Should I bother with a GPA addendum? Forum
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- Posts: 6
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Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
As for the numbers...graduated in 2005 with a 3.14 and scored a 170 on the LSAT this past December.
The reason behind the low GPA? I simply didn't care. During undergrad, I had absolutely no intention of ever going back to school after I got my BS. I figured out how hard I needed to work to keep my grades above a 3.0 and left it at that. I was also involved in several extra-curriculars but I'm not going to use that as an excuse.
Thankfully, despite my poor work ethic in undergrad I managed to land in a field that I enjoy and care about deeply. This, along with a few years to further mature have changed me quite a bit(my PS is focused around this point). Should a GPA addendum only be written if you had a legit reason(death in family, illness, etc.) behind poor grades?
The reason behind the low GPA? I simply didn't care. During undergrad, I had absolutely no intention of ever going back to school after I got my BS. I figured out how hard I needed to work to keep my grades above a 3.0 and left it at that. I was also involved in several extra-curriculars but I'm not going to use that as an excuse.
Thankfully, despite my poor work ethic in undergrad I managed to land in a field that I enjoy and care about deeply. This, along with a few years to further mature have changed me quite a bit(my PS is focused around this point). Should a GPA addendum only be written if you had a legit reason(death in family, illness, etc.) behind poor grades?
- autarkh
- Posts: 314
- Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:05 pm
Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
If I were in your situation, I would probably write one -- provided you did not already discuss it at length in your PS.
You can spin your lack of effort as resulting from your not having well-defined goal, which working has now given you. Successfully holding a job for a few years puts some distance between you and your middling GPA. It shows personal growth, and lessens the impact compared to someone with the same numbers coming straight out of undergrad.
You can spin your lack of effort as resulting from your not having well-defined goal, which working has now given you. Successfully holding a job for a few years puts some distance between you and your middling GPA. It shows personal growth, and lessens the impact compared to someone with the same numbers coming straight out of undergrad.
- bees
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- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:50 pm
Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
I wouldn't write one. You don't have a reason for the low GPA other than not caring. Anything you write will likley look more like an excuse (which it is) than anything else. An adcom is going to read an addendum about someone with a low GPA because both their parents died while they were working 60 hours a week to pay for school while taking care of their siblings and then they are going to pick up your file next and you will look like a tool.
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Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
Dude, I don't remember posting my addendum here...bees wrote:I wouldn't write one. You don't have a reason for the low GPA other than not caring. Anything you write will likley look more like an excuse (which it is) than anything else. An adcom is going to read an addendum about someone with a low GPA because both their parents died while they were working 60 hours a week to pay for school while taking care of their siblings and then they are going to pick up your file next and you will look like a tool.
- Grizz
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Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
Writing an addendum because you were okay with mediocrity is not a good idea, and under no circumstances should you do this.
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- autarkh
- Posts: 314
- Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:05 pm
Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
LOL. I'm not suggesting that he do that either. But there's nothing wrong with giving an adcomm an insight into how you've learned and coped with your past idiocy.rad law wrote:Writing an addendum because you were okay with mediocrity is not a good idea, and under no circumstances should you do this.
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Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
This was my reasoning as well. My gpa doesn't reflect my academic potential at this point whatsoever. Perhaps I should just let the rest of my application speak for itself?autarkh wrote:LOL. I'm not suggesting that he do that either. But there's nothing wrong with giving an adcomm an insight into how you've learned and coped with your past idiocy.rad law wrote:Writing an addendum because you were okay with mediocrity is not a good idea, and under no circumstances should you do this.
- autarkh
- Posts: 314
- Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:05 pm
Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
Ultimately, it's your call. Do your best to write a persuasive case that explains what happened to you. Approach it with humility and sincerity. Have someone else read it and give you their impressions. Then decide what you want to do. There's no single correct formula.jcschrock wrote:This was my reasoning as well. My gpa doesn't reflect my academic potential at this point whatsoever. Perhaps I should just let the rest of my application speak for itself?autarkh wrote:LOL. I'm not suggesting that he do that either. But there's nothing wrong with giving an adcomm an insight into how you've learned and coped with your past idiocy.rad law wrote:Writing an addendum because you were okay with mediocrity is not a good idea, and under no circumstances should you do this.
- bees
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:50 pm
Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
Let it speak for itself.jcschrock wrote:This was my reasoning as well. My gpa doesn't reflect my academic potential at this point whatsoever. Perhaps I should just let the rest of my application speak for itself?autarkh wrote:LOL. I'm not suggesting that he do that either. But there's nothing wrong with giving an adcomm an insight into how you've learned and coped with your past idiocy.rad law wrote:Writing an addendum because you were okay with mediocrity is not a good idea, and under no circumstances should you do this.
The problem with writing a "persuasive case" is that you don't have one. You were lazy in UG. So was I. Don't write an addendum highlighting this.
- Grizz
- Posts: 10564
- Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 6:31 pm
Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
I don't think realizing that mediocrity won't cut it is a stunning revelation or shows a ton of personal growth. Don't write this addendum. It will sound idiotic.jcschrock wrote:This was my reasoning as well. My gpa doesn't reflect my academic potential at this point whatsoever. Perhaps I should just let the rest of my application speak for itself?autarkh wrote:LOL. I'm not suggesting that he do that either. But there's nothing wrong with giving an adcomm an insight into how you've learned and coped with your past idiocy.rad law wrote:Writing an addendum because you were okay with mediocrity is not a good idea, and under no circumstances should you do this.
- im_blue
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Re: Should I bother with a GPA addendum?
Absolutely. What's the point of an addendum unless you have a legitimate reason beyond your control?jcschrock wrote:Should a GPA addendum only be written if you had a legit reason(death in family, illness, etc.) behind poor grades?
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