LOR Impact vs UGPA

[andiep]

Hello,

I have a question concerning the overall boost a LOR can do to perhaps offset a lower GPA.

My undergraduate GPA is not particularly high; it does, however, have an upward trend toward the final two years. It still is nothing substantial, though. I was, however, fortunate to have participated in important internships with a national law firm, non-profit organization, and the U.S. Congress. Though I have those internships as subjective factors, I did not use any of the respective superiors for my LORs; I chose my professors within my major instead. I did so because I earned As in their classes and--given my small, private university--interacted with them frequently thus having a good relationship with them. Essentially, if they wrote strong LORs explaining I am a capable and academically-sound student, would it help enhance my academic credibility to the admissions committees who would not otherwise see if they only considered just my transcript? the professors are also philosophy and politics professors, so perhaps that would include courses that align with some law school skills and thus help the LOR's case?

If you could provide me with some insight I would highly appreciate it.

Thanks!

AD

[Anne Chaconas]

Hey AD,

That's a good question--the answer is not clear-cut, but here's my take:

At the end of the day, the only thing that can really offset a low or low-ish GPA is a stellar LSAT score. Your GPA and LSAT score are the first two factors almost all law schools will consider, so if you're looking to have them look past your GPA and consider you as an academically sound candidate, the LSAT is where you need to spend your time.

Once they do get past your numerical factors, THAT'S where the LORs will come into play. That's when they'll see if they are justified in using your LSAT score as a more accurate indicator of your academic potential. In that regard, using your professors, as opposed to your employers, for LORs is a brilliant move, since those professors will be able to speak volumes (and their words will carry considerable weight, given your relationship with them and the fact that they will be able to speak knowledgeably and personally about you).

In short: To get your application past the first initial glance, make sure your LSAT score is extremely solid (and, preferably, well above the 75th percentile for what the schools are looking for--you can see these numbers at LSAC's Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, here: http://officialguide.lsac.org). And to make sure that schools then see that your LSAT score is more indicative of your academic potential than your GPA, make sure those LORs from your professors are filled with personal, detailed, anecdotal evidence of your academic strengths as a student.

I hope that helps! Best of luck!