Very Very low LSAC ugpa

[waquele20]

Ok, I am somewhat confuse.  I understand my undergraduate gpa was very low (2.48) before being converted by LSAC now my LSAC ugpa is 2.17 what happen??? I have become very discourage in applying to law school.  If anyone can offer any advice on what I should do, I am very open...I havent taken the LSAT (feb 2009) and I do understand that I have do extremely well but should I even attempt?  I still have to send my graduate transcripts to LSAC but is it worth it? What schools would want someone with 2.17 upa?

Please help!!!!

[PaleForce]

That sucks, I'm sorry.  Has it been years since your UG work?  Did you do significantly better in grad school?  Unfortunately the only thing you can really do is kill the LSAT to balance out the GPA.  That, and make sure to explain why you had that GPA.  Good luck!

[waquele20]

I will be out of undergrad approx 6 years and my graudate gpa is 3.41.  I was very sick in undergrad and didnt find what was wrong until the very end of my senior year so my grades suffered due to m y illness.  I plan on writing an addendum to explain the circumstances of ugpa and hopefully with a compelling personal statement and a great LSAT score i should at leat get into a good school.  I also have 3 years of work experience so maybe they would want someone with diversity within their program.  Any advice on what schools will most likely accept me?

[studymaster]

I will be out of undergrad approx 6 years and my graudate gpa is 3.41.  I was very sick in undergrad and didnt find what was wrong until the very end of my senior year so my grades suffered due to m y illness.  I plan on writing an addendum to explain the circumstances of ugpa and hopefully with a compelling personal statement and a great LSAT score i should at leat get into a good school.  I also have 3 years of work experience so maybe they would want someone with diversity within their program.  Any advice on what schools will most likely accept me?

Depends on the LSAT...
Honestly if you have sickness, 6 years out of undergrad, 3 years WE, a masters, and a strong PS you're very likely to be one of the exceptions. Keep in mind there is no penalty for schools in USNWR for people below their 25th percentile, they dont report it and they understand extenuating circumstances. I would not be discouraged at all!

[PaleForce]

I will be out of undergrad approx 6 years and my graudate gpa is 3.41.  I was very sick in undergrad and didnt find what was wrong until the very end of my senior year so my grades suffered due to m y illness.  I plan on writing an addendum to explain the circumstances of ugpa and hopefully with a compelling personal statement and a great LSAT score i should at leat get into a good school.  I also have 3 years of work experience so maybe they would want someone with diversity within their program.  Any advice on what schools will most likely accept me?

Depends on the LSAT...
Honestly if you have sickness, 6 years out of undergrad, 3 years WE, a masters, and a strong PS you're very likely to be one of the exceptions. Keep in mind there is no penalty for schools in USNWR for people below their 25th percentile, they dont report it and they understand extenuating circumstances. I would not be discouraged at all!

I agree with studymaster.  I think if you can show that your grades were due to illness and that it won't be an issue in LS, a killer LSAT + addendum + strong PS will get you in the door.  Just make sure that your addendum shows exactly why your grades suffered, and that this issue has been resolved- maybe even offer to send documentation from your physician if necessary to show them that it's a legit. 

As far as what schools to target, the LSAT will determine a lot.  Take a look at lawschoolnumbers.com to get a feel for what schools people with your numbers are accepted to.  But, keep in mind that lsn isn't exhaustive.  Any schools in particular that you're interested in?

[waquele20]

I hoping to get an 160-165 on the LSAT so hopefully I will  be somewhat lucky when testing.  I would love to go to Emory or Georgia State but I do understand they are very competitive schools.  I am trying to stay in the southeastern states since Georgia is home and to keep down expenses so any suggestion on schools I am open.

Thanks for the advice.

[AlisaGreenstein]

I would suggest signing for a LSAT review course or perhaps hiring an LSAT tutor so you can get as high an LSAT score as possible.  I would also suggest writing an addendum to explain why the GPA was so low.  Then, you can put together an application package with as great recommendations and as great a personal statement as you can and that should provide some help.  Good luck!

[studymaster]

I would suggest signing for a LSAT review course or perhaps hiring an LSAT tutor so you can get as high an LSAT score as possible.  I would also suggest writing an addendum to explain why the GPA was so low.  Then, you can put together an application package with as great recommendations and as great a personal statement as you can and that should provide some help.  Good luck!

I recommend against courses, unless you're scoring very poorly, they're almost uniformly a waste of money.

Tutors can be a big help, screen carefully and make sure you do the work on your own with tutoring as a supplement, not a replacement, for your hard work.

[heartbreaker]

I recommend against courses, unless you're scoring very poorly, they're almost uniformly a waste of money.

Powerscore helped me go up 8 points on my retake from 168 to 176. Courses can help high scorers too.

[Jamie Stringer]

I would suggest signing for a LSAT review course or perhaps hiring an LSAT tutor so you can get as high an LSAT score as possible.  I would also suggest writing an addendum to explain why the GPA was so low.  Then, you can put together an application package with as great recommendations and as great a personal statement as you can and that should provide some help.  Good luck!

I recommend against courses, unless you're scoring very poorly, they're almost uniformly a waste of money.

Tutors can be a big help, screen carefully and make sure you do the work on your own with tutoring as a supplement, not a replacement, for your hard work.

Please stop giving people this advice!  It's possibly detrimental to their applications and LSAT scores!

Also, when I started the LSAT process, I tested in the mid to upper 150s and hit mid-160s on my first attempt at the real thing.  I took a course and went from that to a 171.  So once again, I agree with HB that courses can help high scorers as well.  Of course, the teachers don't have a magic wand, so if the student is a lazy ass and doesn't do practice sets for homework, they'll almost assuredly see no (or minimal) score increase.  But classes can help to clarify the process of doing formal logic (something many people have not been exposed to), how to analyze and complete a game, etc.  And reputable test prep companies will tell students the same thing.