Two ?'s: transcripts on LSAC/need an addendum? Forum

[HellOnHeels]

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[rinkrat19]

No, you'd need to have your schools send you another transcript. I hadn't seen mine in years, so I had one sent to me at the same time I requested one for LSAC.

I, personally, wouldn't write an addendum. You don't really have a great excuse. Not like driving home every weekend to care for a dying family member or suffering from PTSD or something.

[MumofCad]

I don't see a compelling reason to give you a boost based on an addendum. Many people work or intern during UG. I think making it sound exceptional, will make it look like you aren't realistic about typical time constraints.

[HellOnHeels]

I won't write one then

[MumofCad]

I won't write one then

Don't be embarrassed. It was a legitimate question. If there is more to the story that you aren't sharing, you could still have a compelling case - some sort of diversity/GPA addendum. Like if you were working the two jobs to support an impoverished single-parent family or something. Or you could focus on the jobs if they were academically relevant in your PS to highlight that you were doing more than just earning your GPA. If you were working at Subway 10 hours a week though....I wouldn't write it.

My response was based on the information you provided and your own phrasing of it, which made it sound like you even felt it would be "lame." If you think its lame, they certainly will, and in that case - writing an addendum would do more harm than good.

[HellOnHeels]

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[bbalcrzy23]

I disagree. You don't need to be afraid of writing an addendum because of your lack of a life shattering event.

Call a few admission offices and ask them, or go to events that they hold. I know for a fact that some of them will tell you to address your GPA. You need to put forth the most complete and effective application possible. If there are some negatives in your application, such as a semester with a low GPA, why not take responsibility and address the issue? The entire point of addressing it is to show the admissions committee that whatever effected your GPA will not effect you in the future. You have to prove this to them by showing them this is true, not by telling them. Keep it short and factual. You have a legitimate excuse - you were working 2 jobs. Even if it was just due to immaturity one semester I would still address it. It's not the cause that it's important; it's that the cause was an anomaly and will not deter you ever again.

Step into an adcom's shoes. You have two applicants with identical credentials. They both have one semester with a poor GPA. One applicant says nothing about it. One applicant submits a brief statement regarding that semester and effectively shows that it was an anomaly. I think the second applicant is more professional and mature and understands his mistakes in the past and how he has conquered them. The first applicant is hoping the adcom doesn't notice the poor semester.

Sooo many people on here will disagree with me. If you want to find out for sure, I would recommend calling a few schools.

[Opie]

Here's a a question along the same lines for you:

My LSDAS GPA is 3.54, but it would be 3.68 if it weren't for 6 classes I took as a dual enrollment student in high school. I really don't have an excuse other than I took those classes starting about 12 years ago when I was 17 and wasn't really 100% with the college program yet. I also got a D- the first and only time I tried an online class.

Are any of these reasons good enough for an addendum? No real sob story here, just those grades aren't really who I am now. (They really weren't that bad anyway, I had a 3.01 out of those 6 classes)

[rinkrat19]

Here's a a question along the same lines for you:

My LSDAS GPA is 3.54, but it would be 3.68 if it weren't for 6 classes I took as a dual enrollment student in high school. I really don't have an excuse other than I took those classes starting about 12 years ago when I was 17 and wasn't really 100% with the college program yet. I also got a D- the first and only time I tried an online class.

Are any of these reasons good enough for an addendum? No real sob story here, just those grades aren't really who I am now. (They really weren't that bad anyway, I had a 3.01 out of those 6 classes)

Not worthy of an addendum. But thank you for not being one of the people in a similar situation who whines that it's not faaaiirrrrr!

[Opie]

Here's a a question along the same lines for you:

My LSDAS GPA is 3.54, but it would be 3.68 if it weren't for 6 classes I took as a dual enrollment student in high school. I really don't have an excuse other than I took those classes starting about 12 years ago when I was 17 and wasn't really 100% with the college program yet. I also got a D- the first and only time I tried an online class.

Are any of these reasons good enough for an addendum? No real sob story here, just those grades aren't really who I am now. (They really weren't that bad anyway, I had a 3.01 out of those 6 classes)

Not worthy of an addendum. But thank you for not being one of the people in a similar situation who whines that it's not faaaiirrrrr!

Ha! No, I'm not a stickler for fair. I've got out of my share of things that I shouldn't have, so I count my blessings where they are. I don't think I need a boost to get into where I want to go, but I'll take what I can get.