Low Gpa But Good Experience

[gall]

I graduated from a VERY difficult and highly ranked small southern undergraduate institution with a selective major in 2002, however my GPA was in the range of 2.3. Since then I have had very good work experience and feel like I bring a lot to law school. I am extremely passionate about going to law school and feel strongly that I will be very successful there. I have grown up quite a lot since those days when I would rather mess around with my roommates than do my school work. I am currently studying for the LSAT and am confident that I can score in the 80th percentile or better. While I am realistic about not getting into a top 20 school, I am hopeful that I can get into a top 100 school with a good personal statement and good letters of recommendation. Am I realistic in my hope of going to a good school? Is there anything I should do to improve my chances? Thank you very much for you time and thoughts. --Jake Copty

[Ezechiel]

Hi, Jake:

To be honest with you, it's going to be tough.  Unlike business schools, law schools don't weigh work experience all that heavily. Instead, law schools tend to come up with a numerical calculation based primarily on your GPA and your LSAT score. If you fall within a certain numerical range, you're in the running for admission, at which point things like your work experience and personal statement could give you an edge over other similarly situated applicants.  If you're not in the school's desired range, you typically won't be considered for admission, and your work experience, essay and recommendations are unlikely to change that.  This may seem unfair, but it's the reality of a highly competitive applicant pool.  

Your LSAT score can go a long way toward boosting your chances of being admitted.  But, with your GPA, I would recommend setting your sights on the 90th-95th percentile of LSAT test takers.  If you haven't already, I strongly advise that you sign up for a nationally recognized LSAT prep course and that you work very hard at bringing up your score on the practice tests.  I did just this, and it brought my LSAT score from the muddy middle to the 91st percentile, which made all the difference.  

I believe that if you're able to perform exceedingly well on the LSAT, you may be able to get the attention of a top 100 law school despite your GPA.  If not, then I really think you'll have a tough time getting in.  

With that being said, you can probably still get into a school that's not in the top 100.  And if you do well enough there(say, top 10-20% of your class), you should still be able to land a good job after graduation.  As I mentioned in a recent reply to another user, law school is a much different academic experience from college, and your college grades are not determinative of your ability to excel in law school.  So if practicing law is really what you want to do, then by all means go for it!  If you want it badly enough, then I'm confident that you'll find a way to make it happen.

I hope this is helpful, and I wish you the best of luck in your pursuits.

Sincerely,

Brian J. Greenberg