<p>I was wondering how much grad school grades filter into the equation. For example, if someone gets a 3.2 undergrad GPA and a 4.0 graduate GPA in a good masters program, what overall GPA would this be considered?</p>
<p>The fact of of a graduate degree is a plus for admission. However, grad school grades are generally not considered to determine admission.</p>
<p>Brownie points, mostly. Only your undergrad GPA truly matters, as calculated by LSDAS.</p>
<p>It would be considered a 3.2 GPA.</p>
<p>Most graduate degrees count for more in law school admissions than simply “brownie points”, however, your LSDAS GPA is calculated using only grades earned through the time you get your first undergraduate degree. You will still have to submit your transcript from your graduate program, and the law schools to which you apply will indeed see those graduate degree program grades.</p>
<p>Well, shouldn’t we define what “brownie points” means first? </p>
<p>I mean, I really like some kind of brownies. So, those kinds get more points. Like, say, an MBA from a top-5 program. Somebody else may like other kinds better, like a PhD if they themselves have a PhD–and the applicant intends to go into legal academia. And so on…</p>
<p>The question is, who is reading the application?</p>
<p>But in any case, a graduate degree is unlikely to repair significant damage caused by your undergrad GPA. </p>
<p>My bias is a that mere MA in the humanities or social sciences is unlikely to matter much if you are not already competitive. Different story for a PhD at certain schools (esp. in economics or the sciences) or other professional degrees, such as an MBA, at some other schools.</p>
<p>I graduated in May with a masters in accounting (top 5 accounting school) and am looking to pursue tax law. My undergrad GPA and masters GPA were both 3.6. Would my graduate degree have any influence in the admission process?</p>
<p>Also, I noticed that Northwestern will accept either the LSAT or GMAT for admissions. Are there any other institutions that have this policy or is it unique to Northwestern?</p>
<p>To Jones:</p>
<p>Did you just create an account to thread-jack Taxguy’s thread? Or, are you the same person trying to gauge your “chances” better?</p>
<p>Neither. I thought my question might be related. I’ll start a new thread for it.</p>
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<p>I think this is certainly true. I’ve heard admissions officers say that these degrees won’t help, so getting one to improve your chances at law school is a waste of time and money.</p>
<p>I am really sure that Taxguy isn’t looking to go to law school (or maybe back to law school) at this stage time of his life ;)</p>
<p>The question was posed because of my son’s interested in law school. I have ABSOLUTELY no intention of going back to law school. I can’t imagine a better way to torture myself than going through law school again.</p>
<p>When I was in law school, I was one of the student reps. on the admissions committee for a semester. Graduate school grades aren’t really important because there is rampant grade inflation in many programs. </p>
<p>Except for MBA students, I don’t think I ever saw a graduate school transcript that had a GPA lower than an A- (3.67/4.0) from any of the applicants. I think every urban planning master’s grad had a 4.0. So it might marginally help on a person on the bubble, but the committee really didn’t consider it because no one really could stand out because of the grade inflation on steroids.</p>
<p>Just wondering, how much does being a Rhodes or Marshall Scholar and having spent 2 years at Oxford/Cambridge/LSE/etc. help in law school admissions?</p>
<p>“how much does being a Rhodes or Marshall Scholar and having spent 2 years at Oxford/Cambridge/LSE/etc. help in law school admissions?”</p>
<p>It helps a lot;YLS seems to love these people. But you have to realize that pretty much all Rhodes/Marshall Scholars already have 3.7+ GPAS–so they only have to ace the LSAT to be competitive, really. So, it’s more of a matter of self-selection than anything else. The fellowship is a mark of (intellectual) distinction, as you have already been interviewed and screened from what’s likely to be the most competitive pool of students in the nation/world. So, in a sense, these credentials establish a certain pedigree. </p>
<p>Now, spending 2 years at Oxford/Cambridge/LSE without a fellowship is a different matter (eg if you are self-funded, or parents help, or loans, or even some less prestigious scholarships). While it’ll certainly look nice (after all 2 years at these places are bound to challenge your intellect and whatever cultural/provincial ideas you embrace), provided you do well there, it probably won’t hold the same weight/carry the same punch as being a Rhodes/Marshall Scholar. </p>
<p>All that said, next time start your own thread. :)</p>