Grade Point Average
Numbers Count
If you want to go to law school, you must pay special attention to your GPA right from outset.
Getting into law school is primarily a question of numbers. Applicants to law schools are selected upon their GPA and LSAT score before anything else is considered. The applicants’ experience -- academic and others, recommendations and personal statements are considered second, to select among students within the same range of numbers.
It is important that students get accustomed to the criteria that law schools use to evaluate applicants. Law schools do not set minima in the GPA and LSAT scores, although they do provide statistics that can help students evaluate where they stand. Below are some guidelines.
|
Score/GPA |
School Option |
|---|---|
|
LSAT over 90% |
National law schools: |
|
LSAT over 80% |
Strong regional law schools: |
|
LSAT over 70% |
Reasonably competitive state law schools: |
|
LSAT over 70% |
Less competitive law schools: |
Notes:
- A minority student from Montana might get in with slightly lower LSAT/GPA numbers. This is especially important for top schools (candidates with high scores).
- Being an in-state student increases your chances to get into the University of Montana: they admit roughly one out of 3 in-state candidates and one out of 4 out-of-state candidates.
GPA Strategies
As the table above shows, it is important to do well in all of your classes. Pay attention to drop dates, and make sure to drop classes in which you are not sure to do well. Note that a grade of “pass” might be converted to a “C” when your GPA is calculated by the LSAC. If you retake a class, the grade you obtain the first time will count when your GPA is calculated by the LSAC. It is not unusual that your GPA when calculated by the LSAC will be lower than when calculated by UM.
If you apply during your senior year, your last semester grades will not be taken into account. If your performance consistently improved during your college, you may want to wait until the end of the Fall semester to submit your transcripts to law schools.
If your GPA is too low, you may consider taking a few years off to broaden your experience and increase your chances of getting into the law school of your choice. Letters of recommendation explaining that the GPA does not reflect your true abilities may also help.