opal Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I am looking to switch from law to social work. I finished two years of law school but had to withdraw for mental health/disciplinary reasons. I have a strong undergraduate record (magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa), but I had poor law school grades (3.006 GPA). Will my law school performance hold me back? I have a lot of work and volunteer experience assisting underserved communities. I hope to apply for fall 2016. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opal Posted May 29, 2015 Author Share Posted May 29, 2015 Will it look bad if I only completed 58 credits of law school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyskies13 Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 They will let you take the GRE for low GPA. I think their main concern is going to be how do you know you want to do social work and what are the reasons why you left law. They will definitely focus on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opal Posted May 30, 2015 Author Share Posted May 30, 2015 They will let you take the GRE for low GPA. I think their main concern is going to be how do you know you want to do social work and what are the reasons why you left law. They will definitely focus on that. Do I need to take the GRE if both my undergrad and grad GPA are above a 3.0? I did not voluntarily leave law. I was forced to withdraw for medical reasons. Now I am doing fine health-wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OriginalDuck Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Do I need to take the GRE if both my undergrad and grad GPA are above a 3.0? I did not voluntarily leave law. I was forced to withdraw for medical reasons. Now I am doing fine health-wise. Yes. Grad school applications require a GRE score whether or not you've had graduate/professional study. I just got my JD and I'm starting a PhD in the fall. When I applied I had to take the GRE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opal Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 None of the MSW programs on my list require the GRE (Penn, Temple, West Chester, Widener, and Rutgers-Camden). I am poor standardized test taker (164 LSAT), so I am avoiding schools that require the GRE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyskies13 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Most schools don't require the GRE, but if your GPA is lower they will allow you the option to submit your GRE results with your application. I see no problem with you leaving because of health reasons, most schools should be understanding of that. I think that you will definitely want to focus on what your main reason is for wanting to go into social work. If I remember right, most schools prefer 500+ hours even more of field experience/volunteer work. If you are still interested in law, you can also check out the specific field of social work where you advocate and work together with court systems often involving domestic violence and families. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opal Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Yes, I have well over 500 hours volunteering with legal aid agencies serving indigent clients in the areas of family, immigration law, and veterans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now