Addendum for low GPA

[wwxx]

Hello!
I wanted to write an addendum for my low GPA. Whether you have experience in this, any comments or thoughts??

This is what I have,
Dear school,

I would like to provide an explanation for my low GPA.

A few months before I took off for college, my parents went through a hard divorce. While adjusting my own emotions, I had to take a good care of my mother because she was devastated, almost suicidal. I regret that I let family issue harm my education. Through the event, I have learned how to balance family and career and be emotionally strong. Now that I'm more mature, I definitely have the capabilities to succeed in graduate school as both of my parents encourages me to do so.


Thanks everyone!!!

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[oceanhue]

Add it in your personal history or personal statement. However, I'm not sure how that instance affects your entire GPA. Add it in, but do not try to use it as an "excuse".

I had several incompletes for a quarter because I had to have emergency surgery. Then for the following quarter, I was in recovery but I was back in school. I was in a lot of physical pain. I had problems walking, couldn't sit or walk upright, etc. And while my GPA wasn't that great during that quarter, I still managed to graduate top of my class.

I'm sure other applicants have gone through things as well, because that's life.

 

[588211]

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[themmases]

I would personally not give specifics of this situation (or almost any other situation) and just refer to them as family reasons that have since been resolved. Your situation sounds awful and I'm really sorry that you went through it, but there will always be insensitive people who will take it up on themselves to judge whatever reason you give or decide it couldn't have really been that hard. Also, the details are really none of anyone else's business.

I did this in some applications (not all unless they specifically asked, because in retrospect it didn't hurt my GPA that much) because I had major depression for all of undergrad and one semester where it was particularly severe and not being adequately controlled. Even in health fields where frankly there is no excuse for anyone to have this belief, there is still stigma or an attitude that people are malingering around even an extremely common diagnosis like depression. I just referred to it as health reasons and I've never had anyone probe into that and my acceptances have been fine. I sympathize a lot with the impulse to get people to understand how terrible this situation was and how it took over your life, but I personally feel like I and others keep more dignity when we don't share details that others don't need. Also, giving a reason like "health" or "family" does not automatically give away a certain reason-- adcomms, supervisors, etc. have heard it all.

 

[Pdesai8]

I agree with the above about not being super specific and mentioning the divorce. You can say you were taking care of your mother due to a rough family issue, but I wouldn't get too specific. To play devil's advocate, I can see someone reading this as an excuse thinking "over 50% of people get divorced and with kids much younger than college students...so this isn't anything unusual" Of course every personal situation is extremely difficult and it is difficult to convey the severity in a few sentences, which is why I would recommend not being specific.