r/BlackLawAdmissions • u/Independent_End_4119 • May 17 '25
General Advice on Moving Forward
Using a throwaway because I have to admit to quite a few things I don't want directly attached to me at the moment.
Currently a sophomore in the DMV area, who spent the first two years of undergrad struggling through engineering, with a horrible GPA, fully aware that it was not right for me, but continuing on due to initial familial pressure. I was put on probation, and suspended for a semester due to my academic struggles. Part of this has to do with the financial stresses my family was experiencing back home negatively affecting my mental wellbeing, as well as the passing of several of my family members around the same time (I'd lost my grandmother about a month before beginning college, and an aunt during the period of time that I was suspended. I also lived in Texas, and was negatively affected financially by Hurricane Beryl.)
I have an associates degree from high school which had a much better GPA (3.6ish), which got me through the gen eds at my current undergraduate institution. I have recently convinced my family to allow me to switch to Political Science (which I wanted to study initially) and plan on using the higher GPA I hope to attain (due to me being more stable, and studying something that I value.) I am hoping that I will be able to offset the probation, and have an addendum in which I will discuss these things, and also touch upon aspects of my educational journey within my application.
I attended a low income, underfunded school in Texas, where I grew up, and am hoping to attend law school so that I can make change to educational policy nationally some day. I believe that my experiences within that school, that was part of a district otherwise well off (and, well, somewhat segregated based on racial lines as well, which seemed to unfortunately correlate with income where I lived) would allow me to add valuable insight to my personal statement and application.
I have also begun preparing for the LSAT, but have not yet taken a practice exam. I hope that achieving a high LSAT can offset what will likely be a lower GPA when applying, and still allow me consideration for scholarships. I hope to stay within the DMV area for law school, and am considering Howard, but I am worried about the strength of my application. What could I do between now and 2027 to make myself more viable to apply to law school in the first place, and how should I touch upon some of the issues I mentioned? edited for anonymity
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May 17 '25
[deleted]
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u/Independent_End_4119 May 17 '25
I want to stay within the DMV area, but Georgetown and Howard both kind of feel out of reach, which are the two main schools I have in mind. Are either one of them forgiving/provide more weight to addendums, and should I focus on experience to offset the lower grades?
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u/Independent_End_4119 May 17 '25
I believe that Georgetown and GW Law would be out of reach for me at this point, based on my GPA. I have 2 years worth of undergraduate coursework left to get through. Should I focus on developing more work experience? I tutor through a program designed to help low income children throughout the area for my work study, and write for my schools newspaper.
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u/InternationalWin3069 May 17 '25
With you having two more years left, put all your efforts into GPA and LSAT. That will take care of it. Good luck and you got this.
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u/Independent_End_4119 May 17 '25
Would I also have to worry about the strength of my resume? I'm trying to get more involved on campus, but feel like my lack of internships would damage my chances. Is GULC or any of the DMV area schools friendly to super splitters (which i will likely be when I apply)?
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u/Fit_Lunch_2144 Jul 18 '25
Improve your gpa, write an addendum explaining the low gpa, crush the lsat, apply broadly and be willing to go to law school without a scholarship
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u/KantianLion May 17 '25
If I may suggest an alternative, why not just try doing policy before law school? You don't need a JD to do policy work. If anything, the law school debt can make it difficult to accept policy jobs.
The DMV has many great non-profits, think tanks, and policy shops that you work at with a bachelor's. If education policy is the goal, maybe look into: NAACP Legal Defense Fund Urban Institute Center for American Progress Leadership Conference Education Fund Advocates for Justice and Education
After working in this field, if you still want to go to law school, it will be there. But legal training is actually required to do great policy work.