<p>Upcoming undergrad sophmore here. My freshman grades were less than stellar but i look to re-bounce back and get my GPA into a competitive range. How would Law school calculate D's and F's that were replaced by higher grades? Will all A's last 3 years make up for the poor freshman performance? Aside from GPA and scoring high on the Lsats (150+ i would think), what else would i need to appear a perfect candidate for top tier law schools? i know it is a bit early but i am very ambitious and willing to do whatever it takes. What classes do law school want undergrad to take? Is it possible to get into law school with a bachelor degree in something unrelated? what are some volunteer work/internship should i be looking to apply? Will research help me? if so, where do i start and does it have to be published?</p>
<p>thanks in advance.</p>
<p>My advice to you, based upon my experiences, the experiences of my friends, and the experiences of my fellow co-workers over the past 30 years, is NOT to go to law school in the first place.</p>
<p>I was given this advice when I was 25, and pooh poohed it.</p>
<p>Perhaps you will take it.</p>
<p>Believe me, I know what I am talking about.</p>
<p>Now, if you can get into Harvard Law School, then the above advice might not apply.</p>
<p>If you are intent on going to law school, I would go at night.</p>
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<p>The D’s and F’s will be counted unless the higher, “replacing” grades appear on the transcript in lieu of the D’s and F’s; if the D’s and F’s appear on the transcript, they will be calculated into your GPA.</p>
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<p>An upward trend is the preferable way to achieve a given GPA, but poor freshman performance will still negatively impact your chances. </p>
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<p>If by “top tier” you mean the top fourteen law schools, an LSAT score around 150 is not nearly high enough. You can see the interquartile LSAT and GPA ranges here: [Top</a> 2011 Law School Rankings](<a href=“http://www.top-law-schools.com/rankings.html]Top”>http://www.top-law-schools.com/rankings.html). If your GPA ends up being near or below the 25th percentile for a school, it can be generally assumed that in order to be competitive, you will need an LSAT near or above the school’s 75th percentile.</p>
<p>Beyond that, extracurricular involvements play a varying, though uniformly subordinate (less so at, for example, Yale and Stanford, however), role. There is no single type of activity that is required or even recommended; common sense on what would reflect favorably on your candidacy is in order.</p>
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<p>No specific recommendations are made, other than to engage a broad liberal arts curriculum while still gaining specialized knowledge in a field of concentration (typically one’s major). </p>
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<p>One can get into law school regardless of his or her undergraduate major: It does not have to be related to the law. In fact, pre-law majors and the like are discouraged.</p>
<p>floridadad55,</p>
<p>I might have recommended that, instead of continuing to share your opinion of law school in general when thread starters are posing more specific inquiries that are not about whether they ought to attend law school, you merely start a thread expressing your views and then leave it at that. But since such threads have been started so many times, even that latter option seems unnecessary.</p>