Please Critique GPA Addendum Forum

[fpustorino]

I would like to make the Admissions Committee aware of the circumstances surrounding my grades.

During my sophomore year at Emmanuel College there were two situations that had a negative impact on my GPA. My sister had become seriously addicted to intravenous heroin use and my grandmother, who lived in my home, was in the late stages of multiple myeloma cancer and required daily assistance from my family and I. The combination of my sister’s drug use, along with the medical conditions of my grandmother, caused chaos and a serious rift in the home. This began in the fall, when I acquired a 2.6 GPA and the spring, where I acquired a 2.77 GPA. Looking back, I should have put more effort into separating my home life with my academic studies and not let anything take away from my academic focus. Since then, my GPA has trended upwards and I have made the Dean’s list twice during my time at Emmanuel.

I sincerely hope that you will take this information into account when evaluating my application. Thank you for your time and consideration.

[lawschool22]

I would like to make the Admissions Committee aware of the circumstances surrounding my grades.

During my sophomore year at Emmanuel College there were two situations that had a negative impact on my GPA. My sister had become seriously addicted to intravenous heroin use and my grandmother, who lived in my home, was in the late stages of multiple myeloma cancer and required daily assistance from my family and I. The combination of my sister’s drug use, along with the medical conditions of my grandmother, caused chaos and a serious rift in the home. This began in the fall, when I acquired a 2.6 GPA and the spring, where I acquired a 2.77 GPA. Looking back, I should have put more effort into separating my home life with my academic studies and not let anything take away from my academic focus. Since then, my GPA has trended upwards and I have made the Dean’s list twice during my time at Emmanuel.

I sincerely hope that you will take this information into account when evaluating my application. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Can you calculate your GPA if you take out those two semesters? I would add something like "my GPA subsequent to that year was X.xx, which is more reflective of my current academic potential." When I get to a computer I'll edit for grammar and substance - I think you can tighten it up and make it a bit shorter.

[sd5289]

I would like to make the Admissions Committee aware of the circumstances surrounding my grades.

During my sophomore year at Emmanuel College there were two situations that had a negative impact on my GPA. My sister had become seriously addicted to intravenous heroin use and my grandmother, who lived in my home, was in the late stages of multiple myeloma cancer and required daily assistance from my family and I. The combination of my sister’s drug use, along with the medical conditions of my grandmother, caused chaos and a serious rift in the home. This began in the fall, when I acquired a 2.6 GPA and the spring, where I acquired a 2.77 GPA. Looking back, I should have put more effort into separating my home life with my academic studies and not let anything take away from my academic focus. Since then, my GPA has trended upwards and I have made the Dean’s list twice during my time at Emmanuel.

I sincerely hope that you will take this information into account when evaluating my application. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I'd also consider revising this. Reading this in the context of "whoa that's some serious sh*t" and then seeing "I should have tried to ignore that serious sh*t and focus on school instead" sounds a little messed up in the priorities department. If I were reading this I'd initially think "oh wow, that IS a lot," but then I'd wonder what your priorities were in life if you were seriously thinking that you should have neglected those serious family responsibilities to attend classes (or whatever it was you neglected that resulted in poor grades).

Perhaps say that maybe you should have sought assistance from the school's admin or taken a leave of absence. Take responsibility for letting it get as bad as it did, add in the GPA calculation mentioned above, and leave it at that. No one's going to blame you for focusing on two serious family crises, so there's no reason to explain it away like that.