Hello everyone, I could use some advice. I for some reason had put off calculating my GPA with my semester abroad grades and when I did, it went down a tenth of a point putting me below a 3.5!!! ARGGGGG!! I didn't do horrible that semester, about a 3.0, and although it wasn't a foreign speaking country (australia), the upper division bio classes I was taking were very different with different expectations, plus I was very distracted with traveling, plus each class transferred as 4 hours, putting me at 18 hours of these crappy grades!!
My question is, is it worth while to mention this somewhere in my applications? I have a strong upward trend in my grades at my home university, but this semester messes that up. Plus, I don't want to sound like I'm making too many excuses....
Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Hello everyone, I could use some advice. I for some reason had put off calculating my GPA with my semester abroad grades and when I did, it went down a tenth of a point putting me below a 3.5!!! ARGGGGG!! I didn't do horrible that semester, about a 3.0, and although it wasn't a foreign speaking country (australia), the upper division bio classes I was taking were very different with different expectations, plus I was very distracted with traveling, plus each class transferred as 4 hours, putting me at 18 hours of these crappy grades!!
My question is, is it worth while to mention this somewhere in my applications? I have a strong upward trend in my grades at my home university, but this semester messes that up. Plus, I don't want to sound like I'm making too many excuses....
Any advice is greatly appreciated!!


If I were you I would NOT mention that the study abroad grades are what destroyed your trend. And I definitely would not discuss the expectations of the upper level bio classes there. To me, you would come across as being a whiner who makes excuses for why you were not able to adjust (or why things did not go your way). I would just let it play out during the cycle and if it comes up during an interview then you can just say that you had alot of fun traveling (or something like that).

good luck

I studied in France for a year and that year hurt my GPA too (mostly because I took a lot of time off to go travel). I wouldn't sweat it too much, you can always talk about it in your secondaries.

I think that explaining that your grades took a hit because:

1. you were studying far from home in an unfamiliar environment
2. you were taking unusually hard coursework
3. you had lots of things eating at your time

... would be the worst thing you could mention to adcoms.

wish i was crying over a 3.5. i would take a grade drop to travel...makes your application look even better to be out of the country

Was there less grade inflation overseas? That's always my first assumption when I see lower grades for a semster/year abroad. A 3.49 vs. 3.59 is a bummer but it is not hte end of the world. A 3.0 abroad is respectable and the adcom will take it into account when assessing your application.

Thanks a lot for the responses. I think I'll take ya'll's advice and not mention it and hope that adcoms may be forgiving. Cheers!

Was there less grade inflation overseas? That's always my first assumption when I see lower grades for a semster/year abroad. A 3.49 vs. 3.59 is a bummer but it is not hte end of the world. A 3.0 abroad is respectable and the adcom will take it into account when assessing your application.

In france the grading is much different--final grades are given in scores of 1-20. I took genetics and cell bio over there (in French) among a lot of non-science classes, after my grades transferred back to my ug school I ended up with a 3.45 from the year but missed ~3 weeks of school during second semester to go travel (I didn't mention it in my app anywhere, but then again I didnt really mention france).

My study abroad grades didn't even count in my GPA. Then again, my school didn't sponser the trip, I went on my own, so I don't need my transcript either.

I think that explaining that your grades took a hit because:

1. you were studying far from home in an unfamiliar environment
2. you were taking unusually hard coursework
3. you had lots of things eating at your time

... would be the worst thing you could mention to adcoms.
Yeah, I'd tell them you were busy smoking weed and chasing easy women. Why would those be bad?