GPA Dip

[JCT6]

Hi Dave,

I have a theory that this upcoming admissions cycle will have a dip in median GPA's because most everyone was forced into pass/fail grades their last semester. I understand it may not be a huge dip but if I'm .01 or .02 below the median of my dream schools it might make a difference. Realistic or wishful thinking?

[KelseyWoods]

Hi JCT6!

It's 2020 so it's hard to say anything for sure! But I'm not sure I'd count on a significant GPA dip due to pass/fail grades last semester for a couple of reasons:

1) there are a lot of people applying to law school who are NOT coming straight from undergrad. These applicants had their GPAs already set in stone well before the world ever heard of COVID (hard to remember when that was!).

2) Having a semester of pass/fail courses doesn't necessarily mean that everyone's GPAs are going to end up lower. Many GPAs will stay the same. Some of them might have even ended up higher because they got to take that physical chemistry course (or whatever) pass/fail. Or because they were going to slack off their last semester of senior year anyway. For students who are applying straight from undergrad, their spring semester might have originally been planned as a junior year abroad, which is often pass/fail anyway.

And if you're only talking a difference of .01 or .02 in median GPA, those types of variations can occur in any year whether or not we're facing a worldwide crisis. In any event, a difference of .01 or .02 in median GPA is unlikely to make much of a difference in your chances of getting into a specific school. If you feel like your GPA is on the lower end, make sure the rest of your application makes up for it. Give them a solid LSAT score, strong recommendations, and a well-crafted personal statement so that when you get in, you can be responsible for dragging their GPA median down a little bit!

Hope this helps! Good luck with your applications!

Best,
Kelsey