GPA Addendum rape Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys,
I have a good LSAT but an okay GPA. I also took a quarter off and it seems like the schools I am applying to want to hear why. I wrote an addendum to address it and it will be great if you guys can give me feedback on it.

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In my sophomore year, I was stalked and raped by a classmate who lived in the same apartment building. My academic performance declined due to high levels of anxiety caused by the trauma of being stalked and raped. I had trouble focusing in classes that required interaction with the assailant or his friends. I felt restless in my apartment as he was my next-door neighbor.

Furthermore, my undergraduate education was interrupted in spring 2016 since I was unable to pay the tuition. Two days before the beginning of the spring quarter, my parents disclosed that they would discontinue their financial support as their financial situation had changed drastically. However, I found an internship opportunity instead and sought counseling from a board-certified psychiatrist to address my issue. I successfully completed the internship, and my academic performance improved following psychological treatment. I finished my education without further interruption with financial aid.

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Thanks!

[cavalier1138]

This is disturbingly similar to the scenario in this thread. But the same advice applies: Write an addendum for the assault, not for the financial issues.

[LSATWiz.com]

This is disturbingly similar to the scenario in this thread. But the same advice applies: Write an addendum for the assault, not for the financial issues.

The details differ in that one is an assault, one is a rape, one is a non-student, one is a classmate, but yes, very similar in that they feature someone who was sexually attacked and experienced financial hardship. If it is the same person, I hope that they are changing material details to protect their anonymity and not merely to improve their law school candidacy. The reality is schools are number driven and being dishonest on a law school application can have overwhelmingly negative C&F consequences. I'm not suggesting anything is disingenuous, only that anyone considering the addendum path to explain a weaker GPA needs to realize that the addendum will at best have a minor impact and anything in them can be investigated by a C&F committee.

[Anonymous User]

This is disturbingly similar to the scenario in this thread. But the same advice applies: Write an addendum for the assault, not for the financial issues.

The details differ in that one is an assault, one is a rape, one is a non-student, one is a classmate, but yes, very similar in that they feature someone who was sexually attacked and experienced financial hardship. If it is the same person, I hope that they are changing material details to protect their anonymity and not merely to improve their law school candidacy. The reality is schools are number driven and being dishonest on a law school application can have overwhelmingly negative C&F consequences. I'm not suggesting anything is disingenuous, only that anyone considering the addendum path to explain a weaker GPA needs to realize that the addendum will at best have a minor impact and anything in them can be investigated by a C&F committee.

Thanks for the feedback.
I wrote the financial hardship part to explain the interruption in my undergraduate education as it was required in many applications, not to explain the GPA. I decided to add it since my transcript might be viewed as I took a quarter off due to the rape which is not an accurate representation of what happened.

On the other hand, I am aware that the addendum will at best have a minor impact, but I thought it might be fair to explain what happened as my GPA dropped significantly.

[Anonymous User]

This is disturbingly similar to the scenario in this thread. But the same advice applies: Write an addendum for the assault, not for the financial issues.

I included the financial issue to explain the interruption of my education since it is often one of the questions in the c&f section. Should I just exclude it?

[nixy]

I think you should explain the interruption since the schools ask you for an explanation, but I think you could use headings to make clear that you're addressing two very different things. Putting the financial aid issue in with the addendum about rape makes it look like you're connecting the two, when really you're 1) answering a specific question in the application about a break in your education, and 2) providing additional information you think is pertinent to their evaluation of your application.

[cavalier1138]

I think you should explain the interruption since the schools ask you for an explanation, but I think you could use headings to make clear that you're addressing two very different things. Putting the financial aid issue in with the addendum about rape makes it look like you're connecting the two, when really you're 1) answering a specific question in the application about a break in your education, and 2) providing additional information you think is pertinent to their evaluation of your application.

I cosign all of this. It makes sense to write something for the financial stuff, but it definitely needs to be separate and specific to that question.

[LBJ's Hair]

I think you should explain the interruption since the schools ask you for an explanation, but I think you could use headings to make clear that you're addressing two very different things. Putting the financial aid issue in with the addendum about rape makes it look like you're connecting the two, when really you're 1) answering a specific question in the application about a break in your education, and 2) providing additional information you think is pertinent to their evaluation of your application.

I cosign all of this. It makes sense to write something for the financial stuff, but it definitely needs to be separate and specific to that question.

Honest question: Does OP even need to include the financial stuff? I realize that in the abstract, two hardships is worse than one. But in practice, if I'm an admissions officer wondering why there was an interruption in schooling or whatever, open up her statement, and read "I was raped," that's kinda all I need to know. Extra stuff about financial hardship is just distracting/superfluous.

[LBJ's Hair]

I think you should explain the interruption since the schools ask you for an explanation, but I think you could use headings to make clear that you're addressing two very different things. Putting the financial aid issue in with the addendum about rape makes it look like you're connecting the two, when really you're 1) answering a specific question in the application about a break in your education, and 2) providing additional information you think is pertinent to their evaluation of your application.

I cosign all of this. It makes sense to write something for the financial stuff, but it definitely needs to be separate and specific to that question.

Honest question: Does OP even need to include the financial stuff? I realize that in the abstract, two hardships is worse than one. But in practice, if I'm an admissions officer wondering why there was an interruption in schooling or whatever, open up her statement, and read "I was raped," that's kinda all I need to know. Extra stuff about financial hardship is just distracting/superfluous.

(Realize now you made a similar point at the beginning of the thread, my bad.)