"Is there anything you would like to tell the adcom" optional essay

[pickeljuice]

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Hello everyone!

I've received a lot of conflicting advice from close friends of mine, and I just wanted to see what the larger SDN community felt about it.

For optional essays that ask you to tell adcoms anything that you felt was missing from your application, is it a good idea to include a blurb about certain grades or Ws that pop up on your transcript (assuming that the school doesn't ask you about said grades/W's). I've been told 'no' by some as it's not good to highlight your issues. On the other hand, I've also been told to absolutely include it as you want to have the chance to defend yourself instead of letting the adcoms make assumptions.

For context, I got a C+ in Organic Chemistry I, and I have a W in Gen Chem + a W in the same Organic Chemistry I class.

 

[Med Ed]

My assumption is that, like legions of premeds before you, you struggled a bit with orgo I. Am I in the ballpark?

 

[wysdoc]

You could use the essay space for a brief explanation of a rough class or semester. But, since so many schools have a different essay for that (have you had any academic difficulties or road bumps, etc.) you could instead use it to talk about something positive about you that you didn't have a place for in the AMCAS primary.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Please don't tell us where you put "that" tattoo.

I presume you discovered these prompts when you were pre-writing secondaries?

The nice part about "blank slate" prompts, is that you are given as much latitude to make an impression. And we have plenty of people who make an impression 🙄. In short, all the advice you probably heard was right... for them.

Let me see if there's another way to craft the prompt... is there another "impactful experience" you want to share with us?

 

[pickeljuice]

My assumption is that, like legions of premeds before you, you struggled a bit with orgo I. Am I in the ballpark?

lol yes and i had two Ws on my transcript. For some schools that had a specific prompt to explain those marks, I did so, but I'm not sure what to do for schools that don't ask me to explain them

 

[Med Ed]

lol yes and i had two Ws on my transcript. For some schools that had a specific prompt to explain those marks, I did so, but I'm not sure what to do for schools that don't ask me to explain them

Since the assumption was correct there is nothing to explain. A couple of W’s and a C+ in a famous weed-out course is not the definition of academic struggle or inconsistency.

Imagine someone who finishes a year with a string of F’s and W’s because their dad went to jail for distributing narcotics from his dental practice. That’s the sort of thing these questions were made for.

 

[pickeljuice]

Since the assumption was correct there is nothing to explain. A couple of W’s and a C+ in a famous weed-out course is not the definition of academic struggle or inconsistency.

Imagine someone who finishes a year with a string of F’s and W’s because their dad went to jail for distributing narcotics from his dental practice. That’s the sort of thing these questions were made for.

That was so clear and helpful. Thank you so freaking much!