GPA Addendum Divorce Forum
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GPA Addendum Divorce
My GPA fell between my 08-09 and 09-10 because I was spending a lot of time wrapped up in my parent’s divorce. It went from 3.50 to a 3.15. Is this worthy of an addendum?
On top if this I was very involved in philanthropy, so it was extremely hard to juggle the three things at once.
What do you think, should I write an addendum for this?
On top if this I was very involved in philanthropy, so it was extremely hard to juggle the three things at once.
What do you think, should I write an addendum for this?
- Moomoo2u
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
is your final GPA still a 3.5? if so, then no. If your final GPA is a 3.15 and you have previously had 3.5 and above every semester except those lsited and it somehow lowered your overall GPA massively, then yes.
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
This is the course of my GPA:
Frist year: 3.31
Second Year:3.50
Third Year: 3.15
Fourth Year:3.17
The divorce occurred between my second year and third year. My GPA on LSAC is a 3.28, not my best potential.
Frist year: 3.31
Second Year:3.50
Third Year: 3.15
Fourth Year:3.17
The divorce occurred between my second year and third year. My GPA on LSAC is a 3.28, not my best potential.
- Dany
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
It's not even that much lower than all your other years. Don't write one.
- Samara
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
I'm in the don't write one camp. You didn't improve after junior year, so what happened between junior and senior year? On paper, your 3.5 definitely looks like the outlier, not the true indicator.
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
I'm sure I understand why it would be harming my chances if I'm explaining a discrepancy in my application. I have a friend with a very similar situation and he didn't get into his top choice. When he call the school's admissions and they said that he wasn't accepted because of the inconsistency in his GPA, which was also attributed to a divorce between his 2nd and 3rd yr. He was also involved in 3 extracurricular orgs.
If there was a hardship in one's life that caused a GPA discrepancy, why would be bad to explain it?
If there was a hardship in one's life that caused a GPA discrepancy, why would be bad to explain it?
- FeelTheHeat
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
Dany wrote:It's not even that much lower than all your other years. Don't write one.
- Dany
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
Because it's not a discrepancy.PJG70 wrote:I'm sure I understand why it would be harming my chances if I'm explaining a discrepancy in my application. I have a friend with a very similar situation and he didn't get into his top choice. When he call the school's admissions and they said that he wasn't accepted because of the inconsistency in his GPA, which was also attributed to a divorce between his 2nd and 3rd yr. He was also involved in 3 extracurricular orgs.
If there was a hardship in one's life that caused a GPA discrepancy, why would be bad to explain it?
- Samara
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
+1Dany wrote:Because it's not a discrepancy.PJG70 wrote:I'm sure I understand why it would be harming my chances if I'm explaining a discrepancy in my application. I have a friend with a very similar situation and he didn't get into his top choice. When he call the school's admissions and they said that he wasn't accepted because of the inconsistency in his GPA, which was also attributed to a divorce between his 2nd and 3rd yr. He was also involved in 3 extracurricular orgs.
If there was a hardship in one's life that caused a GPA discrepancy, why would be bad to explain it?
If your friend had seven semesters of 3.8 and one semester of 3.2 when the divorce happened, an addendum would likely be appropriate. However, in the case of the OP, the addendum sounds like it's trying to argue that adcomms should consider a GPA range that he/she achieved for only one year instead of the actual GPA that is clearly more representative of the OP's ability.
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
A 3.50 down to a 3.15 is something that will causion admissions. Also, it's the difference magna cum laude and no honors. If a divorce takes enough up time and energy from someone and their grades suffer, I still don't see how this isn't a discrepancy.
- Dany
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
Look at all the years.PJG70 wrote:A 3.50 down to a 3.15 is something that will causion admissions. Also, it's the difference magna cum laude and no honors. If a divorce takes enough up time and energy from someone and their grades suffer, I still don't see how this isn't a discrepancy.
- Kilpatrick
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
If you do write one I would make up a better excuse than your parents getting divorced. I mean, you were in college already. Tell them your grandma died or something.
