Navigating the LSAT CAS Classification Categories: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Law Students

For many law school applicants, the evaluation process can be a source of anxiety, especially when it comes to GPAs. Law schools often emphasize a holistic approach to admissions, reassuring applicants that their worth extends beyond a single data point. To ensure a fair comparison among candidates from diverse undergraduate institutions, the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) standardizes GPAs through its Credential Assembly Service (CAS). This article delves into the intricacies of LSAC CAS classification categories, providing a comprehensive guide for aspiring law students.

Understanding the LSAC GPA

Law schools are required to disclose the median undergraduate GPAs of their incoming classes to the American Bar Association (ABA). These disclosures are then used by the U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) ranking process to assess a school's selectivity, which contributes to its overall prestige. Since undergraduate institutions may employ different GPA calculation methods, LSAC converts all grades to a standard 4.0 system. This standardized "LSAC GPA" serves as the official metric reported to USNWR for ranking purposes.

LSAC GPA Calculation

The LSAC's formula assigns a numerical value to each letter grade, with a full letter grade corresponding to one point (e.g., D = 1.0, C = 2.0, B = 3.0, A = 4.0). A minus sign subtracts one-third of a point, while a plus sign adds one-third of a point. Therefore, the standard scale ranges from D- (0.67 points) to A+ (4.33 points). Grades below D- are assigned the following values: DE or DF is worth 0.5 points, and F is worth zero.

It is important to note that this calculation includes all college transcripts, even those from college courses taken in high school. However, it excludes any college courses taken after receiving your first bachelor's degree. Furthermore, LSAC does not consider the reputation of the institution when assigning value to grades.

The CAS Report: A Key Component of Your Application

When applying to law school, you must send each program a copy of your transcript, along with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report. This report contains essential third-party materials related to your application, including your LSAT score, transcripts, and letters of recommendation.

Academic Summary Report

The CAS report also includes your Academic Summary Report, which admissions officers often review first when evaluating your application. This report acts as a cover sheet for your academic credentials and provides a summary of all your undergraduate coursework. It also presents contextual data, such as trends in your grades over time, statistics on grade inflation at your undergraduate institution, and a comparison of your performance to other applicants from your undergraduate institution in recent years.

Treatment of International Transcripts

Canadian institutions and US-affiliated foreign schools are treated the same as US institutions. For all other international institutions, you must still submit all transcripts to LSAC. While LSAC will not generate an LSAC GPA from non-Canadian international transcripts, it will evaluate them using the following scale: superior, above average, average, and below average. Admissions officers generally equate "superior" to an A, "above average" to a B, and "below average" or lower to a C or below. However, it's crucial to remember that these ratings are not factored into law schools' ABA or USNWR median GPAs. Consequently, if you graduated from a foreign institution, your LSAT score will carry even more weight in determining your admissibility.

Study Abroad Considerations

For study abroad programs, the LSAC GPA includes grades from American and Canadian schools, as well as foreign institutions affiliated with the US. Depending on your school's policy, your study abroad grades may already be included on your regular transcript. In other cases, these grades will not be included in your LSAC GPA. Currently, you are not required to send LSAC your study abroad transcripts unless you attended a foreign institution for a year or more. Always verify LSAC's most up-to-date requirements with utmost care.

Grades Excluded from LSAC GPA Conversion

LSAC excludes certain grades from GPA conversion to ensure a standardized and fair evaluation process. These exclusions include:

Withdraw, Withdraw/Pass: Only if the issuing school considers the grade nonpunitive.
Incomplete: Only if the issuing school considers the grade nonpunitive.
Remedial Courses: Grades given for remedial courses are excluded if the transcript clearly indicates they are remedial.
Post-Bachelor's Degree Courses: All courses taken after the degree conferral date of the first bachelor’s degree, including graduate and professional study, are excluded. This includes undergraduate courses taken after the first bachelor’s degree was awarded.
Noncredit Courses: Courses where the student has not registered for credit, attempted credit, or would not have been assigned credit even if any type of passing grade had been received.
Certain Physical Education, Practical Art, Practical Music, and ROTC Courses: These courses are included in the academic summary, even if the issuing institution does not include them in its GPA calculation.
Passing Grades from Limited Grading Systems: Passing grades from systems of one or two passing grades (e.g., Pass/Fail, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, Credit/No Credit, or Honors/Pass/Fail, High Pass/Pass/Fail) and those for which conversion rules cannot be formulated, including courses for which a transcript gives only narratives or descriptions. Credits for the work in these courses are totaled and reported separately as unconverted credits. The exception is a reported grade below C-minus from a two-passing-grade grading system (e.g., Credit/D/Fail) when the issuing institution includes this grade in their calculation of a GPA.
Grade Symbols with Multiple Meanings: Grade symbols that have multiple meanings at the issuing school, and the issuing school’s registrar is unable to confirm whether course credit was attempted (such as NC=either No Credit Attempted or No Credit Awarded, etc.). The total number of credits usually assigned to the particular type of course will appear on the applicant’s academic summary but will not be included in the GPA calculation.
Official Withdrawal Grades Signifying Failure: Official withdrawal grades that signify failure (such as WF=Withdraw/Fail, WU=Withdrew Unsatisfactory, WNP=Withdrew Not Passing) if the issuing school considers the grade nonpunitive. This does not apply to WF, WU, and WNP grades only considered nonpunitive by the institution due to a successful repeat of the course or some type of grade-forgiveness policy. The total number of credits assigned to these grades will appear on the applicant’s academic summary but will not be included in the GPA calculation.
Original Grade for a Repeated Course: The original grade for a repeated course when the transcript does not show both the grade and the units for the original attempt. The total number of credits assigned to these grades will appear on the applicant’s academic summary but will not be included in the GPA calculation.
Grades Removed Due to Academic Forgiveness: Those removed from the official transcript due to an institution’s academic forgiveness - only if the grade is not displayed on the transcript.

