Answers: Applying to Law School With a Low GPA, Coping With Rejections
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New application essays and letters of recommendation can help rejected law school applicants be admitted.
Welcome to the latest installment of Law Admissions Q&A, a monthly feature in Law Admissions Lowdown that provides admissions advice to readers who send in questions and admissions profiles. Email us for a chance to be featured next month.
Dear Michelle: I just found out I was wait-listed at the lowest-ranked school I applied to. Does this mean that I'm not going to get in anywhere? I struggled with my LSAT, and I would consider retaking and reapplying, but I'm worried that my rejections will be held against me. -Anxiously Wait-Listed
Dear Anxiously Waitlisted: Being wait-listed at a lower-ranked program does not mean you will inevitably be rejected – or wait-listed – at higher-ranked law schools. I've worked with clients who were wait-listed at schools like Columbia University (tied for No. 4), University of Pennsylvania (No. 7) and University of Virginia (tied for No. 8), but admitted to Harvard Law School (tied for No. 2).
I've also worked with many applicants who were admitted off the waitlist and ultimately enrolled. It is a little too early in the results season to lose faith. Wait until you have all admissions results before deciding what to do next.
[Understand law school waitlists.]
In the meantime, know that a rejection will not be held against you should you decide to reapply in the future, particularly if you are able to improve your LSAT score. Identifying weaknesses in your application and addressing them will make you more competitive the next time you apply. You will also gain another year of experience – ideally in a professional environment – that will expand your skills in preparation for your first year of law school.
I also recommend applying to a range of reach, target and safety J.D. programs to maximize your options. As long as you have updates to share with the admissions committees, reapplying is a viable option.
I would, however, recommend submitting new application essays and potentially refreshing letters of recommendation. One hopeful J.D. decided to work with me after being rejected from every program for which she applied. By developing an application strategy together, she was ultimately admitted to her top choice program.
Dear Michelle: I graduated with a degree in engineering back in 2001. My grades were pretty low (GPA 2.56). Since then I have worked in the technology sector and started my own company. I want to go to law school to help entrepreneurs navigate the intellectual property and corporate law issues of managing a technology startup. Will my undergrad GPA from 15 years ago destroy my chances of going to a tier 1 school? -Older and Wiser
[Get tips on applying to law school later in life.]
Dear Older and Wiser: While an undergraduate GPA does play a significant factor in admissions outcomes, there is a lot you can do to compensate for your grades. Your professional accomplishments since graduating, as well as your clear motives for wanting to make a career change into law, will certainly be strengths in your application. But there are some things to consider trying.
First, invest in LSAT prep. A competitive score can help compensate for a low GPA. Since you're gunning for a tier one school, where your GPA will be your achilles' heel, you'll need your LSAT to be well above the median range for accepted applicants.
You could also include a GPA addendum to make a case for why you'd be a stronger student now. Include concrete evidence to support your claims, like pointing to any recent academic achievements, as well as explaining factors that may account for your undergraduate performance, such as working to pay for tuition or extracurricular commitments.
[Find out how to overcome a low GPA in law school applications.]
Try enrolling in a college-level course, as well. Getting an A will help establish you can excel in an academic environment. Some applicants even enroll in a master's program before applying to law school. If you establish a strong relationship with an instructor, ask him or her to write you a recommendation.
A big question admissions committees will have is why you are making this career change, so this a persuasive personal statement is a perfect opportunity to highlight why a law degree is essential to your professional goals. Share what you've accomplished through your work and what more you could achieve with a law degree. The essay should also demonstrate your intelligence and not just serve as a cover letter listing skills you've acquired.
Finally, consider adding supplemental essays. You could potentially include a diversity statement to highlight your unique status as a more seasoned applicant. My first client was a working mother, decades out of college, who wanted to go to law school to advocate for women in the workforce. Her diversity statement explored how her encounters with adversity would allow her to contribute to the diversity on campus at law school.
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