Should I write an addendum about abroad grades? Forum

[thwolfe]

Hi all -

I'm wondering how much writing an addendum about grades from abroad will help. Here's a bit of background:

My top choices for law schools are, in order, Harvard, UChicago, and Columbia. I have a 3.93 GPA at a top liberal arts school and I'll be retaking my LSAT in October (former score won't do at all, but I didn't study much for that and I'm studying full time right now). My main issue is this: Spring of my junior year, I studied abroad in Germany at Heidelberg University. My school didn't count the grades from abroad into my GPA, and I wasn't aware that LSAC would, so I took very difficult philosophy classes, in German, when my German skills weren't too great. Unless I'm mistaken about how LSAC will count these grades, they deal my GPA a pretty significant blow, taking it from 3.93 down to 3.86. While this is still in the range for Harvard, it's a real bummer that my GPA is no longer at the top end of that range.

So I thought, to alleviate the blow, I'd write an addendum stating how the grades from abroad fail to reflect my commitment to academic excellence. I'll explain that they were for classes taught in German, that they were all philosophy, they were intensive proseminars, and that I learned a lot about independent work while abroad, etc. etc. (but only about 3, punchy paragraphs total).

Do you think such an addendum will make any difference? I think my claim about being "committed to academic excellence" will be credible because of some softs, like working as the academic intern in the philosophy office (where I substitute taught some ethics classes), winning an award for academic excellence in philosophy, strong recs from professors, and phi beta kappa.

If someone interested PMs me I could send what I've drafted. Otherwise, what do you think at first blush? Thanks for any input!

[shump92]

I wouldn't write an addendum addressing the lower grades. Given what you included in your post, I would think about highlighting your class selection abroad in your personal statement. Taking difficult classes in German does a good job of showing your willingness to challenge yourself academically, which is important for law school. Writing an addendum would almost certainly come off badly since you are saying the harder classes should be given less weight. How you address this is important and I think the first option is much better.

[LawsRUs]

Don't send one. That's one way to look at it, but another way is that you were aware of those classes being hard but chose to take them despite the possible consequences that they would have. Writing an addendum would only bring attention to it imo.

[BasilHallward]

An addendum is appropriate. I studied at Heidelberg as well for a semester. LOVE the city!

[thwolfe]

Thanks so far for the input. I'm impressed by the quick and varied responses!

Let me clarify the content of the addendum. The first sentence is (and I'm not sure exactly what the protocol should be for this kind of thing): "I am writing this addendum to address two grades that do not, at first blush, reflect my commitment to academic excellence." I then go on to describe the difficulties of writing technical philosophy in a foreign language, and why I'm proud of overcoming those difficulties. I don't think it comes off as whiney or as asking to look at the classes lightly. Instead, I think it's really just an explanation of why my abroad experience was empowering academically.

If my alternative is reducing this document to one or two sentences in my personal statement, then maybe I'll just do that. Do y'all think this is the way to go?

[A. Nony Mouse]

I think as long as it's clear somewhere in your applicaiton that the courses were philosophy courses in German (which it should be), any adcomm will realize that lower grades come from taking a complex course in a foreign language, and not consider those grades to show a lack of academic commitment on your part. It is entirely normal to get lower grades in a study abroad course taught in something other than your native language. So I don't think it's worth writing an addendum about this to show your academic commitment. Depending on what your PS is about, if taking those courses really was important your academic development etc. I agree it would make more sense to explain that briefly in your PS than write an addendum.

[CanadianWolf]

First, consider "at first reading" rather than "at first blush". Second, I think that an addendum could be helpful in your case because of the law schools that you are targeting. Also, feel free to PM to me your proposed statement.

P.S. My reasoning is that, since you write well, an academic addendum essentially offers you an opportunity to present a second personal statement (assuming that your PS is on another topic or theme).

[texasellewoods]

Do you even need to include it? On the LSAC website it says to only include international transcripts if you graduated from there OR had at least a year of study there. Since you only did a semester, are you even supposed to submit it?
If Heidelberg is a US institution abroad I think you are supposed to list it, but I checked on LSAC and it looks like they don't have it in their system, and you cannot add new "US institutions abroad" as far as I can tell.
I'm in a similar position with a summer study abroad program (no GPA credit but recieved credit hours) and I haven't found a good answer yet. Good luck!