GPA and “Early College”

Your undergraduate GPA, along with your LSAT score, plays a major role in law school admissions. Having a high GPA and LSAT is how you don’t pay for law school. The LSAC includes college courses taken during high school in its GPA calculation. If those grades are low, they can hurt your GPA. Understanding how these credits are counted and how to address any negative impact is important for preparing for law school.

LSAC and Early College

AP courses don’t count toward your LSAC GPA, even if you earned college credit. However, dual-enrollment or early college courses taken in high school do count. Programs like Running Start or community college enrollment can lower your GPA if the grades aren’t all A’s.

LSAC includes every graded college course taken before your undergraduate degree, regardless of when you took it. Many students mistakenly think that pre-college courses won’t affect their GPA.

Offset Early College Grades

If early college courses lowered your GPA and you haven’t graduated yet, you can still improve your academic standing. Focus on earning strong grades now to offset earlier setbacks. Delaying graduation to take more courses can also help raise your GPA. In rare cases, schools may allow transcript adjustments to remove certain courses, so it’s worth asking about. 

If your GPA needs a boost, consider pausing LSAT prep to rehabilitate your GPA (Demon Daily, Ep. 982). The LSAT isn’t going anywhere, and a stronger GPA can open more law school options and improve scholarship chances.

Final Thoughts

Your GPA is a major factor in law school admissions, and early college credits can affect it more than you might think. Whether you're making up for lower early grades or aiming to boost your current GPA, staying proactive helps.

Focus on what you can control now. Once your GPA is set, turn your attention to earning a strong LSAT score.

Got questions about the LSAT or law school admissions? Reach out to us at daily@lsatdemon.com.