Extra letter for personal tragedy?

[Confused&Dazed]

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Hey all,

I was hoping y'all could give me some advice. I couldn't write about my personal tragedy on my primary application since I didn't really know where to put it (it did affect the out come of a semester). I wrote my personal statement about something else. On the secondaries that explicitly asked for it I wrote it down, but what about the schools that don't have anything regarding personal hardship in their seconday? Can I send them an extra letter detailing it, or should I hope for an interview and if brought up try and explain it?

Also, I'm having the same trouble regarding what i'm doing the year before I'd enter med school. I graduated in May (2004). On those secondaries that asked, i wrote it down. Can I just include another letter simply telling them what i'm up to? Or are the extra paper(s) frowned upon?

Thanks, and I hope it isn't too stupid of a question! I'm just worried all the extra letters would have an adverse affect on my application as a whole.

I appreciate all your input!

Have a great week.

 

[liverpoolufmd08]

I don't see why it'd hurt...the more information they have about you, the better, I guess. You're obviously not going to put all you want in the primary app. Write a letter detailing both the things you outlined above and send it to the schools.

Good luck.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Yea, i'd write a letter too, especially if you need it to explain bad grades or something similar. Just make sure you don't write it as a sob story and let it show you learned something from the experience. Good luck.

 

[stinkycheese]

I wouldn't write letters to those who don't ask for something like an explanation of bad grades. Everyone has something they can use to make excuses for a less-than-optimal performance. If they wanted to hear those excuses, they'd ask. If it's that important, the place for it was in the PS. In all likelihood, it won't affect your interview status, since at most schools, that is largely numbers-based.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

i don't think everyone has something to account for less than optimal grades unless laziness counts. besides some "excuses" are much more legitimate than others.

 

[stinkycheese]

i don't think everyone has something to account for less than optimal grades unless laziness counts. besides some "excuses" are much more legitimate than others.

Everyone goes through tragedies and illnesses, maybe not during college, but at some point in their life. It's not really an outstanding excuse for an additional letter to schools, although it may be an excuse for bad grades (there is a difference). I believe the appropriate place to address issues such as this is in the PS or in secondary questions specific to this topic. An additional letter is overkill and may make you seem like a whiner.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Everyone goes through tragedies and illnesses, maybe not during college, but at some point in their life. It's not really an outstanding excuse for an additional letter to schools, although it may be an excuse for bad grades (there is a difference). I believe the appropriate place to address issues such as this is in the PS or in secondary questions specific to this topic. An additional letter is overkill and may make you seem like a whiner.

whatever...the OP can judge whether it's a positive or negative move based on his or her own circumstances. Not everyone goes thru serious illness or very personal tragedies before applying to med school. The OP said he/she didn't want to express it in the PS for whatever reason. You don't always know the questions that will be asked in the secondaries before you submit the PS so ther emay not always be the opportunity. Depending on the way you present it determines whether it will sound like whining. It should be turned into a positive experience to show how you grew from the experience; and then it most likely will not sound like whining.

 

[stinkycheese]

whatever...the OP can judge whether it's a positive or negative move based on his or her own circumstances. Not everyone goes thru serious illness or very personal tragedies before applying to med school. The OP said he/she didn't want to express it in the PS for whatever reason. You don't always know the questions that will be asked in the secondaries before you submit the PS so ther emay not always be the opportunity. Depending on the way you present it determines whether it will sound like whining. It should be turned into a positive experience to show how you grew from the experience; and then it most likely will not sound like whining.

Sending an additional letter for your file makes this experience stick out in the Ad Com's mind. If it was so important, it should have been mentioned elsewhere in the required documents; otherwise, it sounds like you're pointing something out as an excuse. This is obviously just my opinion, but schools have enough documentation to keep track of, and if I were an admissions worker, I would be annoyed with people who send additional personal letters for whatever reason, and would wonder why it wasn't mentioned elsewhere in the documentation.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Sending an additional letter for your file makes this experience stick out in the Ad Com's mind. If it was so important, it should have been mentioned elsewhere in the required documents; otherwise, it sounds like you're pointing something out as an excuse. This is obviously just my opinion, but schools have enough documentation to keep track of, and if I were an admissions worker, I would be annoyed with people who send additional personal letters for whatever reason, and would wonder why it wasn't mentioned elsewhere in the documentation.

perhaps....i've seen it work both ways...so i'm not going to advise either way; it's up to each person on their own; only they know what the extra letter entails and where they stand in comparison to the rest of the applicant pool at their school(s) and how necessary the explanation is 😕