Can I get into Harvard?

[britannia]

Hi guys,

I am applying for entry in 2012. I am not a mature student but I will be 27 when I start law school.

I have a B.S. in biology from Michigan State. My GPA is 3.42. Unfortunately it was about that the four years (ie. I didn't have a crappy first two years followed by a huge improvement). At the time, I was a single mom (to one son and another shortly after graduation) and just wanted to get out of there rather than go part time and maybe do a bit better. When I graduated I started working in my aunt's bake shop and I now own and run that business. Well, me and the bank. I've turned it into a specialty shop catering mostly to people with gluten allergies but we also make sugar free products as of this year. It is going really well, especially the sugar-free part of it.

My LSAT from last winter is 177. I am getting married this September and my fiancé has a great job in Boston. My business is also pretty nearby, relatively speaking, so I could stay as involved as school permitted. At this point if not Harvard then I would go to one of the Boston schools where I think my chances are pretty close to certain, or would you disagree?

I am really worried about my GPA hindering me at Harvard and they just don't strike me as particularly holistic. Any thoughts?

[john4040]

Hi guys...

I have a B.S. in biology from Michigan State. My GPA is 3.42...
<insert irrelevant information here>

My LSAT from last winter is 177...
<insert more irrelevant information here>

Any thoughts [on whether I will make it into Harvard Law]?

You are at the lower end, however, you should still try (especially if you are a minority applicant).  Assuming you're not a minority applicant, you probably have around a 5% chance, at most. 

See http://harvard.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats

[britannia]

My dad is chicano, mother is white.  I checked off Hispanic on the LSUC questionnaire.

[john4040]

My dad is chicano, mother is white.  I checked off Hispanic on the LSUC questionnaire.

Not bad.  Your chances probably rise an extra 5-10%

[bigs5068]

You have a chance at Harvard and the other Boston schools would likely give you a full scholarship with your numbers. Check out lawschoolnumbers.com to see how much money you schools like Boston College or Boston give out. http://bc.lawschoolnumbers.com/applicants a person with a 168 & 3.75 got a $75,000 scholarship to Boston College. Suffolk, Northeastern, New England, might give you a full scholarship plus a stipend with your numbers. Just things to think about good luck.

Also one thing to wary of on these scholarship offers on the conditions. Many will require you to maintain a certain GPA or class standing and this is difficult to do in law school because there is a curve. Good luck. 

[BikePilot]

The GPA will be a big issue, but the URM status will go a very long way to making up for it - I'd think you should have a solid shot at HLS.  I think you'll find that top-3 schools are more able to exercise a holistic approach than the rest as these schools know they rock and don't care so much about what USNWR thinks.  The other schools seem almost purely focused on gaming USNWR numbers so chances of them considering anything other than GPA and LSAT are slim.

[amyis]

Would someone please explain the "numbers" to me? Why are some GPAs 4.04?
At my school the highest you can get is a 4.0.
Does the LSAC take that into consideration?

[fortook]

There is nothing to take into consideration.  The standard is a 4.0 scale.  Some schools use funky systems that go higher.  Some school don't even give grades, well I know of at least one that only issues degrees- no GPAs.  Those are the school where the LSAC has to make special considerations.  You're fine with a 4.0 weighted GPA.  Anything over a 3.5 is considered very good.  Anything below a 3.0 and you're in trouble without a kick ass LSAT.  Lawschoolnumbers.com gives you an idea of what LSATs and UGPAs different law schools are looking for, everything is on a 4.0 scale.

I think the average formula for GPA to LSAT is 1 to 3, respectfully (way over simplified).  Schools change the weight given to each however they want.  Most school value the LSAT much more than the UGPA.  In a school like Harvard though, everyone's LSAT is so high that the GPA carries more weight.  The OP has a decent shot at Harvard, but the poster who mentioned the free ride she would probably get from some other schools in the area has a very good point.  Debt free law school education, pretty nice.