<p>Hey guys, how high does frosh GPA really have to be? I have had the roommate from hell for the month and a half. She would turn the lights off on me when I’d be studying in my room… at 10 PM. Needless to say, I didn’t get too much work done and was overall way to stressed out to write any quality papers. My grades up till now aren’t that hot. (She has transferred though, so maybe I can salvage something.) How much room is there for adjustment to the learning curve as a freshman at an HYP? I’m aiming for Stanford Law School as my first choice. If I pull anywhere… AROUND a 3.5 this semester, does that screw me over royally? I really ****ed up my midterms, so I have my work cut out for me for the rest of the semester. I MAY be able to get higher than 3.5, but I have no dreams…</p>
<p>think back to cumulative GPA in HS… I’m thinking its the same impact.</p>
<p>I’m a frosh too, also crossing my fingers (and my tee’s and dotting my I’s) for Stanford Law. :)</p>
<p>Hm… I really hope what you’re saying is right. Anyone else? B U M P</p>
<p>If you want to study, go to the library (or even a lounge in your dorm). That is exactly what I tell my roommate. If you are too lazy to walk to the library, then it is your own fault. 99% of college libraries are open to the wee hours of the morning.
I see you go to Harvard… And now that I am looking I see that they are indeed open late.
I have a political science midterm in about 11 hours from now. Today it was pouring all day with high winds. Where did I go? To the library. My roommate wanted to go to sleep the other night at about 11 o’clock and I still had some work to do (and no, it is not procrastination as Rochester is a pretty tough school, first based on the fact that I am doing a Biomedical Engineering/PoliSci double major, but also because the political science dept. is pretty dang hard) so I walked over to the library to do my work. I did not care one bit…
Sorry that I might sound mean, but it is the reality.</p>
<p>1 semester of grades, especially first semester, will not significantly hurt your chances at a law school.</p>
<p>If your roomie wants to go to bed, that’s why you should have a desk lamp. If you want more light than a desk lamp provides, you should be working elsewhere.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s fair to blame your [perceived] low grades on your roomie going to bed early though either.</p>
<p>I tend to agree with soccerguy. I’ve done most of my working/studying in the library, or in my res’ computer lab. I’ve heard the roommate complaint on other forums here, and I think people need to learn to take their work elsewhere. </p>
<p>I have the same problem with grades you do, mouse, though I can only blame my initial disorientation and the fact that till now I haven’t used an agenda. Because of those things, I’ve handed in a few minor assignments (nothing really important, thank God!) 1-2 days late. What with the course I’m taking, I’m probably pulling a 3.5 myself. I share your anxiety, but I really don’t think it’ll make much difference come senior year. We have 8 terms - 0.3 or even 0.5 off one’s GPA on the first term will mean all but sh-- by then. Say you want a cumulative average of 3.8 (summa cum laude at my school!), and you’re pulling a 3.5 now. Say that your cumulative average, minus the first term, is exactly 3.8. You’ll only be knocked down by 3/8 of a point! And is a 3.7625 GPA really that deplorable? Besides, if you take my advice (and I use my agenda) we may be in the clear after all. We still have half the term!</p>
<p>I will say, however, that for stanford law, that tiny bit of a point might matter. Remember, colleges never round up so a 3.599999 is just a 3.59 not a 3.6, and schools like stanford law tend to use formulas for looking at people ie (X<em>GPA) + (Y</em>LSAT)= score then after that they look at your school, and the classes you took, and curve it a bit. (ie a 4.0 from fashion school with a double major in PE isn’t going to be as impressive as a 3.7 from HYP with a polysci or something). so don’t totally shurg it off. I know my freshman year grades hurt me in the college admission process. I had a 3.85 (ish) gpa my senior year (not taking a light load) but my 3.1 from freshman yeah pulled me down from some schools I might have gotten into. it’s all relative, just remember stanford law’s second in the nation (by some rankings)</p>