I feel like my chances are ruined, can I fix this?

[tiredlychii]

I'm finishing up my final year of undergrad (I'm planning on applying to law school for the next cycle) and so far my grades have been good. Unfortunately, I had some difficulties handing in a final paper on time due to a situation that was largely out of my control and my prof is refusing to waive late penalties. Because of that, my final mark for that course is going from an A- to a B- and I'm terrified of how that's going to look on my transcript, especially because it's a required course for my major. My overall cGPA is okay (I think it will be around a 3.7), but it's just that one mark plus a couple years ago during the peak of COVID-19 my grades suffered during one semester because of a family issue. Other than that, my grades have been pretty consistent. Can a good LSAT mark help?

My top choice is Osgoode-- does anyone know how strict they are about these dips in grades? Is there a way I can explain my extenuating circumstances and would they actually take that into consideration? 

If anyone has similar experiences or any advice or insight to offer, I'd love to hear! 

tl;dr: I have some dips in my grade due to personal issues that were out of my control. I've still tried to keep my cGPA to a 3.7, but is there anyway I can explain what went wrong? Do schools look down on grade dips despite the GPA? Would explaining my situation actually help my case? 

[sunshinecoast]

Dips in grades are totally fine! They will also look at both your GPA and your LSAT score, so really there's nothing to worry about. I had far worse grades than a B- on my undergrad transcript and was accepted to all the schools I applied to. 

[tiredlychii]

5 minutes ago, sunshinecoast said:

Dips in grades are totally fine! They will also look at both your GPA and your LSAT score, so really there's nothing to worry about. I had far worse grades than a B- on my undergrad transcript and was accepted to all the schools I applied to. 

Thank you! That really makes me feel so much better. Congratulations on all your acceptances! Which schools did you get accepted to, if you don't mind answering? 

[sunshinecoast]

1 minute ago, tiredlychii said:

Thank you! That really makes me feel so much better. Congratulations on all your acceptances! Which schools did you get accepted to, if you don't mind answering? 

I don't mind at all! UBC, Uvic and TRU. I just finished 3L and am graduating next month 🙂

[tiredlychii]

1 minute ago, sunshinecoast said:

I don't mind at all! UBC, Uvic and TRU. I just finished 3L and am graduating next month 🙂

That's so exciting! I wish you the best with your law journey, and thank you so much for sharing your experience 🙂 

[rue]

I got a 56 in a course during my 3rd year, this was during a semester that would have otherwise been a 4.0. I didnt mention it or try to explain it away though because its truly not worth it since its just one course. You should be perfectly fine, plus Osgoode is relatively holistic and there are so many parts to the application process 🙂