<n’t worry about one or two “S” grades, said Collins Byrd, Assistant Dean of Admissions at the University of Iowa College of Law. But don’t go past three--that would call into question your accountability.
General trends matter more than individual grades. Admissions departments want to know that you took hard classes and did well in most of them. “An ‘S’ would not necessarily be looked upon as less favorable than an ‘A’ or ‘B,’” said Hallie Prest, Admissions Counselor at the University of Minnesota Law School.
In fact, choosing the S/Cr/NC grading scale could actually help your transcript. “We have to report our applicants’ cumulative GPAs to the American Bar Association, so that number generally is a big factor in our consideration,” Prest said. “For example, it would probably be a good strategic move for a student with a 4.0 who was concerned about getting a B+ in a class to take an “S” instead. Our committee would likely recognize that as a resourceful, smart move in that case.”