Law school admissions question? Opinions?

Question

I admit, I had a pretty average GPA as an undergrad. I finished my BA 7 years ago, and have been working on an MA with about a 3.5 GPA. Just wondering, given my sub-3.0 undergrad GPA (although 7-10 yrs ago) and improved grad school grades, how much my undergrad years will hurt me in the admissions process. I understand that a lot depends on LSAT scores, etc, but in your opinion will those 'lost' years as an undergrad severely limit my law school options? Anyone have a similar situation?

Answer 1

My personal experience attests to the fact that the other responses are correct - grades do matter less when you have been out a while. I got into a very competitive law school with a significantly lower GPA than my peers, and I had been out six years.

They will still absolutely look at your LSAT - it will be a better indicator of your intellectual abilities. Your grad GPA is also an indicator of your work ethic, but will probably be considered as a 'soft factor' along with your work experience, essays and recommendations. Strict calculations are made from undergrad GPA and LSAT, (an index) with the latter receiving higher weight. What this means for you is if you are on the border numerically, you have a better chance of admission than others with the same index.

I have heard very little that would indicate that the time gap will hurt you. There are only a few of us here pushing 30, but that is less an indication of who they accept and more an indication of who applies. Northwestern in particular aims to recruit applicants with work experience. Part time programs tend to have more students our age, but if you can get into a higher-ranked full time program they will enhance your career options.

It was also easier for me to do job interviews and pick a job, since work experience can tell you what to look for and what to say.

Answer 2

Nearly everyone gets high grades in grad school. Law schools know that. However, you've got a pretty significant time gap so law schools will be more interested in what you're doing now. That LSAT will be key.

I wouldn't go so far to say that law schools look at LSAT the most. Actually, I'd say it's pretty much 50-50 btw LSAT and GPA (and about 80% of the total application overall btw the two) for most students, but individual circumstances can change the importance of each bit.

For you, I doubt they'd weigh your undergrad GPA as much as they normally would and would pay more attention to your essay and your recent extracurricular activities provided your LSAT score is up to snuff.

Answer 3

I would not use this story in your personal statement essay. I think that law school admissions personnel read personal statements to get a sense of the applicant's writing skills and to get a sense of their personalities. This is the type of story that will make you memorable but for the wrong reasons. I suspect that your admissions package will ask about any arrests - at that point you can and should prepare a straightforward statement describing what you did and expressing remorse. Law school admissions exams are not the place to show your sense of humor or your quirkiness. You might also want to check with the Bar Admissions office where you live to see if the arrest will prevent you from taking the bar. Good luck - it sounds like you had a momentary lapse of judgment and I hope that it doesn't restrict your career options.

Answer 4

My own opinion, which counts for nothing with law schools: they will look harder at the LSAT and grad school.

Answer 5

Try it and see what happens. Make sure your personal statement is really good.