Hello, all,
I am an international US law school aspirant from India. I have a pretty poor GPA - as low as it can be without actually failing. I had two horrible years - where I got pretty poor grades ( though did not fail). In my final year, however things improved quite a bit - though nothing drastic.
I attribute my botched my UGPA due to an undiagnosed ( then) learning disability, poor studying habits and a brutal grading curve C/B- at my alma mater. Since then I had gone on to do really well in my MA, cracked a national level exam - and will be starting a good govt job in my country this Dec. I actually plan to get a fair bit of work exp.
But all said and done, law school all said and done is a number’s game. I have a good cold LSAT score - 166. Hoping to cross 170 on the real deal. I can work on my LSAT, but with such a poor GPA, will any US ABA accredited law school take me in? I am not aspiring for T1/2 schools ( obviously). Any decent T3/4 law schools that’s ABA accredited will be a Godsend for me.
I am feeling completely demoralized. As my transcripts will be rated a Below Average by LSAC - I am now beginning to think - that even with a 180 LSAT I will be pretty much an auto ding candidate from all Law Schools. What can I do to improve my chances?
Now I know that with international candidates LSAT is much more important. But given that my GPA is particularly abysmal, I am fearing not getting in anywhere at all.
As said before, I am not chasing prestige, not obsessed with BigLaw. I just want to study JD in US , learn to be a lawyer and eventually work as an attorney at a small/mid law firm.
Many of my friends have suggested on working on an addendum - but I just think it will be pointless, - sure I had learning disability, sure my alma mater has one of the harshest grading curves, but my inability to rise above such conditions and still get stellar grades , will say a lot about my academic ability - and will portray me in an even more negative light - as a poor student who refuses to own up to their failures.
I can address, as to how my UGPA ‘‘doesn’t define me’’ ( sounds so corny lol) and how I have come a long way since my UG days - but it’s nothing law school admission officers have not seen/read before.
Many members of Top Law School forum, Reddit have warned me against applying at all - that my chance of getting admitted to any ABA accredited law school is practically nil, but since I have come so far in my LSAT prep, I think I will be doing myself a disservice if I do manage a great LSAT score - even though my app is most likely to be chucked into the bin.