A2Z 16: Transcript Analysis and "nunc pro tunc"

[@Optimizefp]

Dean Z, I've watched this entire series, and I can't thank you enough for putting this together. It's been more valuable to me than a book I read on the admissions process, which is saying something! The transcript videos have been especially helpful to me as I prepare my application package. Question - University of Michigan offers a selection of 8 optional essays. The essay about academics mirrors what could be said in an academic addendum. Is it correct to assume that an academic addendum is useful for a brief explanation, whereas a longer essay could be useful for more detailed circumstances? Thank you.

[@umichlaw]

You are correct! We include that as an optional essay topic just to offer it up as an explicit invitation for applicants to share anything they want on this subject; if you can cover it in a paragraph or less, then just treat it as an addendum.

[@Pants3]

Thank you. This was so resourceful.

[@TheRivalco]

Hi Dean Z! Can you indicate how you review an international transcript?

[@luharfarty]

Yes, that would be extremely helpful!!

[@jaredmowry8544]

What book(s) should every pre-law undergrad read?

[@mikefromco]

Personal recommendation is the Color of Law by Rothstein

[@b4u334]

I went to the liberal arts University of Dallas where everyone is required to take the same core curriculum of 20 classes, and you get about 2 professors to choose from per course (lol). Does a higher / strong last two years' GPA speak to a student's academic ability for law school?

[@umichlaw]

If you want to make that argument in an addendum, I’m open to being persuaded, but it is unlikely that any school will be separating out the years that way without your prompting them to do so.

[@baseballlover312]

Thank you for all the information Dean Z! Going off your discussion of LSAC GPA, I was wondering how law schools compare students who had the opportunity to earn A+'s in undergrad with students who could not. My school does not award A+'s at all, so I never had the opportunity to get above a 4.0 LSAC GPA. Would this hurt me and others like me in admissions?

[@umichlaw]

Even in schools that give A+ grades, it is extremely unlikely for there to be more than one or two in a given class. They are rare to see, and not at all the expectation.

[@adamcahoon6362]

Hey Dean Z, I took some college credit plus courses during high school that, while aren't horrible by any means, do not quite reflect my capacity demonstrated during my time as a full time undergrad student. Is an addendum warranted under those circumstances or would it be simply crying over spilled milk?

[@nekoiyawashington8913]

This is so helpful! Thank you!

[@kenzystorm8422]

Hi Dean Z! Thank you for creating these videos! I was wondering does LSAC provide our degree GPAs in addition to our cumulative GPA to law schools? Thank you!

[@umichlaw]

Yes, we see both cum and degree GPA! Cumulative is the one we use for calculating our medians, and is the number used for ascertaining the predictiveness of UGPA for 1L grades.

[@jarretwilliamson178]

Thank you for the helpful video as always! I got off to a rough start in undergrad, I didn’t make the proper adjustments from HS needed to excel in college. However, as I approached my last 5 semesters (taking 300 and 400 level courses) I made the adjustments and my GPA in the College of Business reflected that. Is this something that an admissions office will see clearly? Or, is an addendum necessary? Thank you, again!

[@umichlaw]

I recommend a brief addendum, explaining just what you said here.

[@socheatacheng3087]

Thank you Dean Z for a great informative video! Your videos is one of the most insightful videos that I came across for any law school related. I have a question regarding a specific situation. If I have a W in my transcript for this one class that I didn't think I was going to do well on, but I managed to take the same class the next semester and got a B. Would I need to write an addendum explaining it?

[@umichlaw]

I don’t think an addendum is necessary; this is a very minor blip, if it even rises to that level!, in the context of an entire application.

[@socheatacheng3087]

Michigan Law Thank you so much for your respond, I appreciate it!