Should I write addendum? Forum

[tmanthedman]

I currently have 3.3/170. Hoping to finish this year with 3.4 and apply next cycle

Aiming for Penn ED, all other t14's (not HYS) and maybe like GW, USC, UCLA

My GPA is decent but I got a 2.2 my freshman year first semester.
I was considering writing a brief addendum taking responsibility for what happened.

3-4 sentences along the lines of the truth- I pledged my fraternity first semester in college and continued to fuck around in my free time during the semester, but I acknowledge that I am completely at fault, although I did learn from the experience and it actually helped shape the person I am today because it started my wake up call.

Good idea or stupid? Thanks in advance

[bluepenguin]

Well, since you're applying to Penn, Dean Post has said in interviews that they prefer to see an addendum because (paraphrasing) "We can fill in the blanks with all kinds of crazy shit."

That said, I think the conventional wisdom is not to worry about it. A lousy first semester is standard fare. If you've had no issues since, you should be fine. Realistically I think it'd be a bad idea. Better to have them see your transcript and assume you screwed around with your frat in your first semester than write an addendum and remove all doubt, so to speak.

[Tiago Splitter]

Well, since you're applying to Penn, Dean Post has said in interviews that they prefer to see an addendum because (paraphrasing) "We can fill in the blanks with all kinds of crazy shit."

That said, I think the conventional wisdom is not to worry about it. A lousy first semester is standard fare. If you've had no issues since, you should be fine. Realistically I think it'd be a bad idea. Better to have them see your transcript and assume you screwed around with your frat in your first semester than write an addendum and remove all doubt, so to speak.

Agree with this. If you let them fill in the blanks with some crazy shit, it might be better than telling them the actual crazy shit you did.

[Njdeh]

Question

When you write an addendum, what exactly happens? Do they just say "okay this guy has a good reason", and since still judge your GPA as it is? Or do they not look at the grades from the time frame for when the addendum was written and re-calculate your GPA? Take stronger emphasis on the LSAT?

[Tiago Splitter]

Question

When you write an addendum, what exactly happens? Do they just say "okay this guy has a good reason", and since still judge your GPA as it is? Or do they not look at the grades from the time frame for when the addendum was written and re-calculate your GPA? Take stronger emphasis on the LSAT?

It might help if your numbers are borderline or if something is just really out of whack and needs to be explained, but most of the time it will be ignored.

[bp shinners]

Question

When you write an addendum, what exactly happens? Do they just say "okay this guy has a good reason", and since still judge your GPA as it is? Or do they not look at the grades from the time frame for when the addendum was written and re-calculate your GPA? Take stronger emphasis on the LSAT?

It might help if your numbers are borderline or if something is just really out of whack and needs to be explained, but most of the time it will be ignored.

Yeah, a (good) GPA addendum/upward trend should be viewed as a soft factor that's unrelated to your actual GPA.