GPA in the Gutter Forum

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N1ck3121

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GPA in the Gutter

Post by N1ck3121 » Sun Feb 25, 2018 1:16 pm

I graduated from UHART in 2012 with a GPA of 2.46.
I've been in sales for 6 years (presidents club if it matters) and I've finally decided to pursue a law degree.
I have not yet taken the real LSAT but I've scored 162 with zero prep on a practice exam if that matters.

Realistically how well will I need to do on the LSAT to offset my horrifying GPA in order to get into UCONN law?
I have plenty of time to prepare (and do other things if they benefit my goals) as I can't apply for this cycle.

sparkytrainer

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by sparkytrainer » Sun Feb 25, 2018 2:09 pm

You shouldn't go to any law school that would admit you with that GPA. Sorry but sometimes things don't work out.

N1ck3121

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by N1ck3121 » Sun Feb 25, 2018 4:05 pm

So if I get into Uconn Law then no one should ever go to Uconn Law.
Got it.

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Gitaroo_Dude

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by Gitaroo_Dude » Sun Feb 25, 2018 10:00 pm

Ignore Sparkytrainer.

In general, with a GPA that low you need to shoot for a high 160 score at minimum (like 167+) so that you can get into a school with some money.

The big question here is what are your career goals? With the a high LSAT score you can land a solid regional like UConn at an affordable cost, but if you're looking to do BigLaw then this is mostly going to be an exercise in futility because the schools you can get into won't give you a good shot at achieving your goals.

N1ck3121

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by N1ck3121 » Sun Feb 25, 2018 10:47 pm

Big law isn't something that's high on my radar. I'm keeping my end game options open but I'm leaning toward a job as in house counsel. Even if I have to grind for a few years to get the gig I really want.

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borigh

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by borigh » Mon Feb 26, 2018 2:59 am

You can get into much better schools than UConn with a lower GPA than that. But that LSAT needs to climb ten points. That is doable, but not easy.

N1ck3121

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by N1ck3121 » Mon Feb 26, 2018 2:15 pm

Thanks for the info. Uconn is *appealing* to me because of how cheap it is. It's also local. I'm trying to avoid relocating at all costs. If I did get into a better school (top 20?) that'd be nothing short of a miracle in my eyes. 172 on the LSAT isn't out of reach for me IMO. I have until September to study for it so we'll see what happens.

carsondalywashere

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by carsondalywashere » Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:00 pm

sparkytrainer wrote:You shouldn't go to any law school that would admit you with that GPA. Sorry but sometimes things don't work out.
He/she actually stands a chance at splitter-friendly schools like Northwestern and WashU.

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totesTheGoat

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by totesTheGoat » Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:24 pm

N1ck3121 wrote:Uconn is *appealing* to me because of how cheap it is.
Have you checked the job outcomes at Uconn? The information is out there, including at law school transparency. If Uconn gets you to your goal, then great! Get that LSAT up around 170 and have fun! If Uconn is a coinflip or less chance of hitting your goal, maybe think differently about the path forward.

A 2.46 GPA makes your legal dream an uphill a mountain climb of a battle. Some people climb Everest, but they do a ton of research and practice before they set foot at base camp. Some don't like the odds after doing their research and decide to do something else. Some don't practice enough and don't get to realize their dream.

A general want to work "in-house" isn't specific enough of a goal to inform your decision making process. You can go make $40k working in-house at some mom and pop company, you can go make $75k working in-house at a mid-sized company. You can make $150k at a big company. There's also a zillion different fields you can focus on. Do you want to do litigation? M&A? Compliance? Employment? IP?

I'm guessing that with a decent legal GPA, you can probably eventually (5 or so years down the line) get to a $75k in-house job doing employment from Uconn. I'm not sure if the $150k big company jobs are attainable from Uconn... usually there's a pipeline from biglaw into those positions. Never say never, but I doubt there's a defined path from Uconn to $150k legal jobs.

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ruski87

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by ruski87 » Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:54 am

Anecdotal data point - I had a GPA similar to yours (a little lower). Was also out of school for a similar period of time. Scored in the high 160s on LSAT and ended up attending a T50 school (similar to UConn rankingwise). Currently attending HYS after transferring.

I think what everyone says is accurate, you should figure out why you want to go to school and whether you're willing to graduate with that school's degree (and also what the job outcomes look like for the non-top 10% since everyone thinks they're going to do well in 1L year). But, just wanted to chime in to give you a real world example of a situation that worked out so you don't feel 100% discouraged.

N1ck3121

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by N1ck3121 » Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:00 pm

Thank you for the input. I definitely need to hone in exactly what I want to do coming out of school. Right now I'm open minded. Big Law isn't high on my priority list but maybe it will be as I progress. I'm not worried about making 150+k a year my first year out.

I think right now the most important thing to me would be focusing on the position where the most demand is.

Ruski if you don't mind could you elaborate on the process/detail which got you from a T50 school into HYS?
thanks!

ruski87

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by ruski87 » Tue Feb 27, 2018 4:07 pm

Transferred after doing well 1L year (your uGPA and LSAT don't matter at that point, only your 1L grades). However, want to stress that going to law school with intention of transferring is a bad idea. I also think that trying to time the market (or demand) here may not work out well, it's hard to predict 3 years out what the legal marketplace looks like job prospect wise and law school isn't going to train you for one specific job type or another.

I think mainly you need to consider whether you want to go back to school for 3 years, what the median income is of those coming out of that school and the opportunity cost of what you would have been doing for 3 years if you didn't go.

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by jrbuckler » Tue Feb 27, 2018 4:32 pm

Im a current UCONN student, similar situation. I was out of school 8 years when I applied and I have a background in sales. I have a family and own a house so I was limited to schools within a reasonable driving distance. Long story short my GPA was only slightly higher and similar LSAT score to your practice one and I was admitted with a scholarship. My advice would be to put yourself out there and make sure to talk to staff, or go to open houses.

N1ck3121

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Re: GPA in the Gutter

Post by N1ck3121 » Wed Feb 28, 2018 9:12 am

Thank you for the perspective Ruski.

Jrbuckler, what year are you in? Do you have an outlook on prospective jobs? How do you feel about their program?

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