GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons? Forum
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- Posts: 186
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GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
Hi everyone. I'm just waiting for a mistakenly entered grade to be updated on my transcript and my LORs to be uploaded, then I'll be ready to apply for this cycle. I'm also wondering whether it's worth writing a GPA addendum, or whether it would be too likely to harm my application, considering how late into the cycle I am applying.
Relevant details:
My LSAT is 179, I wrote it once this most recent October.
Prior to this semester my GPA was terrible (below 3.3). It is still pretty terrible (3.4) but my past semester was a significant increase for me in terms of grades. I went from mediocre to pretty good (just under 3.9). It is my fifth semester out of the total six I will complete before my degree is awarded due to some advanced standing, so although I'll certainly be aiming to replicate my improved work ethic, I still won't come close to breaking many 25th percentiles My school has also made it clear I must graduate at the end of this current semester so no extra classes to boost my grades.
I (of course) feel my most recent semester is a better idea of my potential. My first two years meant becoming adjusted to completely new situations, people, dealing with relationship issues, and different types and amounts of work. A large part was me being a poor worker and not dealing well with stress.
I feel that an addendum, to be advantageous, has to cover disadvantages which are both somewhat unique to the applicant, and which are not likely to present problems in law school. I think I am now in a position to make another school transition without suffering the same problems and could argue that effectively (this past semester my courses were harder and I did even more extracurriculars while still increasing my marks, and I'm 20 now so a bit less prone to the maturity faults), but I am also certain that it's not even close to unique for a GPA addendum to say "university was harder than I imagined for many reasons, and it took me two years to get used to it".
I do have a developmental disability which contributed to the problems, and though it underlies a good chunk of my PS, I do not talk about it as a mitigating factor for my grades.
TL;DR Is a significant (>0.55) increase in my past semester GPA on any previous semester, coupled with a developmental disability which amplified the difficulties I faced, significant enough for an addendum to be worthwhile? (Considering I am basically trying to explain away not doing enough to overcome it quicker, and would be framing it as "I wasn't up to the stress/work/everything before, but I've grown and matured and now I am, see my last semester GPA and LSAT and PS and (average) LORs".)
Thank you very much for any insight you can give! I tried to search past threads for similar questions but wasn't able to find any. If you have links to some I'll definitely read them. I'm blanketing schools CCN down (yay fee waivers) so school-specific advice is also quite helpful if you have any
Relevant details:
My LSAT is 179, I wrote it once this most recent October.
Prior to this semester my GPA was terrible (below 3.3). It is still pretty terrible (3.4) but my past semester was a significant increase for me in terms of grades. I went from mediocre to pretty good (just under 3.9). It is my fifth semester out of the total six I will complete before my degree is awarded due to some advanced standing, so although I'll certainly be aiming to replicate my improved work ethic, I still won't come close to breaking many 25th percentiles My school has also made it clear I must graduate at the end of this current semester so no extra classes to boost my grades.
I (of course) feel my most recent semester is a better idea of my potential. My first two years meant becoming adjusted to completely new situations, people, dealing with relationship issues, and different types and amounts of work. A large part was me being a poor worker and not dealing well with stress.
I feel that an addendum, to be advantageous, has to cover disadvantages which are both somewhat unique to the applicant, and which are not likely to present problems in law school. I think I am now in a position to make another school transition without suffering the same problems and could argue that effectively (this past semester my courses were harder and I did even more extracurriculars while still increasing my marks, and I'm 20 now so a bit less prone to the maturity faults), but I am also certain that it's not even close to unique for a GPA addendum to say "university was harder than I imagined for many reasons, and it took me two years to get used to it".
I do have a developmental disability which contributed to the problems, and though it underlies a good chunk of my PS, I do not talk about it as a mitigating factor for my grades.
TL;DR Is a significant (>0.55) increase in my past semester GPA on any previous semester, coupled with a developmental disability which amplified the difficulties I faced, significant enough for an addendum to be worthwhile? (Considering I am basically trying to explain away not doing enough to overcome it quicker, and would be framing it as "I wasn't up to the stress/work/everything before, but I've grown and matured and now I am, see my last semester GPA and LSAT and PS and (average) LORs".)
Thank you very much for any insight you can give! I tried to search past threads for similar questions but wasn't able to find any. If you have links to some I'll definitely read them. I'm blanketing schools CCN down (yay fee waivers) so school-specific advice is also quite helpful if you have any
- Rahviveh
- Posts: 2333
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:02 pm
Re: GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
The developmental disability might be worth talking about. Did you get accommodations for it?
None of the other stuff you mentioned is worth writing an addendum for.
None of the other stuff you mentioned is worth writing an addendum for.
- dingbat
- Posts: 4974
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:12 pm
Re: GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
I stopped reading herelunaraeon wrote: My LSAT is 179
- CyanIdes Of March
- Posts: 700
- Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 1:57 pm
Re: GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
Why?dingbat wrote:I stopped reading herelunaraeon wrote: My LSAT is 179
- b123
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:32 pm
Re: GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
If you have to ask that, you probably didn't score a 179.CyanIdes Of March wrote:Why?dingbat wrote:I stopped reading herelunaraeon wrote: My LSAT is 179
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- kylemba
- Posts: 87
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2012 11:11 am
Re: GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
I wouldnt bother with an addendum.. especially with a 179.
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- Posts: 186
- Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 9:07 pm
Re: GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
That's about what I figured. I did get accomodations—I'm not sure if it's helpful to explore it in an addendum if it's already going into a PS and possibly a DS. I'll think about it, and if I maybe just want to touch on this briefly in my PS. Thank you for the response!ChampagnePapi wrote:The developmental disability might be worth talking about. Did you get accommodations for it?
None of the other stuff you mentioned is worth writing an addendum for.
For the rest, thanks as well. I think I have a good idea of what route I'll take for my applications. Cheers.
- Rahviveh
- Posts: 2333
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:02 pm
Re: GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
If you got accommodations don't try to talk about your low GPA in any of your essays. Theoretically your accommodations should be putting you on a level playing field with everyone else.lunaraeon wrote:That's about what I figured. I did get accomodations—I'm not sure if it's helpful to explore it in an addendum if it's already going into a PS and possibly a DS. I'll think about it, and if I maybe just want to touch on this briefly in my PS. Thank you for the response!ChampagnePapi wrote:The developmental disability might be worth talking about. Did you get accommodations for it?
None of the other stuff you mentioned is worth writing an addendum for.
For the rest, thanks as well. I think I have a good idea of what route I'll take for my applications. Cheers.
- CyanIdes Of March
- Posts: 700
- Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 1:57 pm
Re: GPA addendum for less-than-stellar reasons?
Umm, good point I guess. My score is in my profile.b123 wrote:If you have to ask that, you probably didn't score a 179.CyanIdes Of March wrote:Why?dingbat wrote:I stopped reading herelunaraeon wrote: My LSAT is 179