Applications - Explaining Difficulties

[rzees]

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I have come across the question of where I am asked to explain any deficiencies in my application (MCAT or transcript). In my 2nd year, I didn't do too well in organic chemistry. Part of it was my friend committed suicide, and the other part was me overestimating my abilities at the time (I had a really heavy course load). Do I mention both? I was obviously less mature then than I am now, so I wasn't sure if I should expand on that too.

Thanks!

 

[GreenDuck12]

I wouldn’t mention doing poorly in a single course. If you had multiple terms or classes of low grades then I would use the space but a struggling in a single, challenging class is ok.

 

[Goro]

I have come across the question of where I am asked to explain any deficiencies in my application (MCAT or transcript). In my 2nd year, I didn't do too well in organic chemistry. Part of it was my friend committed suicide, and the other part was me overestimating my abilities at the time (I had a really heavy course load). Do I mention both? I was obviously less mature then than I am now, so I wasn't sure if I should expand on that too.

Thanks!

The prompt is looking for an explanation of a bad year, or semester, not a single course.

 

[rzees]

The prompt is looking for an explanation of a bad year, or semester, not a single course.

I’ll be honest, it was a pretty rough year, you just really saw it with that one course. It was the one that suffered the most where the others I was able to scrape by.

 

[rzees]

I wouldn’t mention doing poorly in a single course. If you had multiple terms or classes of low grades then I would use the space but a struggling in a single, challenging class is ok.

I’ll be honest in saying I struggled the entire year (suicide happened in early November). It was just one of those instances where I was able to pull it together for most of my courses (with lower grades than usual) but couldn’t with organic. Then the next semester I had lower grades too, but not horrible. They were lower than the rest of my academic career.

 

[GreenDuck12]

What is your GPA for the year?

 

[rzees]

What is your GPA for the year?

That fall semester, I had a 2.83. For the year, including summer, I ended up with a 3.29. I took a slightly lighter spring semester to get my head straight and then a heavier summer. My semesters have been trending upwards ever since, but that year, especially that semester, was rough for me. I have been getting 3.70+ ever since.

I just wouldn't know how to phrase it completely. I don't want to blame it all on her because I had my part. I could have spoken with my organic professor more, but I was 18 at the time and thought I could handle the world.

 

[Goro]

That fall semester, I had a 2.83. For the year, including summer, I ended up with a 3.29. I took a slightly lighter spring semester to get my head straight and then a heavier summer. My semesters have been trending upwards ever since, but that year, especially that semester, was rough for me. I have been getting 3.70+ ever since.

I just wouldn't know how to phrase it completely. I don't want to blame it all on her because I had my part. I could have spoken with my organic professor more, but I was 18 at the time and thought I could handle the world.

It would have been helpful if you had told us this right from the start. So this is worth explaining

 

[GreenDuck12]

When you describe it you need to not focus on the tragic circumstances of your friends death but rather on how you struggled to cope and manage your classes, how you improved, etc. this should be written in a fairy objective manner.

 

[rzees]

It would have been helpful if you had told us this right from the start. So this is worth explaining

Sorry...

 

[rzees]

When you describe it you need to not focus on the tragic circumstances of your friends death but rather on how you struggled to cope and manage your classes, how you improved, etc. this should be written in a fairy objective manner.

Sorry for the late reply. How would I explain the coping part? I was the last person she called and I didn't answer, so I had to deal with not only the death but the whole what-if I had just answered part. Or, just explain it like that?