Hardships

[kalikali]

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I've always done well in school but the past year (sophomore year), there were several "hardships" that hindered that. First, my parents went through a messy, chaotic divorce after years of abuse from my father. Then, my grandmother passed away. And finally, right before spring finals, my house was in a fire and burned down which displaced my family. I'm definitely not trying to make excuses but I would like to point out that these circumstances were out of my control. All of these events caused me to miss school (sometimes even on test days) and to be honest, they put me in a place where I couldn't properly study to get the types of grades that I always have. I'm studying for the MCAT and am taking it in a year, I know with a year's preparation, I'll be able to score high on it. I'm beginning my junior year and I will finally be able to go back to excelling in classes.

I guess my question is: should I even mention this when applying to medical school or is it kind of a "nobody cares" type of thing. I understand that excuses get us nowhere, but I just pray that my lifelong hard work isn't overshadowed by a year of chaos.

 

[Goro]

Very sorry to hear of your woes.

Unfortunately, if you're a solid 3.1 student, then they're excuses. If they're the cause of a V-shaped trend in your grades, then they're an explanation.

The key is how and if you overcame them.

I've always done well in school but the past year (sophomore year), there were several "hardships" that hindered that. First, my parents went through a messy, chaotic divorce after years of abuse from my father. Then, my grandmother passed away. And finally, right before spring finals, my house was in a fire and burned down which displaced my family. I'm definitely not trying to make excuses but I would like to point out that these circumstances were out of my control. All of these events caused me to miss school (sometimes even on test days) and to be honest, they put me in a place where I couldn't properly study to get the types of grades that I always have. I'm studying for the MCAT and am taking it in a year, I know with a year's preparation, I'll be able to score high on it. I'm beginning my junior year and I will finally be able to go back to excelling in classes.

I guess my question is: should I even mention this when applying to medical school or is it kind of a "nobody cares" type of thing. I understand that excuses get us nowhere, but I just pray that my lifelong hard work isn't overshadowed by a year of chaos.

 

[NightWindDriftr]

I've always done well in school but the past year (sophomore year), there were several "hardships" that hindered that. First, my parents went through a messy, chaotic divorce after years of abuse from my father. Then, my grandmother passed away. And finally, right before spring finals, my house was in a fire and burned down which displaced my family. I'm definitely not trying to make excuses but I would like to point out that these circumstances were out of my control. All of these events caused me to miss school (sometimes even on test days) and to be honest, they put me in a place where I couldn't properly study to get the types of grades that I always have. I'm studying for the MCAT and am taking it in a year, I know with a year's preparation, I'll be able to score high on it. I'm beginning my junior year and I will finally be able to go back to excelling in classes.

I guess my question is: should I even mention this when applying to medical school or is it kind of a "nobody cares" type of thing. I understand that excuses get us nowhere, but I just pray that my lifelong hard work isn't overshadowed by a year of chaos.

I feel like hardships are generally in the eye of the beholder. For example... not to sound callous, but grandparents pass away all the time. But your house burning down before finals (or ever) is kind of a big deal. I would write about anything you think is worth mention and let them decide if it's an excuse or a reason.