How to discuss one semester/year of lower than average sGPA

[auressam]

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I just got an II and it asks a few questions with one of them being about academic performance. It says I “may discuss semesters/years when your science GPA was lower than average.”

My sGPA throughout college was 4.0 — 3.8 — 3.2 — 3.8. Cumulative is 3.7. Junior year, I took 16 BCPM credits and got 3 B’s (one of which was in biochem) and 2 A-. Another B I received was in physiology, and I took a higher-level physiology course in senior year and got an A in that one.

Is this worth bringing attention to? My reasons for the lower sGPA are grandma dying at the end of my sophomore year which greatly impacted me, starting a clinical job where I worked 20 hours a week for the first time in my life, and not dedicating enough time to studying as a result since my time management wasn’t great. I don’t want an adcom to view my app negatively since there are many applicants who work full-time and have better sGPAs than mine was that year.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Weren't your lowest grades B's?

Short of knowing the exact prompt, I say all you have is your truth. I don't think you should worry about competing for pity (my story is more heartbreaking than your story... my GPA drop was worse than your drop...). So you had to learn time and priority management.

 

[auressam]

Weren't your lowest grades B's?

Short of knowing the exact prompt, I say all you have is your truth. I don't think you should worry about competing for pity (my story is more heartbreaking than your story... my GPA drop was worse than your drop...). So you had to learn time and priority management.

Yes, my lowest grades were B’s so I’m not sure if it’s worth discussing, but would you say the drop from 3.8 to 3.2 is significant enough to do so?

 

[LindaAccepted]

It is a drop and they ask you to address it, so address it by taking responsibility for some poor decisions, specifically poor time management at a time of stress/emotional pain. If you can, point to periods when you were also under stress and you managed your time well so that your grades didn't drop.

I realize fully that B's are not "bad" grades. but the prompt asks you to address a time when your grades were below average. Certainly that year your grades were below average for you and below average for accepted MD students. So don't go into a long apology, just succinctly and straightforwardly say what happened.