The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) calculates a grade point average (GPA) using all grades earned at the undergraduate level and reported on official transcripts. This calculation standardizes GPAs for comparison across different institutions with varying grading scales and policies. For instance, if an applicant attended multiple universities, the LSAC combines all grades from those institutions into a single, unified GPA.
This standardized GPA is a crucial component of a law school application because it provides a common metric for admissions committees to evaluate academic performance. It allows them to compare applicants from diverse academic backgrounds fairly. Previously, law schools relied solely on individual transcript evaluation, which was a less consistent method.