I need to know if the following has too much information for my app to explain my poor GPA for one semester. I want to emphasize that this was beyond the typical family issues and really is not something that (I hope) happens again. Please let me know if I should reword anything, leave anything out, or phrase things differently. I appreciate your input!
"I was placed on Academic Probation at {School} in 2001 Fall semester. I was not able to devote the time necessary to my academics due to serious issues involving my immediate family. My parents had recently divorced, and my sister was divorcing her husband. He had been molesting their three children with the oldest child (age 11) ending up in placement at a mental health facility for over a year. Her husband was convicted and sent to prison. My sister was low income already and now was a single mother.
During this time I provided childcare while she met with case workers, attorneys, and therapists. I visited the child in placement every other weekend which was a four hour drive round trip (we lived in rural Maine). I provided her and the kids with material support in the form of food, clothing, gas, etc. as I worked a part time job to support myself while in school. My father was limited in the help he could provide. He and my mother had recently divorced and he was paying to maintain two separate households on his limited income because my mother was not able to hold down a job due to her bipolar disorder. Eventually my sister's situation more or less stabilized as we got her connected with therapy, in home support, and welfare.
My mother required support in moving out of the family home and setting up in an apartment. She was having difficulty managing her mental illness during this transition, and needed emotional and material support from me (housecleaning, transportation, food, household items, etc). My mother has been in crisis frequently throughout her life, requiring an inpatient admission at one point. I was better able to manage this issue as I got older and other family members stepped in to help.
After the Fall semester I was able to focus on my studies and subsequently made Dean's List in Spring 2002."
"I was placed on Academic Probation at {School} in 2001 Fall semester. I was not able to devote the time necessary to my academics due to serious issues involving my immediate family. My parents had recently divorced, and my sister was divorcing her husband. He had been molesting their three children with the oldest child (age 11) ending up in placement at a mental health facility for over a year. Her husband was convicted and sent to prison. My sister was low income already and now was a single mother.
During this time I provided childcare while she met with case workers, attorneys, and therapists. I visited the child in placement every other weekend which was a four hour drive round trip (we lived in rural Maine). I provided her and the kids with material support in the form of food, clothing, gas, etc. as I worked a part time job to support myself while in school. My father was limited in the help he could provide. He and my mother had recently divorced and he was paying to maintain two separate households on his limited income because my mother was not able to hold down a job due to her bipolar disorder. Eventually my sister's situation more or less stabilized as we got her connected with therapy, in home support, and welfare.
My mother required support in moving out of the family home and setting up in an apartment. She was having difficulty managing her mental illness during this transition, and needed emotional and material support from me (housecleaning, transportation, food, household items, etc). My mother has been in crisis frequently throughout her life, requiring an inpatient admission at one point. I was better able to manage this issue as I got older and other family members stepped in to help.
After the Fall semester I was able to focus on my studies and subsequently made Dean's List in Spring 2002."
