Writing an addendum with a low gpa

[kbaylor13]

I currently have a 2.74 (baylor university) and am terrified about having those numbers on my resume. How should I go about explaining myself in my addendum? I've worked all throughout college, sometimes even working 30+ hours a week. I also wanted to write that the topics didn't spark my interest, but I don't know if I should include that.

Help!

[Maintain FL 350]

I also wanted to write that the topics didn't spark my interest, but I don't know if I should include that.

In my opinion, you should absolutely, positively not include that. Law school is often incredibly boring, and you will be expected to devote huge amounts of time to learning very dry subjects like civ pro, property, and wills & trusts. Trust me, most of the topics in law school won't spark your interest either, and the admissions committee knows this.

The best possible way to overcome a 2.74 GPA is not with an addendum, but with a high LSAT score. If your LSAT is sufficiently high, the addendum won't even be necessary.

Any addendum that you write will only be a small factor in the admissions process, and will probably only get glanced over. Those types of things are often most useful as tie breakers, assuming that you're on the cusp of admit/no admit. Law school admission is a numbers game, and if your GPA is below a school's median then you need a higher than average LSAT to compensate. If you don't have an LSAT score yet, start studying and get as much prep as possible. For the purposes of law school admission a 2.74 is relatively low, but it's not fatal. You can still get into plenty of good schools if you score high on the LSAT.

If you're still in college, try to take classes that will allow you to maximize your GPA. Law schools don't seem to care about the content of classes too much, just the grades. If you do end up writing an addendum, just be entirely honest. Explain that you had to work during college, and that you've learned from that experience how to better manage your time and priorities.

Do you know which schools you're interested in?

[Thane Messinger]

I currently have a 2.74 (baylor university) and am terrified about having those numbers on my resume. How should I go about explaining myself in my addendum? I've worked all throughout college, sometimes even working 30+ hours a week. I also wanted to write that the topics didn't spark my interest, but I don't know if I should include that.

Help!

There's a book, Law School Undercover by a "Professor X," which goes over this from the perspective of the admissions committee. 

Roald is quite right: your best bet is a stellar LSAT.  Also quite right: don't give hints as to negativity.  The admissions committee, while reliant on the LSAT, is for soft factors looking closely at your UGPA.  What they're looking for is evidence that you can "cut it"; in other words, did you max out at your school, and if not, you need a really good reason why not.  Simply working is probably not good enough, unless there are specific reasons indicating so.  I would recommend that book for an inside look in the minds of the people who are reading your application.  Not least, there are tricks of the trade that are more likely to work.  If you can convincingly "sell" that, your chances rise significantly. 

Thane.