How do I explain my gpa trend?

[ViergeEnnuyeuse]

Okay, I have my first interview in about a week and I have a bad feeling that my gpa trend is going to come up. My gpa for my 2 semesters of freshman year is almost exactly the same as my gpa for my junior semesters. However, my sophomore year's gpa was .3 lower than my junior and freshman years. It looks really odd that I have a dip in the middle of my college life.

During that year I was on an antidepressant that turned me into a monster. I couldn't study, concentrate, and my friends wanted to avoid me so it just made me feel worse. I'm off the medicine now but I'm still reminded about it whenever I look at my transcripts. My health professions advisor asked me about my trend and I told her the truth since I was close to her and she knew that I went through some problems. But with the stigma, I'm not going to tell my interviewers. Do I just lie and say that the classes were challenging?

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[Ema]

"My gpa for my 2 semesters of freshman year is almost exactly the same as my gpa for my junior semesters. However, my sophomore year's gpa was .3 lower than my junior and freshman years."


You mean 0.3 less, thats not that big of deal, I think. 3.3 or 3.6 ok, I guess it is a little lower. Did you have harder classes or more classes? If so, that can be an exuse. I am not sure how to explain this and sound good, but then again lying would not be the option neither. You can say you had trouble with concentrating on your school due to some medical problems or something

 

[rajad10]

chances are that you won't be asked. don't mention or worry about it

 

[drjewel]

Everyone has a semester/year where they don't do as well. Hell, I had a semester where I ended up only taking 11 credits and barely broke a 3.0, but I'm not letting it bother me. And actually, part of my PS addressed my own struggle with depression and antidepressants. If schools ask about it (which I doubt they would) you could just say something about how your courses were particularly challenging that year, or that personal problems affected your schoolwork. No one's perfect.

Good luck!

 

[TMP-SMX]

Everyone has a semester/year where they don't do as well. Hell, I had a semester where I ended up only taking 11 credits and barely broke a 3.0, but I'm not letting it bother me. And actually, part of my PS addressed my own struggle with depression and antidepressants. If schools ask about it (which I doubt they would) you could just say something about how your courses were particularly challenging that year, or that personal problems affected your schoolwork. No one's perfect.

Good luck!

I don't know if the mention of depression was such a good idea...

 

[mideastbroson]

I remember when i took antidepressants to calm down my anxiety problems. Couldn't sleep, concentrate, study, or really focus in lecture. I quit 2 months after taking them and beared the pain of ulcers. In the end I pulled a 3.9 my freshman 2nd semester(taking Chem II, Physics, Bio II, english level 400 course, and psych) with a lot of lost weight, facial hair, fatigue, and "thankfulness."

Relax man do not worry. people on this website tend to get the idea that if u dont have a 8.6 gpa and a 312 mcat while saving 400 people as an EMT and taking care of a 100 old people at an old home ur not going to get in medical school. BTW dont forget the nobel u won with watson and crick when u discovered dna.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Lol. Don't talk about Watson and Crick to your secondary to Rosalind Franklin...

 

[confused48]

Okay, I have my first interview in about a week and I have a bad feeling that my gpa trend is going to come up. My gpa for my 2 semesters of freshman year is almost exactly the same as my gpa for my junior semesters. However, my sophomore year's gpa was .3 lower than my junior and freshman years. It looks really odd that I have a dip in the middle of my college life.

During that year I was on an antidepressant that turned me into a monster. I couldn't study, concentrate, and my friends wanted to avoid me so it just made me feel worse. I'm off the medicine now but I'm still reminded about it whenever I look at my transcripts. My health professions advisor asked me about my trend and I told her the truth since I was close to her and she knew that I went through some problems. But with the stigma, I'm not going to tell my interviewers. Do I just lie and say that the classes were challenging?

I believe LizzyM or another adcom commented in another thread lately regarding the importance in the "trend" in your GPA. It was specifically identified that there is often a sophomore slump for a variety of reasons. SO I guess I would not worry too much about as long as the grades were >3.0 or so. If such a sophomore slump is typical--then you may very well not even get asked about it.

 

[AggieJohn]

I believe LizzyM or another adcom commented in another thread lately regarding the importance in the "trend" in your GPA. It was specifically identified that there is often a sophomore slump for a variety of reasons. SO I guess I would not worry too much about as long as the grades were >3.0 or so. If such a sophomore slump is typical--then you may very well not even get asked about it.

Its hard to call a .3 difference a "slump"