Important Enough to Correct?

Hi DU!

I have been working on law school applications and was sending some out today when I noticed something. I'd said on my resume (and other places) that my GPA over the last two years was a 3.83. This is wrong! It was actually a 3.87.

Do you think that's too huge of a gap to not correct? If rounding, it is the difference between a 3.8 and a 3.9 UGPA, so it may be worthwhile to call all SIX of the law schools I've applied to and correct that. Then again, it's only a .04 difference. What say you, guys and girls?

What a dumb and easily avoidable mistake. :(

...thinking almost the same thing. I thought I should preface it with something because I might seem a little bothersome and petty, considering they've probably got thousands of applications to deal with.

I think that's a really good way to preface it.

Thank you, streeter!

someone else might say, leave it alone, and yet another might say that considering it's for law school, something legalese and impersonal like a simple note of"correction" of inaccurate information might be the way to go. Either way, I would think that a GPA of 3.8 something would get you into at least one out of 6 law schools if not more.... best wishes to you. I also read sanity clause's reply and know of others who decided law wasn't for them( including a DUer who became a successful writer--fiction, by the way, instead). At the same time, I hang out with a lot of lawyers here in NM and most of them enjoy it ( and yeah, some worked 70-80 hour weeks for many years). No law ( pun intended) that says you can't change your mind, and career if it's not for you.

Yeah, the dreaded 70-80 work week. Hopefully, I can avoid that by avoiding BigLaw, lol.

I'm definitely counting on that last part: "No law that says you can't change your mind and career if it's not for you."
It may not be. I'm interested in so many things, so it just may not be the career for me. There are definitely some things I'm not excited about as it concerns law school and the potential practice. But I suppose I will have to see.

You know what I think I may do? I think I may just make sure I correct the GPA for the other six or so schools to which I will apply, and leave the 3.83 alone for the ones I've already applied to.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Sorry! And thanks again for your input :D

correction to make. Females are too quick to smile or explain things and that's one of the reason we aren't taken seriously in business. Woman up.

in business. It is my belief that the days of women being "too quick to smile or explain things" are a matter of history, not current events. :hi:

By calling to correct the mistake, you draw attention to your mistake. If this were a job application, I'd say don't do it. I don't know whether the same rule applies for law school application.

BTW, I am an attorney and on inactive status. I don't think it's a good life and don't recommend it, particularly because of the outrageous tuition charged. Your life will be in hock.
Please feel free to ignore this comment.

...and must subject you to one of these: :hug: because I hate that you're unhappy with some of the things that law school and a legal career entail. I think about those things a lot (the debt and the havoc LS wreaks on you, especially during your first year). Sounds like you would agree with this:

First year: scare you to death
Second year: work you to death
Third year: bore you to death

Does that estimation of law school sound about right?

Haha, I'm not going to ignore your comment. This is a very serious decision, of course, so I think about the things you brought up often. But, for now, I've settled on entering law school. I hope I won't have to look back and say "Damnit. Sanity Claws warned me..." :P

I thought about that too (the drawing attention to the mistake bit). I originally thought that it was an okay enough GPA to feel it wouldn't make a difference to correct it, but I wanted to get some second opinions.

Thank you!

It's not likely to be a big enough difference to matter for admission, as far as I know, if you have done well on the tests and are a strong candidate in other ways. Most of the schools probably won't notice the discrepancy. Calling attention to it by correcting it might backfire.

On the other hand, for any future stuff you need it to be correct so you gain any advantage it gives you, and also so no one with access to your transcripts sees the error and concludes that you don't double-check your work.

The best person to ask is probably someone in your field, though--particularly a professor. I'm just going by analogy with what I saw happen in hiring processes and undergrad applications, so things might be very different for you!

Tucker

In fact, I think I responded that I'd correct it for all future applications (which I just did before starting this message) and leave the existing apps alone.

And thank you; I'll definitely check with a professor. One has asked me to update him on my application cycle anyway, so while I do, I'll ask him.

Thanks! :hug:

Little things like that can haunt you.

...on my mind all day. I know how I made the mistake; my overall GPA ends with a three as well. But omfg.

*head explodes*

You could simply send the accurate version with a letter identifying it as such but without pointing out what the correction was.

...very good idea! I hadn't even thought of it. That way, it wouldn't bring attention to the specific error.

You, my friend, are a genius. Danke!

I think drawing attention to your mistake is a mistake.

:toast:

to any of the law schools to which you have applied, or if there is even a chance of that happening, do correct it with a short letter. I believe most reviewing your application will appreciate that you're interested enough in their opinion of your application that you're taking the time to make the correction.

Good luck!

...when I realized my mistake. I'm sorta neurotic, LOL, and the law school application process doesn't help with that. Perhaps I am giving it much more weight than the admissions committee would.

It's just that 3.87 looks (and is) more impressive than 3.83. And my overall GPA desperately needs a boost - that boost being my average GPA from 2007 to 2009 (3.83).

I also just remembered. I may have to update my resume anyway because I've applied for an honor for which the deadline is October 30 (or 31st). If I'm accepted, I will want to list that on my resume. And that may be my chance to update it without mentioning the actual update, as Hosnon suggested.

If I don't get the award, I think I'll still do what Hosnon suggested and send an updated resume without bringing attention to the specific mistake.

Thanks all of you! You're all great. :)

no biggie...just send the accurate information. Good luck. :)

and thank you for wishing me luck. :)

They'll be super-impressed, I promise!

You promise?

Now, I'm going to take your advice. I'll know where you to find you if it doesn't work out. :rofl:

You have to do it anyway, even if it's not really worth the effort--accuracy for accuracy's sake is a good habit to cultivate. Besides, it they'd made the mistake in the other direction, you'd probably feel guilty and feel obliged to correct it.

You know I'm right.