CC transcript because apparently after I quit going, I was put on academic probation from then on.

My dad was actually trying to convince me not to report the CC to LSAC and says they would never find out and was mad at me when I told him I did because I don't want to screw up my future by omitting anything. This was coming from a man who undegoes TS:SCI clearance checks every 5 years for his line of work, ironic.

[Sackcrete]

Did anyone end up getting accepted to a solid T14 school with these discrepancies? I'm in a similar boat... Slacked off in high school and barely graduated, followed by doing the same thing my first semester at a community college. I actually just quit going during my first semester and joined the U.S. military... I have since been stellar in my professional life and in my academics. I will be graduating from my university with honors and a 3.75 GPA... but I'm pretty sure the rest of the crap will bring me down to like a 3.1? Wow........... I wasn't expecting this, but it does make sense and I understand.

Anyway, is my hopes of a T14 shot? Does the whole explanatory essay actually work?

[zhenders]

Don't screw around with this. Just send it. The last thing you need are C&F issues that stem from your law school application package.

[PDX4343]

Did anyone end up getting accepted to a solid T14 school with these discrepancies? I'm in a similar boat... Slacked off in high school and barely graduated, followed by doing the same thing my first semester at a community college. I actually just quit going during my first semester and joined the U.S. military... I have since been stellar in my professional life and in my academics. I will be graduating from my university with honors and a 3.75 GPA... but I'm pretty sure the rest of the crap will bring me down to like a 3.1? Wow........... I wasn't expecting this, but it does make sense and I understand.

Anyway, is my hopes of a T14 shot? Does the whole explanatory essay actually work?

Don't worry, you definitely still have a great shot at getting into some T14s if you can crush the LSAT. I had to include an addendum with my application because I had a similar period of time where I got a few F's and a bunch of W's. I also have around a 3.1 GPA and was able to get a 173 on the LSAT. So far this cycle I've been accepted at GULC and UVA, with apps pending elsewhere in the T14. Just study hard for the LSAT, include an addendum if you need to, and you can absolutely still crack the T14.

[zot1]

LSAC got my CC transcript in today. My LSAC GPA went down to 3.17 as I predicted. It also has a note of "academic action" for my CC transcript because apparently after I quit going, I was put on academic probation from then on.

My dad was actually trying to convince me not to report the CC to LSAC and says they would never find out and was mad at me when I told him I did because I don't want to screw up my future by omitting anything. This was coming from a man who undegoes TS:SCI clearance checks every 5 years for his line of work, ironic.

I know this is old, but for posterity: lying on a law school application is never worth the risk of not getting licensed for C&F issues or losing your license once you get it. It would suck a great deal to put three years of hard work and money/debt into a profession you might not be able to partake on because you didn't want to tell schools you got some bad grades. If you have a low gpa as a result of those grades, your best bet is to kill the LSAT and ride the splitter train. Good luck!