Additional Considerations for LSAC GPA Calculation

LSAC calculates a GPA for each year and a cumulative GPA for each undergraduate institution that issued a transcript for you. A cumulative GPA that includes all undergraduate work is also calculated and reported. In calculating a GPA, LSAC uses the grades and credits for every course that can be converted to the 4.0 scale, although the institution issuing the transcript may exclude some of the courses from its own calculations. There may be some variation between the GPAs calculated by LSAC and those calculated by colleges or students; however, the variation is rarely substantial.

Failure is defined as credit attempted but not earned. When summarizing transcripts, LSAC converts any grade notation that signifies failure (such as No Credit, No Credit/Fail, Not Passing, Incomplete, Incomplete/Fail, Withdraw/Fail, Unsatisfactory, Fail, etc.) to zero on the 4.0 scale. With the exception of Withdraw/Fail (WF), these grades are included in the GPA calculation, even if the issuing school considers the grade to be nonpunitive. (WF grades, or any other withdrawal grades indicating failure, are not included in the GPA calculation when the issuing institution considers the grade to be nonpunitive. However, this does not apply to WF grades only considered nonpunitive by the institution due to a successful repeat of the course or some type of grade-forgiveness policy.

All grades and credits earned for repeated courses will be included in the GPA calculation if the course units and grades appear on the transcript. All grades reflected on your transcript for forgiven courses will be included in the calculation of the GPA even if the institution issuing the transcript excludes the courses from its own calculations. Credits for forgiven courses not reflecting the grade earned will appear on the academic summary but will not be included in the GPA calculation. If the transcript reflects neither the grade nor the credit attempted for a forgiven course, credit will be assigned.

If you question a transcript notation of academic action, you should contact the institution directly and resolve the matter as soon as possible. AP or CLEP courses are summarized and included in the GPA if the undergraduate school transcript shows grades and credits for them.

Credit Conversion

All credits are reported in terms of semester hours. All earned credits not reported in semester hours are converted to that system. Trimester hours are treated as semester hours; quarter hours are multiplied by .67 to arrive at semester hours. Although passing grades for courses with only one or two passing grades may not be converted to the 4.0 scale, credit is given for them in the Credential Assembly Service summary (see Grades Excluded from Conversion for examples).

Additional Components of the Law School Application

Beyond the LSAT score and CAS report, a comprehensive law school application typically includes:

Read also: Understanding the LSAT for AU WCL

Application Forms: These forms collect biographical information, educational history, and details about your background.
Character and Fitness Addendum: This addendum addresses any past academic or criminal misconduct.
Transcripts: Official transcripts from every institution attended, including summer schools, study abroad programs, and community colleges.
Personal Statement: An essay showcasing your background, experiences, and aspirations.
Resume: A summary of your work experience and accomplishments.
Letters of Recommendation: Ideally, letters from both academic and professional sources.
Optional Essays: Additional essays focusing on diversity, work experiences, challenges faced, or community contributions.
Writing Sample from LSAT: The writing sample completed after the LSAT test, which demonstrates basic writing skills.

Utilizing LawHub for Law School Selection

LawHub offers valuable resources for prospective law students, including in-depth reports on each state and school, covering admissions, costs, job prospects, salaries, and more. The Discover Law Schools tool allows you to search for information on specific schools or view all schools that place students in jobs in your desired states. You can even receive personalized law school recommendations based on your preferences and career aspirations.

LSAC’s Interpretive Guide to Undergraduate Grading Systems

LSAC’s Interpretive Guide to Undergraduate Grading Systems (IGUGS) shows how the grades on your Academic Summary Report compare to the grades represented on your institution’s transcripts. You can search for schools by school code, US state, Canadian province, or school name.

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