From College Straight to Law School: An Effect on Early Admission?

[Candide]

The way I understand it, each applicant gives law school admissions people two numerical presents: an LSAT score, and a GPA.  These presents can look good or bad, depending on the law school and what they want to accept and keep to show to USNews. 

My question is this: will the 4th year undergrad who sends his application in October, as part of the early admissions cycle, be at a disadvantage because his UGPA is not set in stone?  Will admissions deans be weary of accepting him, because he could bomb his next two semesters and drag his GPA, and thus the law school’s incoming class GPA, down?

I’ve been working under the assumption that this is not the case, and the GPA statistics reported to USNews come from the LSDAS GPA reported to the law school when the decision to admit was made, and not when the undergrad transcript was complete.  Am I right?

[swifty]

Most people plan their senior year so that they won't be taking tough courses.  But if you do
real poorly in your last year, I would assume they can hold that against you.  No pressure right? 

[thinknpositive]

Your admit will probably conditional.  Meaning you will have to maintain a certain gpa or they will retract your acceptance.

[Candide]

Your admit will probably conditional.  Meaning you will have to maintain a certain gpa or they will retract your acceptance.

Right, I was aware of this.  What I'm wondering about is the reasoning behind this conditional admit.

[thinknpositive]

Your admit will probably conditional.  Meaning you will have to maintain a certain gpa or they will retract your acceptance.

Right, I was aware of this.  What I'm wondering about is the reasoning behind this conditional admit.

My guess is that law schools want successful, highly motivated people, not people that slack off once their goals are attained. 

Though I'm not sure, don't you have to send a new report if your GPA changes?

[Ginatio]

i was in the same situation, but acceptance letters never implied that i was only given a "conditional" admit... do they explicitly tell you this, or is it an unspoken rule?

also, they can tell based on trends in your grades how you're probably going to do in your last two terms of classes. if you end up completely bombing the last two terms, then you might not even graduate, thereby precluding law school altogether.... unless by "bombing" you mean a couple of Bs and an A, in which case, i'm sure they'll understand.

[Candide]

unless by "bombing" you mean a couple of Bs and an A, in which case, i'm sure they'll understand.

In a world where a slight dip in the 25/75 GPA of an incoming class could drop a school in the US News rankings, I would think that an admissions office would be very concerned about the difference between an A and B.  If "they'll understand" like you say, it would lead me to believe that the GPA statistics reported to USNews come from the LSDAS GPA reported to the law school when the decision to admit was made, and not when the undergrad transcript was complete.

[thinknpositive]

unless by "bombing" you mean a couple of Bs and an A, in which case, i'm sure they'll understand.

In a world where a slight dip in the 25/75 GPA of an incoming class could drop a school in the US News rankings, I would think that an admissions office would be very concerned about the difference between an A and B.  If "they'll understand" like you say, it would lead me to believe that the GPA statistics reported to USNews come from the LSDAS GPA reported to the law school when the decision to admit was made, and not when the undergrad transcript was complete.

I think it might be in your best interest to contact the admissions department of the school(s) you are interested in.  From what ginatio has said, it appears that some schools treat the situation differently.

[Ginatio]

right... i mean, if you're a borderline case, then maybe it'll make a difference, but when I was admitted to places, they never said "keep up a gpa of ___, or else we'll revoke your admission". all they said was that you need to earn your bachelors degree before law school starts. for me, at least, i was well above every school's 75th percentile gpa, so maybe they didn't say anything to me because i would've had to have gotten all Ds for my gpa to drop below each of their respective 25th percentiles.

like i asked earlier... did anyone get an explicit "conditional" admit saying they need to keep a certain gpa till graduation?

unless by "bombing" you mean a couple of Bs and an A, in which case, i'm sure they'll understand.

In a world where a slight dip in the 25/75 GPA of an incoming class could drop a school in the US News rankings, I would think that an admissions office would be very concerned about the difference between an A and B.  If "they'll understand" like you say, it would lead me to believe that the GPA statistics reported to USNews come from the LSDAS GPA reported to the law school when the decision to admit was made, and not when the undergrad transcript was complete.

I think it might be in your best interest to contact the admissions department of the school(s) you are interested in.  From what ginatio has said, it appears that some schools treat the situation differently.

[thinknpositive]

like i asked earlier... did anyone get an explicit "conditional" admit saying they need to keep a certain gpa till graduation?

No, but I did for UG.