<p>If you would, please entertain the following scenario:</p>
<p>Student attended T50 undergraduate research university for two years. Dropped out with a slew of Ws and Fs (GPA<2.0).
After 3 years and many roads travelled student gains entrance to another (T9 USNWR ranked) university.</p>
<p>If student graduated with a 3.8 GPA from the new school and achieved the requisite LSAT score (170+), would acceptance to a T14 law school be feasible? </p>
<p>Curious to whether law school ad coms are machines wired to the LSDAS or if there is a more significant level of human discretion involved.</p>
<p>Many thanks.</p>
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<p>Probably not because all grades (even the F’s from the first school) will be used to calculate a LSDAS gpa which will be much once the grades from the first school are factored in (which will drop the gpa). I guess that it goes without saying that you have a really good addendum written as to what happened at the first school an why you got all of those grades.</p>
<p>While we do not know what your overall gpa is after all of your grades are factored in, you could very well end up being a splitter and splitters are hard to predict.</p>
<p>The best that you can do is apply really early in the cycle as you may have a chance if you apply ED at the beginning of the cycle at Cornell, Duke or UVA.</p>
<p>Thanks for weighing in sybbie.</p>
<p>Would still appreciate any other opinions on the matter.</p>
<p>Agreed. My son just completed the law school admissions cycle. LSAT and GPA are primary. I have noticed lots of people post about potentially getting a 170 on the LSAT. I’m not sure that is always feasible. AFter taking a prep course and intensive study our son scored a 169. given that is in the top two percent we were extremely pleased. His schools were limited to the Boston metro area. Even with a good GPA and a personal letter from a former Harvard law grad who has also donated to HLS he received a denial from HLS. He will still go to a great school.<br>
All law schools go by the same system and will consider gpa from all college level classes. Our son had to submit official transcripts for dual enrollment community college stuff taken in high school. They will look at gap very heavily. Then again there are lots of law schools out there.</p>
<p>It all depends on the LSDAS GPA, which takes into account all undergraduate institutions up to the first Bachelor’s degree.</p>
<p>A 3.8 from the new school with a sub-2.0 from the old school suggests that the overall LSDAS GPA will be <3.0, which makes it near impossible to get into a T14, even ED.</p>
<p>Undoubtedly, the odds will be stacked against the hypothetical applicant. 
But I simply cannot understand the doom & gloom cast of the law school adisory set. Several schools invited a “grade addendum” to explain just such a situation as you have described. In addition, given a 3yr hiatus, the applicant’s age may now allow consideration as a “non-traditional” applicant (one w/greater wisdom & world experience). That, in and of itself would significantly contribute to a diverse 1L class.</p>
<p>The situation you describe requires application finesse, but given an LSAT at 169+, the applicant definitely has a shot at almost any school in the T14. Check out law school numbers.com!</p>