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
When considering all years, 3.3 is closer to a 3.5 then a 3.1 therefore it makes since that a hardship could change the trajectory of the final two years.Dany wrote:Look at all the years.PJG70 wrote:A 3.50 down to a 3.15 is something that will causion admissions. Also, it's the difference magna cum laude and no honors. If a divorce takes enough up time and energy from someone and their grades suffer, I still don't see how this isn't a discrepancy.
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- Samara
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
Math fail. And again, the 3.5 was only achieved once. What about the OP's grades in the first and fourth years? If anything, drawing attention to the 3.5 will just make it look like a fluke.PJG70 wrote:When considering all years, 3.3 is closer to a 3.5 then a 3.1 therefore it makes since that a hardship could change the trajectory of the final two years.Dany wrote:Look at all the years.PJG70 wrote:A 3.50 down to a 3.15 is something that will causion admissions. Also, it's the difference magna cum laude and no honors. If a divorce takes enough up time and energy from someone and their grades suffer, I still don't see how this isn't a discrepancy.
ETA: and spelling fail for that matter. then=than & since=sense
- Dany
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
PJG70 wrote:3.3 is closer to a 3.5 then a 3.1
- Opie
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
Write an addendum about what caused your grades to be so much better your second year and why you think that that is a better representation of how you will perform in Law School.
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
His first year grade is closer to his third and fourth year grades than his second year grade. Overall, I see at most a .2 drop in the Op's grade (the 3.5 just looks like an outlier). An addendum here is questionable because there is no clear drop in the Op's grade. A drop from 3.5 to 3.0 would be significant, but the Op's grade was not consistantly at a 3.5 before the divorce.PJG70 wrote:When considering all years, 3.3 is closer to a 3.5 then a 3.1 therefore it makes since that a hardship could change the trajectory of the final two years.Dany wrote:Look at all the years.PJG70 wrote:A 3.50 down to a 3.15 is something that will causion admissions. Also, it's the difference magna cum laude and no honors. If a divorce takes enough up time and energy from someone and their grades suffer, I still don't see how this isn't a discrepancy.
An addendum might help. On the other hand it might hurt. This is not a clear drop, and thus, the addendum is unlikely to have a significant beneficial impact.
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- Dany
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
No.Opie wrote:Write an addendum about what caused your grades to be so much better your second year and why you think that that is a better representation of how you will perform in Law School.
- Sentry
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
--ImageRemoved--Dany wrote:PJG70 wrote:3.3 is closer to a 3.5 then a 3.1
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
I also think that divorce is so common in our country that it might not be sufficient to warrant a full semester's worth of mediocre work unless you combine it with depression or something else.
- sunynp
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
It doesn't explain why you had 2 years of bad grades. An addendum won't help you. It may make you appear to not take responsability for your grades, so it could make things worse.
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
I think an addendum will make you look worse. You don't have anything to show that a 3.5 is representative of your work in that transcript. If I was the adcom considering admitting you on your GPA, I would look at this and go - "Wow, he can't take responsibility either. Full of excuses. Ding"
- shredderrrrrr
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
I agree with Rory Gilmore. Your reasoning doesn't explain your senior year. If your senior year had closer to a 3.5, an addendum might be ok. But your Senior year is equally as low. If you believe the divorce before Junior year hurt your senior year grades, I doubt they'll buy it.
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
See, my junior grades ranged from C+'s to B's in all courses.
My senior year, I took 8 classes. 6 of the 8 were B+'s- A+'s which were all directly related to my major. The 2 other courses, being spanish each semester, I got a C- and D+. My senior I was also working part time to help with my budget and reduce my student loans. On top of that, I was heavily involved in a philanthropy position.
My senior year, I took 8 classes. 6 of the 8 were B+'s- A+'s which were all directly related to my major. The 2 other courses, being spanish each semester, I got a C- and D+. My senior I was also working part time to help with my budget and reduce my student loans. On top of that, I was heavily involved in a philanthropy position.
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Re: GPA Addendum Divorce
No, your grades are bad and do not require an addendum. It is what it is. You had a 3.3 your first semester. Your last semster, you raised your gpa from a 3.15 to 3.17. That IS HARDLY IMPRESSIVE. In addition, you had a a C- and D+ in SPANISH. People usually show an upward trend their juniors and senior years. You did the opposite. You do not have sound reasoning and should not write an addendum.
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