<p>I am really doubting my ability to get into Berkeley next year even though the time hasn't come yet, and I don't have my final application GPA yet. But even if I do get in, I'm still considering staying at junior college another year to boost my cumulative GPA for law school applications.</p>
<p>Will the GPA I apply with to law school include EVERY class I've taken at community college, even though I am only able to transfer 70 units? Say I take 100 units worth of classes at community college, but only transfer the max of 70. Will law schools only look at the GPA from those 70 units, or will they look at my GPA through 100 community college units + my GPA after transfer? </p>
<p>I am committed to getting into UC Berkeley, and I'm willing to stay 3-4 years at JC to go to my dream school, especially if it will improve my application GPA for law school. </p>
<p>Law schools and graduate schools look at your ENTIRE GPA, not just your UC GPA. Your UC GPA only affects your ability to graduate from a UC, not your overall application as a student. And they evaluate it based on semester units, so semester units weigh heavily against quarter units. (1.5 quarter units = 1 semester unit)</p>
<p>Before you decide to go to law school, you might want to evaluate the job prospects.</p>
<p>Thanks for the fast reply, so just to make things clear, they will look at my entire GPA, regardless of how many units I have at community college?</p>
<p>Thank you. A lot of my friends are criticizing me heavily because I’m considering staying at a JC for three years, even though I say it will improve my GPA for grad school application. I will not regret staying for three years.</p>
<p>First of all, how bad is your GPA that you need a whole extra year or TWO to get into Berkeley? Also, what major are you planning on? Some less impacted majors (i.e. Anthropology) will accept students with GPAs as low as the 3.3 range. Being that law school doesn’t care about major, that’s always an option.</p>
<p>Secondly, staying at a community college for FOUR YEARS is not going to bode well for law school admissions officers. They’re not dumb. They’re going to see that you’re just trying to pad your transcript with a bunch of (to them) easy community college classes.</p>
<p>Your best bet is to get your GPA up in a regular time frame, get to Berkeley and then dominate there. Seeing a 4.0 at a school as rigorous as Berkeley for four straight semester will impressive anyone more than a 4.0 at a community college. Hell, I have a 4.0 at the community college level after (nearly) two years, and I’m not even impressed with myself.</p>
<p>Hmm I see, I understand now. My major is political science, but I’m looking to double in Social Welfare and Political Science. I’m estimating that my GPA will be around a 3.6 after this semester is over (bad grades this semester). And I’m also considering staying here for three years so I can take more political science classes because I only have one so far, and it will be difficult to get into classes the next semester, especially since I have a late registration date. Will three years at a eventually JC hurt me? I honestly don’t see myself getting rejected after a third year, not to be conceited.</p>
<p>If your ultimate goal is law school, why are you pigeon-holing yourself into one school (Berkeley) that is notoriously hard to get good grades at. Your only two priorities should be GPA and the LSAT, the prestige of your school/department barely matters especially if the difference isn’t that significant (Berkeley –> UCSD for example). Practicality first…</p>