A+ vs A: The Secret Advantage of the LSAC 4.33 Scale

The Law School 4.33 Hack

While medical schools (AMCAS) cap all grades at a 4.0, the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) does something highly unusual: They recognize the A+ as a 4.33.

If your university awards an A+ on your official transcript, LSAC will assign it a 4.33 weight in your cumulative GPA calculation.

Why is this controversial?

Not all universities award A+ grades.

If Student X goes to a university that caps grades at an 'A', their maximum possible GPA is a 4.0.

If Student Y goes to a university that awards an 'A+', their maximum possible GPA is a 4.33.

Because Law Schools are heavily incentivized by the US News & World Report rankings to report the highest possible incoming class GPAs, Student Y has a massive, structural advantage in the admissions process.

The Mathematical Advantage

If Student Y gets three A+ grades (4.33) and one B+ (3.33), their LSAC GPA averages out to exactly a 4.08. They can get a B+ in a class and still apply to Yale Law School with a GPA over 4.0!

Student X, who does not have access to A+ grades, would have their 4.0 dragged down to a 3.83 by that same B+.

How to Leverage This

If your university awards A+ grades, you should fight for them aggressively. Go to office hours, complete the extra credit, and push past the 93% 'A' threshold. Every A+ you earn creates a buffer that protects your GPA from future B's.