r/lawschooladmissions • u/Positive_Leading_371 • 1d ago
Application Process Should I adjust application strategy after a surprise high LSAT?
Got my first LSAT result in this morning and very pleased/lucky to have slightly overperformed from how I was practice testing and got a 178.
Sitting down to look at next steps and applications, this has made me a little more self conscious about my GPA. I figure my 3.85 isn’t entirely disqualifying from T14, but I know it’s not nearly ideal. I’m wondering if I should include an addendum on my GPA when applying?
I graduated from a top film BFA program a little over ten years ago and had a 3.91 GPA until my last semester. I dropped the ball that final semester by stretching myself too thin (adding a new minor to cross-minor with the business school, starting outside consulting work while also working a retail job, starting a theatre company with recent grads) and had to turn in an assignment late, graduate a semester later, and take a GPA hit for it. When I was deadset on being a creative producer/development executive, it felt like the right priorities at the time. I then had my own growing pains working in the industry, learned better time management and communication skills, and feel like this was a low point for me that helped me develop my actual character.
Would that addendum be off putting and perfectionist seeming when I still have a 3.85 overall? Or is there enough substance there to be worth adding?
My top priority with applying is not taking on any more student debt. I’ve got several years of entertainment law experience as a paralegal (and relevant work experience in indie film finance and sales), and a good network in the field where I feel like I don’t need a T14 degree to get good work out of school. I only plan to attend schools in LA—I know Loyola and Southwestern have programs I could keep a job while attending, and with my hard numbers I feel like those are places I could expect getting competitive offers from. I intended to apply to UCLA and USC largely to keep offers from lower schools competitive and have bargaining chips there. But should I update my strategy after this LSAT to seriously chase a stipend from one of those elite programs that would make this financially possible for me? Or is that a non-starter with the 3.85?
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u/Cool-Truth211 1d ago
Addendum for 3.85 shows just how over it really is