25th-75th percentile GPA

[mnazarmi]

Hello,

I have a question about the GPA statistics posted by law schools. Do they reflect the LSAC calculated GPA or the GPA directly on your college transcripts?

Thanks!

[Anne Chaconas]

That's a great question--and, unfortunately, one for which there is no single answer. My gut tells me that majority of schools will likely report the GPA on a student's transcript, but there's not real way to tell, since different schools will likely have different ways of reporting the information. My suggestion would be that you contact the schools for which you would like to know this directly, and ask them.

As a side note, the differences between a transcript GPA and an LSAC-calculated GPA are often no more than a few tenths of a point (if that), so I wouldn't worry too much about which they use--however, calling schools and which number they use will be your best bet.

Good luck!

[erinrachel]

Your response raised a question for me because my LSAC calculated GPA is drastically different from the one given by my university. I attended a Community College before transferring to a university but the university did not accept my grades from CC; rather accepting them as a "package" reflecting GE completion. My grades at the CC were entirely A's so they make an impact on my overall GPA as LSAC calculates it. I also earned a few A+s which also don't count for anything at my university. This means that the GPA that my university recognizes is almost a whole grade point lower than how LSAC calculates my GPA.
What kind of an impact do you think that will have on my application, if any?

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi Erinrachel,

Thanks for your question! This is a tricky question, and one the LSAC will be better suited to address directly. Your situation is quite unique and they may handle it in a way that we cannot predict with 100% certainty. That said, here's my take on it:

As long as the CC grades were awarded for coursework that ultimately counted as credit towards your BA degree, the LSAC should factor them in (even if your university doesn't). On the other hand, if the CC coursework was completed only in pursuit of a GE (the equivalent of a high school diploma), then - no, they wouldn't count them in. Your post left that distinction unclear: the university accepted them as a "package reflecting GE completion," but did you start from zero or did the CC coursework count as some form of college credit? If you started from zero (no advance standing, etc.), then the CC coursework was merely taken in lieu of a high school education - which means it wouldn't count towards your UGPA.

That's how I interpret their policy, but then again - this is such a specific case that you'd be better served bringing it to the attention of the folks at the LSAC.

Hope this helps (a bit)

[erinrachel]

Hi Nikki,

Thanks so much for responding to my question! To clarify, my CC grades did contribute to my major prerequisites, but not my major itself (which is standard for community colleges - they tend not to have classes that qualify for the major itself). It does not equivocate with a high school diploma (that would be a GED), but with the general education requirements of every major at any university. The courses counted as credit towards my BA but the grades did not.
It's a confusing system, so maybe specifics will help. I transferred to UCLA with what they call "IGETC" certification (which stands for Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum), meaning that I have completed all the coursework for a GE, but that UCLA accepts it as a closed package - it's like jumping into my junior year of college and going straight to major-specific courses. Here is a link: http://admission.universityofcalifornia ... nts/igetc/
IGETC is a system used by California community colleges to ensure that students are finishing required coursework to transfer and can immediately commence with major requirements. According to the grade calculated by LSAC, they calculate all of the grades and not just what UCLA considers my final degree grade. Since my LSAC grade is uncharacteristically different from my degree grade, I was curious which one law schools report and where that would put me in their rankings.
I know I should just call the schools, but I thought there might be people with insight into these sorts of things. Again, thanks so much for your response!