Addendum Question Forum

[WestOfTheRest]

I have two addendum questions for you guys.

1) Immediately prior to my freshman year my best friend died of meningitis at the age of 17. I went through some difficult depression over the next year and it negatively impacted my gpa. The question I have is whether or not it is worth mentioning in an addendum. While it definitely impacted my gpa, I still had a 3.5 that year. However, in my remaining years my lowest gpa was a 3.8X. My LSAC gpa is a 3.8X.

2) This question is very similar to my previous question. Last summer I took a spring class in which I recieved my lowest grade in my degree, it was a B. During the class my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and moved into my house where my mother and myself cared for him. At the time I was also working. I would have dropped the class, but the drop date had passed when he moved into my house. The added pressure and stress severely impacted my grade in this class, but once again I don't know if it is worth mentioning.

My problem with both situations is that I don't want to sound like I'm whining. I realize that a 3.5 and B are both decent grades for many people on this forum. So in my situation, I cannot decide if either warrants an addendum.

[McNulty]

If I was on an adcom and saw a GPA addendum for a 3.8x I would chuckle. Your situations sound shitty but unless you have old prescriptions for prozac or a diagnosis of some crippling stress which brought upon daily migraines I doubt you find much sympathy.

Also to note, as callous as it sounds, these events did not directly happen to you; you did not get meningitis nor cancer, which would certainly qualify an addendum.

[WestOfTheRest]

If I was on an adcom and saw a GPA addendum for a 3.8x I would chuckle. Your situations sound shitty but unless you have old prescriptions for prozac or a diagnosis of some crippling stress which brought upon daily migraines I doubt you find much sympathy.

Also to note, as callous as it sounds, these events did not directly happen to you; you did not get meningitis nor cancer, which would certainly qualify an addendum.

Yea, this is exactly my problem. Although both situations severely impacted my abilities at the time, my numbers seem too good to actually explain them in an addendum. Thanks for your opinion. This is how I worry adcomms will view.

On a side note, I'm fairly glad I have not had to deal with meningitis or cancer.

[vespertiliovir]

Your GPA is still fine, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Also to note, as callous as it sounds, these events did not directly happen to you; you did not get meningitis nor cancer, which would certainly qualify an addendum.

Have to add that this is not credited.

[WestOfTheRest]

Also to note, as callous as it sounds, these events did not directly happen to you; you did not get meningitis nor cancer, which would certainly qualify an addendum.

Have to add that this is not credited.

I just ignored that part anyways.

[sumus romani]

Your addendum won't do much for you, and might even hurt you (if you write it as you suggest you will). But it depends on the schools to which you apply. If you are above the median ugpa for that school, then the addendum just won't matter at all. So your LSAT score is going to matter, in addition to the ugpa in your admissions, not the addendum.

Also, if you do write an addendum, make sure that you include something about how you now have the ability to deal better with crises than you did in the past. Lots of us have had friends die and grandparents sick and die (and cared for them). This is just normal stuff of life. Something similar may very well happen in law school.

Addenda aren't for making excuses. Rather, they are to make the case that some score is not representative of one's current capabilities and, if possible, to make the case that whatever caused the problem in the past won't happen again.

[WestOfTheRest]

Your addendum won't do much for you, and might even hurt you (if you write it as you suggest you will). But it depends on the schools to which you apply. If you are above the median ugpa for that school, then the addendum just won't matter at all. So your LSAT score is going to matter, in addition to the ugpa in your admissions, not the addendum.

Also, if you do write an addendum, make sure that you include something about how you now have the ability to deal better with crises than you did in the past. Lots of us have had friends die and grandparents sick and die (and cared for them). This is just normal stuff of life. Something similar may very well happen in law school.

Addenda aren't for making excuses. Rather, they are to make the case that some score is not representative of one's current capabilities and, if possible, to make the case that whatever caused the problem in the past won't happen again.

Obviously they are not for making excuses. These events simply affected me in ways that resulted in poorer performance than I am capable of. As such, the scores I attained in during these situations are not representative of my current capabilities. As for the schools I want to apply to, I am not above their medians and that is why I am considering using an addendum.

As my numbers speak for themselves, I guess I will let them ride without the addendum and see how it goes.

[sumus romani]

Your addendum won't do much for you, and might even hurt you (if you write it as you suggest you will). But it depends on the schools to which you apply. If you are above the median ugpa for that school, then the addendum just won't matter at all. So your LSAT score is going to matter, in addition to the ugpa in your admissions, not the addendum.

Also, if you do write an addendum, make sure that you include something about how you now have the ability to deal better with crises than you did in the past. Lots of us have had friends die and grandparents sick and die (and cared for them). This is just normal stuff of life. Something similar may very well happen in law school.

Addenda aren't for making excuses. Rather, they are to make the case that some score is not representative of one's current capabilities and, if possible, to make the case that whatever caused the problem in the past won't happen again.

Obviously they are not for making excuses. These events simply affected me in ways that resulted in poorer performance than I am capable of. As such, the scores I attained in during these situations are not representative of my current capabilities. As for the schools I want to apply to, I am not above their medians and that is why I am considering using an addendum.

As my numbers speak for themselves, I guess I will let them ride without the addendum and see how it goes.

I didn't say that you shouldn't write one. I guess I gave a bit of a lecture in that post. But still, I do recommend at least drafting one for the schools at which you are below the median ugpa. You can float the draft around and see what people think.

[McNulty]

Your GPA is still fine, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Also to note, as callous as it sounds, these events did not directly happen to you; you did not get meningitis nor cancer, which would certainly qualify an addendum.

Have to add that this is not credited.

I think this came out wrong. I mean it in the sense that having family members come down with x disease will be looked upon much differently than if the applicant came down with x disease. If OP had come down with it, even with a 3.8, then why not write an addendum for HYS purposes.

But now I'm dealing in hypotheticals and taking valuable server space so I'll let you discredit me to your heart's content.