Pls critique my GPA addendum
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:08 pm
Any advice or criticism would be appreciated! Is it ok to put it in letter form?
To whom it may concern:
The fact that my GPA is low is not under debate. I understand that my poor performance would exclude my admission into many top law schools. However, when looking at the totality of my credentials, how my undergraduate performance is interpreted is the purpose of this statement. The following are reasons why my GPA should be given less weight in relation to my other credentials:
1.I moved to the United States when I was 7 years of age. When I arrived, I was placed in a higher grade (2nd grade) due to size limitations in the first grade. Furthermore, it was one month prior to the end of the school year. As such I was not able to fully take part in school until I had entered 7th grade as I was placed in lower classes in order to learn basics which should have been instilled in me throughout 1st and 2nd grade. This is the reason for my poor performance in the areas of English and writing. However, due to my recent work experience, I have been exposed to legal writing on a daily basis. I believe that with further education and determination, I will be able to surpass the requirements of any curriculum at your institution.
2.I have always preformed well in standardized tests; perfect 800 on math portion of the SATs, 163 on LSAT. This is contrary to my performance in school as most students with such credentials would have higher GPA. It is then a matter of other factors which contributed to my poor performance, rather than curriculum.
3.It was the style of learning in my undergraduate studies which hindered my performance. This can be seen by my superior performance in law school type classes (Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedures). Theses classes were taught by a judge with the Socratic Method. The ideas and methods of teaching were also a factor which lead me to my pursuit of a legal degree.
4.During my undergraduate education, I was not fully aware of my calling, as I was declared “undecided” through a large portion of my education. Currently, it is my passion to pursue study in law and I am well aware of the ramifications of my decisions. I believe the difference in determination is due to a knowledge of a path in life which will lead me to excel at further education at your institution.
5.I have kept ongoing employment throughout most of my undergraduate career as well as the period between my undergraduate education and my current application. Both jobs have been a passion of mine; this work ethic would directly translate into my work ethic upon acceptance at your institution as I have declared many times that the pursuit of a legal education is also a passion.
It is for the above-mentioned reasons that I believe my poor performance in undergraduate studies should be weighed with knowledge of what I will be able to achieve with a law degree from your institution. Thank you for your time and effort in reviewing my education.
To whom it may concern:
The fact that my GPA is low is not under debate. I understand that my poor performance would exclude my admission into many top law schools. However, when looking at the totality of my credentials, how my undergraduate performance is interpreted is the purpose of this statement. The following are reasons why my GPA should be given less weight in relation to my other credentials:
1.I moved to the United States when I was 7 years of age. When I arrived, I was placed in a higher grade (2nd grade) due to size limitations in the first grade. Furthermore, it was one month prior to the end of the school year. As such I was not able to fully take part in school until I had entered 7th grade as I was placed in lower classes in order to learn basics which should have been instilled in me throughout 1st and 2nd grade. This is the reason for my poor performance in the areas of English and writing. However, due to my recent work experience, I have been exposed to legal writing on a daily basis. I believe that with further education and determination, I will be able to surpass the requirements of any curriculum at your institution.
2.I have always preformed well in standardized tests; perfect 800 on math portion of the SATs, 163 on LSAT. This is contrary to my performance in school as most students with such credentials would have higher GPA. It is then a matter of other factors which contributed to my poor performance, rather than curriculum.
3.It was the style of learning in my undergraduate studies which hindered my performance. This can be seen by my superior performance in law school type classes (Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedures). Theses classes were taught by a judge with the Socratic Method. The ideas and methods of teaching were also a factor which lead me to my pursuit of a legal degree.
4.During my undergraduate education, I was not fully aware of my calling, as I was declared “undecided” through a large portion of my education. Currently, it is my passion to pursue study in law and I am well aware of the ramifications of my decisions. I believe the difference in determination is due to a knowledge of a path in life which will lead me to excel at further education at your institution.
5.I have kept ongoing employment throughout most of my undergraduate career as well as the period between my undergraduate education and my current application. Both jobs have been a passion of mine; this work ethic would directly translate into my work ethic upon acceptance at your institution as I have declared many times that the pursuit of a legal education is also a passion.
It is for the above-mentioned reasons that I believe my poor performance in undergraduate studies should be weighed with knowledge of what I will be able to achieve with a law degree from your institution. Thank you for your time and effort in reviewing my education.