<p>Say one spends 2 years at a community college and transfers to UCLA, spending 2 years there and graduating. What GPA will law schools look at? I've heard its a combination of both? How will the prestige (or lack of) from a community college affect admissions chances?</p>
<p>Also, I've heard some schools do NOT average multiple LSAT attempts. Does anyone know what schools (if any) this statement may be true for?</p>
<p>Law schools will look at both GPAs; and you should plan to take the LSAT only once!</p>
<p>There is no guarantee you will transfer into a prestigious school from a community college. I encourage you to go directly into a 4-yr college unless community college is your only option (financial considerations, etc.) If you have to attend a community college, I would be ready to address the "why" when you apply to law schools. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>~WF</p>
<p>Chunkphat,</p>
<p>I've got the identical problem. I attended a Community College for two years, and am now at UCLA. My best advice to you is to the best you can when you reach UCLA. Show that you can handle the UCLA work load just as easily as you did the work load at your community college. My GPA here is actually slightly higher than was my Community College GPA. If you hold strong grades all the way throughout, that'll certainly help explain the community college years.</p>
<p>I don't know if they care, but I would definitely make the save-money-because-we're poor argument if its feasible. No need to waste more money than you need to for college (since law school will be very expensive).</p>
<p>My friend who went to a CC before UCLA ended up at UCLA for law. Another transfer friend ended up at Stanford.</p>
<p>Both scored incredibly high on the LSAT and had amazing GPAs, however.</p>
<p>I currently have a 4.0 (and will continue to have a 4.0) with 70 transferrable units. All my prerequisites are complete and my major preparation is finished as well as IGETC. I believe my admission is a virtual guarantee because I simply can't do any better. My first choice is UCLA but I also applied to UCB, USC, and UCSD (on a guaranteed contract). I WILL transfer to a presitigious school and it IS a case of "save-money-because-I'm-poor" as I had a 4.1 in High School. I do only plan to take the LSAT once. Practice LSATs indicate I should be right around the 162 range. I have not done one minute of studying or taken any prep courses so I intend to do at least 165 for the real thing (after prepping).</p>
<p>Allena, you had a 3.92 at yoru CC if I remember correctly? What was your major and how do you find the classes compare at UCLA? Do you believe one who gets a 4.0 at a CC can achieve a 3.7+ at UCLA (generally)?</p>
<p>So I to conclude, the answer to my question is that YES they do look at both grades which is......GOOD NEWS!</p>
<p>"because I simply can't do any better"</p>
<p>Not trying to be overly argumentative here, but, attending a better school from the start would be considered as "doing better."</p>
<p>"I WILL transfer to a presitigious school and it IS a case of "save-money-because-I'm-poor" as I had a 4.1"</p>
<p>As long as you do well at the 4-year school you should be in good shape. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, the argument "I am going to a CC b/c I am poor" isn't really that strong. Look, the fact is that if you are a good student some good-to-great 4-yr school will give you merit money -- law schools know that; they could wonder if you were simply seeking the path of least resistance. There is also need-based financial aid. Nonetheless, if there are other circumstances involved (need to stay close to family, illness, etc), it would be a complete different story and your case would possibly looked at in a different light. Of course, if the CC gave you a full ride for two years, then that's something you should definitely mention.</p>
<p>Good luck!:D</p>
<p>~WF</p>
<p>chunkphat,</p>
<p>Yeah I did have a 3.92 at the CC level, and I'm a history major. Overall I find the classes here more difficult, as one would expcet, however they are not impossibly hard. My GPA here is currently a 3.9, and I think this quarter will go pretty good for me as well. So it is very possible to maintain a high GPA. Just be prepared for more challanging work.</p>
<p>Could you give me an example of how the work is more challenging allena? For instance one of my classes has three essay tests with with a key terms section (all written). A study guide is provided. I also have to read a separate book (apart from the other 2 for the class) and write a 8-12 page paper and create a presentation. I feel this is a more challenging community college class. How would you say something like this stacks up to a poli sci (or similar major) class at UCLA?</p>
<p>The biggest difference is going to be come in the way classes are structured. Generally speaking most classes I've had are a midterm and a final, and that's it. Also generally the midterm is worth 20-30% of your grade and the final is worth 70-80% of your final grade. In some classes I've had papers. As far as study guides, I've had them in some cases, but they're no longer something to be expected. Also your reading amount will grow a lot. It's not at all rare for me to have 7-10 books per class, with at least four in most classes. Overall you'll have fewer exams and such, but everything you do have will be worth much more.</p>
<p>Wildflower,</p>
<p>I've found that based on my friends' experiences and my own experiences that transfers have a very tiny, or even nonexistent, handicap at admissions time as long as they perform at the university level.</p>
<p>And I was in a similar position to chunkphat, so I went to a CC. It hasn't held me back one bit.</p>
<p>chunkphat,</p>
<p>On average, I found UCLA poli sci classes to be far more challenging than those at my CC. But that's to be expected, no? Few presentations, but much harder exams, much higher standards on papers, and much harder texts. Oh, and on average 3-5 texts per class, depending on the class. On course only had a reader and we went off of lectures. Another one had short lectures, but two readers, three texts, and handouts every week.</p>
<p>Depending on your subfield, you also might find yourself doing more math than you might have expected.</p>
<p>I was under the impression (and correct me if Im wrong) that law schools look more at your last two years of college because thats when you start to take classes pretaining to your major. I mean what sence would it make if you took Bio 101 your freshman year if your taking Ethics your junior or senior year. What class if really going to count. I dont think its gonna be Bio.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I was under the impression (and correct me if Im wrong) that law schools look more at your last two years of college because thats when you start to take classes pretaining to your major. I mean what sence would it make if you took Bio 101 your freshman year if your taking Ethics your junior or senior year. What class if really going to count. I dont think its gonna be Bio.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Their primary focus is your LSDAS GPA. They might look for something like an upward trend in grades, but they're not just going to exclude bad grades because they were in courses not related to your major.</p>
<p>I wasnt saying that law schools exclude bad grades in classes that dont pretain to your major! What I WAS saying that in the grand scheme of things Bio your FIRST SEMESTER of your freshman year isnt going to stop you from getting into a good law school. THAT is what I meant.</p>
<p>What was your CC GPA UCLAri? What is your UCLA GPA now? What is your subfield? I was thinking American Government/Politics. Is that a math intensive one? I was thinking that methodology might be. I would like to stay away from that. </p>
<p>What is the difference between a reader and a text?</p>
<p>and finally does anyone know the answer to this original quesiton (or mainly if this applies to UCLA law):</p>
<p>"Also, I've heard some schools do NOT average multiple LSAT attempts. Does anyone know what schools (if any) this statement may be true for?"</p>
<br>
<p>There is no guarantee you will transfer into a prestigious school from a community college.</p>
<br>
<p>In California, there is (as long as you maintain your CC GPA).</p>
<p>chunkphat,</p>
<p>I'd rather not specify my GPA, but let's just say that I graduated UCLA with a type of honors. I was comparative.</p>
<p>A reader is just bits and pieces of different texts thrown together. A text is an unedited, oncopied book.</p>
<p>No, some do not. That is correct. It is, as far as I know, rare.</p>
<p>"Also, I've heard some schools do NOT average multiple LSAT attempts. Does anyone know what schools (if any) this statement may be true for?"</p>
<p>awesome link. thanks fat joe</p>