Wait! I'm special!

[JoeBlizzard]

OK, so here's my story.  Quite similar to a lot of folks on here, but I couldn't find anyones story 100% comparable to mine.

So here goes with the questions.

I'm looking at a 172 LSAT, so there's not a lot of concern there.  My question relates to overall GPA and GPA trends.

I went to college when I was 18 at a local community college for 2 years.  I pulled a mighty 2.5 GPA across approximately 60 credits ( this was 1993-1994 )

I then transfered to a 4 year school, it was also my first time out of the house, and decided I liked beer and chasing girls a lot more than doing to class.  This led to 40 more credits at a 0.3 GPA...(1994-1995).

This left with a 1.7ish GPA across 100 credits.

I then went to work, and after a layoff in 2009, I decided to come back to school full time and get both my undergrad degree and work towards either an MBA, JD, or joint program involving the two.

In 2 calendar years, I will have completed over 100 credits...20 on average for the fall/spring semesters and 12-15 for the summer semesters in between.  I've pretty much done the entire BA/BS program in 2 years since almost none of those earlier credits transfered in any way.

My GPA for this time period has been a 3.96, darn those A-s!

Now when you take the 200 or so credits and average them together, I end up with a 2.8ish.  That, on its face, makes me think that noone in the top few tiers would touch me with a 10 foot pole, however is there something I can do to emphasize the fact that it's two entirely different bodies of work?

Any suggestions/advice would be welcome.

Thanks,

Joe

[legend]

Sadly no schools have to report your overall GPA to U.S. News and the number matters not the substance. The system is very flawed, but it is the system. Someone can get a 4.0 in a very easy major and that will count as a 4.0. It sounds like you really worked to get your act together, but the schools will have to report a 2.8 on their report and schools care about the numbers more than the quality of the applicant. Sad, but true. I know there are exceptions, but in the majority of cases your numbers decide your fate.

If your still in undergrad you can boost your GPA by not graduating yet and continuing to take some easy courses and earning A's. As soon as you graduate though your undergrad GPA is locked and that is the end of it.

Even with a 172 and 2.8 you will have a lot of options, but there is a reason top tier schools are hard to get into. People at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, never had time they screwed up or sluffed off. Regardless with a 172 and 2.8 you will get into law school, but Harvard is probably out of the question.

[sollicitus]

170 or above LSAT=Awsome!
3.0 or below GPA screams special ed. 


I would include in your personal statement the reasons why that is. If your GPA went up drasticly the last few terms and you point that out, they can see you "got your act together"

or if personal issues (overcoming a previously non diagnosed learning disablity,etc) are mentioned that may help too.

Either way, with that score the reality is that once into a program you should be able to ace it!