UBC Bachelor Overall Average 73.6%, should I still consider applying to law school?

[Jasper_Law]

I wish to start by thanking everyone reading this and making comments below. I graduated from UBC in 2016 with a BA degree. After working for 5 years as a paralegal I wish to realize my full potentials. However, I was certainly not the candidate with exceptional academic records, I didn't really try hard at school. Considering my bachelor grades, do I really stand a chance applying for the JD program? How good should I score at LSAT in order to get me into any law school? 

[TheDevilIKnow]

The first thing you will want to do is translate your UBC GPA into the various other formats that other schools use. Not many schools use a percentage, and as they all have their own admissions formula, you'll want to know what you can plug into each.

Having said this, if I understand the UBC scale correctly, your average will probably work out to around a 3.00 on the scale of schools that use a 4.00 or 4.33 system. This would unfortunately be likely too low for any school in Canada. I think a typical cut-off at the least competitive schools would maybe be around 3.4, but I'm speculating a bit. 

However, some schools will drop some of your worst marks from their calculation. Some others will only count your last two years, or your best two years, etc. Once you play around with the numbers a bit, maybe things will look better.

All the best as you explore your options.

[bluebean]

The best thing you could do at this point is take some practice LSATs and see how you do. Then prep, take a real LSAT, and come back to this forum and make a 'chances' post with your full stats (cGPA, L2/B2, LSAT).

An average of 73.6% does not disqualify you from getting into law school (I got in with a 2.7 cGPA on a 4.0 scale), but that stat alone is not enough to give any valuable insight.  

Best of luck! 

 

[LordBONSAI]

A 73.6% GPA is generally not competitive for most Canadian law schools, but you still have a chance if you apply broadly. A big question is: were your undergrad grades adversely affected by courses from a semester or two? If that's the case, you may have a shot at B2 schools like Queens or Western with a decent LSAT score (>160). You can also apply access or mature if there're well-documented reasons for your underperformance at university. 

UBC's admissions are index-oriented. You can figure out what LSAT score you need to be competitive using the formula in the link. Remember to drop your 12 worst credits when calculating your GPA (or 6 if you completed less than 90 credits). 

I second to @samii's advice that to have a realistic estimate of your chances, you should take some PTs first. Almost all schools have their LSAT medians at or above 160. You'll need to PT above that score to be safe on actual tests. With a below-median GPA, you should aim for 165 or even higher. It's not easy but it's doable. Good luck.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by LordBONSAI

[TobyFlenderson]

If you’ve been out of school for 5+ years, you may be considered a mature applicant, which could reduce the impact of lower grades. Take a look at the admissions requirements of schools you would consider going to, and see if you meet their mature applicant category requirements. You’d need a reasonably good LSAT though in order to demonstrate an ability to succeed, so the advice above about taking a practice LSAT is a good start.

 

[Jasper_Law]

11 hours ago, TheDevilIKnow said:

The first thing you will want to do is translate your UBC GPA into the various other formats that other schools use. Not many schools use a percentage, and as they all have their own admissions formula, you'll want to know what you can plug into each.

Having said this, if I understand the UBC scale correctly, your average will probably work out to around a 3.00 on the scale of schools that use a 4.00 or 4.33 system. This would unfortunately be likely too low for any school in Canada. I think a typical cut-off at the least competitive schools would maybe be around 3.4, but I'm speculating a bit. 

However, some schools will drop some of your worst marks from their calculation. Some others will only count your last two years, or your best two years, etc. Once you play around with the numbers a bit, maybe things will look better.

All the best as you explore your options.

Your comment certainly cleared up some of my concerns. Thank you for your info!

11 hours ago, samii said:

The best thing you could do at this point is take some practice LSATs and see how you do. Then prep, take a real LSAT, and come back to this forum and make a 'chances' post with your full stats (cGPA, L2/B2, LSAT).

An average of 73.6% does not disqualify you from getting into law school (I got in with a 2.7 cGPA on a 4.0 scale), but that stat alone is not enough to give any valuable insight.  

Best of luck! 

 

My B2 GPA is somewhere around 3.7 or 3.75, and L2 GPA 3.4. May I know how well you scored in LSAT?

[Jasper_Law]

10 hours ago, LordBONSAI said:

A 73.6% GPA is generally not competitive for most Canadian law schools, but you still have a chance if you apply broadly. A big question is: were your undergrad grades adversely affected by courses from a semester or two? If that's the case, you may have a shot at B2 schools like Queens or Western with a decent LSAT score (>160). You can also apply access or mature if there're well-documented reasons for your underperformance at university. 

UBC's admissions are index-oriented. You can figure out what LSAT score you need to be competitive using the formula in the link. Remember to drop your 12 worst credits when calculating your GPA (or 6 if you completed less than 90 credits). 

I second to @samii's advice that to have a realistic estimate of your chances, you should take some PTs first. Almost all schools have their LSAT medians at or above 160. You'll need to PT above that score to be safe on actual tests. With a below-median GPA, you should aim for 165 or even higher. It's not easy but it's doable. Good luck.

 

 

Much appreciated! 

10 hours ago, TobyFlenderson said:

If you’ve been out of school for 5+ years, you may be considered a mature applicant, which could reduce the impact of lower grades. Take a look at the admissions requirements of schools you would consider going to, and see if you meet their mature applicant category requirements. You’d need a reasonably good LSAT though in order to demonstrate an ability to succeed, so the advice above about taking a practice LSAT is a good start.

 

Thank you for this piece of info! 

[Federale]

You definitely have a shot, but it's going to be an up-hill battle, and you'll most likely have to apply broadly. The first thing you'll need is an LSAT score above a 160 to compensate for the low GPA/L20, but you really should be aiming for a 165+ to have a realistic shot. If possible, going back for an extra semester or two to raise your L2 would go a really long way in improving your chances at schools that only look at those years (Calgary, Alberta, Dalhousie). 

Other parts of your application such as your personal statement, and EC's can definitely help, but that falls on you to highlight your strengths and experiences in your personal statement. As others have also mentioned, you can apply within the mature category which could help your chances depending on the strength of your profile. At the very least though, you need a strong LSAT to put yourself in consideration, and writing a cold diagnostic to see where you stand would be a good start

[bluebean]

I scored a 164 on the LSAT!

[Jasper_Law]

On 12/20/2021 at 11:50 AM, Federale said:

You definitely have a shot, but it's going to be an up-hill battle, and you'll most likely have to apply broadly. The first thing you'll need is an LSAT score above a 160 to compensate for the low GPA/L20, but you really should be aiming for a 165+ to have a realistic shot. If possible, going back for an extra semester or two to raise your L2 would go a really long way in improving your chances at schools that only look at those years (Calgary, Alberta, Dalhousie). 

Other parts of your application such as your personal statement, and EC's can definitely help, but that falls on you to highlight your strengths and experiences in your personal statement. As others have also mentioned, you can apply within the mature category which could help your chances depending on the strength of your profile. At the very least though, you need a strong LSAT to put yourself in consideration, and writing a cold diagnostic to see where you stand would be a good start

Thank you for your input! Happy holidays!

[VitalGiraffe]

I can't recommend taking an LSAT course enough