GPA Addendum Forum

[erickt88]

How does this GPA addendum flow? Please give comments. LSAC GPA. 3.02 Overall GPA(school) 3.24

Thank you.

It is of great importance that I provide additional information in regards to my total undergraduate GPA, specifically in regards to my Santa Monica Community College transcripts. Being the first in my family to attend college and having the economic inability to afford a top academic primary education greatly influenced my early college achievements. As a result of my ignorance in respects to the importance of a strong GPA when applying to law school, and the lack of academic mentorship at home and at school, I did not understand that repeating classes in junior college (which greatly affected my overall GPA) would count towards my eventual application to law school.
Once I transferred to XXXX and attained a pre law advisor, I understood the role the GPA had in the process of law school applications. As I mentioned in my personal statement, once I acquired economic support from my family and understood the importance of the GPA, my GPA radically began to increase. I never once repeated an upper division course. My last 6 quarters (achieving an average GPA of 3.44) are a more accurate reflection of my academic potential.

[Attax]

Got a better reason? Were you sick, ill, working full time to where you couldn't spend all your time on your grades? I don't think that "I didn't think it would be important" would quite cut it.

[erickt88]

Got a better reason? Were you sick, ill, working full time to where you couldn't spend all your time on your grades? I don't think that "I didn't think it would be important" would quite cut it.

Well I was working part time/ full time but this is an honest addendum. I really did not know that repeating classes would matter and I did not make it a goal to go to law school during my years at community college.

[A. Nony Mouse]

It's honest but it's not going to make a difference. An addendum can only really help you when it identifies something outside your control that affected your grades - you got cancer, your family's house burned down and you lived in a van, that kind of thing. "I didn't know it mattered" isn't going to get you very far (for one thing, most people don't start college knowing they want to go to law school, and GPA is important for other purposes, too - why were you failing to begin with, leaving aside that you thought repeating would erase the original grades? That reason makes it look like you don't value good grades in themselves, only because law schools care, which doesn't leave a great impression).

If you do want to write an addendum, I would keep it very short and sweet. "As a first-generation college student, I entered college with little understanding of higher education and with little support from my family. Although I had a period where I struggled, after obtaining additional guidance and economic support I learned how to succeed in college. The final
6 quarters of my education more accurately represent my academic potential." It's not going to make any difference, but it's less overwrought.

[Rigo]

Once I transferred to XXXX and attained a pre law advisor, I understood the role the GPA had in the process of law school applications. As I mentioned in my personal statement, once I acquired economic support from my family and understood the importance of the GPA, my GPA radically began to increase.

Woah. A prelaw advisor actually helped someone?

My last 6 quarters (achieving an average GPA of 3.44) are a more accurate reflection of my academic potential.

Honestly, a 3.44 isn't that stellar either, so indicating that that is performing at your fullest potential is probably not a good talking point.

Without a reason outside your control, an addendum is not needed and may even have the potential to make you look bad.

I do see potential in your story for a good PS and/or DS. Goodluck!

[erickt88]

Thank you for all of the great input.
All of you make a great point. Actually, some of the themes of incline in grades has already been addressed in the personal statement. I think I will focus on the LSAT addendum instead of a GPA addendum.

[Rigo]

Thank you for all of the great input.
All of you make a great point. Actually, some of the themes of incline in grades has already been addressed in the personal statement. I think I will focus on the LSAT addendum instead of a GPA addendum.

Dude, just retake the LSAT. There's absolutely no reason to write an addendum for the LSAT unless you have a disability that couldn't possibly have been accommodated.

[erickt88]

I took I three times already.

[Rigo]

I took I three times already.

Well what's your highest score and went went wrong?