Should I even bother writing an Explanation Statement?

[dragonfroot]

Hi all, I am a brand new member here and am currently applying for 2019 admission. So, my situation is this: had zero goals in undergrad, as a result got some pathetic grades (lowest was D in orgo 1) and a couple of W's. After graduation, finally decided that vet school was my goal. I took courses at another university and have done really well. I have also been working at an animal hospital for 4 years since graduating and have worked my way up. I had an amazing mentor in my second university who really left an impression on me. My question is, should I explain ANY of this in my application? The adcoms will obviously see my grades and experiences but I'm wondering if an explanation of why I'm applying 4 years after graduating will be beneficial to my case in any way? Should I just keep my mouth shut?

Any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks in advance

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[RedLauren]

Hi all, I am a brand new member here and am currently applying for 2019 admission. So, my situation is this: had zero goals in undergrad, as a result got some pathetic grades (lowest was D in orgo 1) and a couple of W's. After graduation, finally decided that vet school was my goal. I took courses at another university and have done really well. I have also been working at an animal hospital for 4 years since graduating and have worked my way up. I had an amazing mentor in my second university who really left an impression on me. My question is, should I explain ANY of this in my application? The adcoms will obviously see my grades and experiences but I'm wondering if an explanation of why I'm applying 4 years after graduating will be beneficial to my case in any way? Should I just keep my mouth shut?

Any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks in advance

I think you should absolutely include an explanation statement. I had some bad grades early on during undergrad and talked about why I made those grades and what I did to improve them. Did your grades improve over time? Something also worth noting is that a few vet schools will count the higher or second grade if you repeated a class.

 

[DVMoftheFuture]

Hi all, I am a brand new member here and am currently applying for 2019 admission. So, my situation is this: had zero goals in undergrad, as a result got some pathetic grades (lowest was D in orgo 1) and a couple of W's. After graduation, finally decided that vet school was my goal. I took courses at another university and have done really well. I have also been working at an animal hospital for 4 years since graduating and have worked my way up. I had an amazing mentor in my second university who really left an impression on me. My question is, should I explain ANY of this in my application? The adcoms will obviously see my grades and experiences but I'm wondering if an explanation of why I'm applying 4 years after graduating will be beneficial to my case in any way? Should I just keep my mouth shut?

Any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks in advance

In my opinion, no. The explanation statement is used when your bad grades are caused by extenuating circumstances, like a serious illness, unexpected death, or other major negative life events outside of your control. Having "zero goals" is not a great reason for poor grades, and admissions committees will not like that explanation, to the point that it might actually hurt your application. I would be prepared with a better explanation if you are asked about the grades in interviews. Your record should speak for itself. Adcoms will see your improved grades and experience; no need to point it out to them in the explanation statement.

 

[RedLauren]

In my opinion, no. The explanation statement is used when your bad grades are caused by extenuating circumstances, like a serious illness, unexpected death, or other major negative life events outside of your control. Having "zero goals" is not a great reason for poor grades, and admissions committees will not like that explanation, to the point that it might actually hurt your application. I would be prepared with a better explanation if you are asked about the grades in interviews. Your record should speak for itself. Adcoms will see your improved grades and experience; no need to point it out to them in the explanation statement.

You do make a good point. I think it also depends on how bad your grades are. For me my first two semesters were absolutely awful, like bad grades in every class. If it’s just a C or D here and there it may not be worth mentioning.

 

[jaboo]

If you are able to explain it well and in a way other than "I was unsure what I wanted to do," then yes.

In my file reviews, one school really liked my explanation statement and said that it was concise and gave a good reason for my poor grades early in undergrad. I talked about how I discovered I had an anxiety disorder freshman year and also how I had to "catch up" quite a bit after switching from a chem major to a bio major (and I hadn't taken a bio class since 8th grade!). Both contributed to my poor grades.

Obviously don't make up something if it's not true. If you had some mental health/personal issues or were disadvantaged in some way, I think it's worth writing. Otherwise, I wouldn't.

 

[jaboo]

I disagree with this bolded bit. I, along with other applicants, have successfully used the explanation statement in this way. I feel that the OP's justification for the poor grades may actually work depending on how it's handled. Obviously, they shouldn't simply make excuses and say "I had zero goals and no direction during my first attempt at the pre-requisite coursework"; ideally, they should also point to evidence that they have made changes to their study habits and routine for the better and use that as leverage for their assertion that it will not be an issue in the foreseeable future. One way could be by detailing recent successes (eg. "I maintained a 4.0 GPA through the previous X number of semesters") and elaborating on small changes that helped them achieve that success, such as restructuring their days in the interest of better time management or taking the initiative to seek tutoring for material that they struggled with or experimenting with various study methods until they found one that worked with them. These are all beneficial actions that the OP may not have the room to expand upon in other areas of the application and that demonstrate drive, maturity, and adaptability and willingness to make changes to what clearly isn't working when faced with an academic struggle. As well as resilience, an important trait to have both in vet school (and let me tell you... vet school beats you down hard sometimes; resilience is a virtue) and as a medical professional.

Basically, I don't agree with this notion that the explanation statement should only be used for bad grades caused by extenuating circumstances and I also don't think that the OP's reasoning will necessarily hurt their application. It's all about approach and tone.

^you put this much better than I did!

 

[RedLauren]

The first time I applied I did not utilize the explanation statement for fear of sounding like I was making excuses for myself. I was rejected everywhere with no interview offers. The second time I did use the explanation statement and I got 7 acceptances. For me, I think it helped a lot. If you write it correctly - take responsibility for your short comings and show how you learned and improved, it can only help you.

 

[jaboo]

The first time I applied I did not utilize the explanation statement for fear of sounding like I was making excuses for myself. I was rejected everywhere with no interview offers. The second time I did use the explanation statement and I got 7 acceptances. For me, I think it helped a lot. If you write it correctly - take responsibility for your short comings and show how you learned and improved, it can only help you.

I did the same thing these past 2 cycles and had similar results. This past cycle, I made sure to not throw a pity party and instead focused on what I learned and what made me a better person.

 

[genny]

Hi all, I am a brand new member here and am currently applying for 2019 admission. So, my situation is this: had zero goals in undergrad, as a result got some pathetic grades (lowest was D in orgo 1) and a couple of W's. After graduation, finally decided that vet school was my goal. I took courses at another university and have done really well. I have also been working at an animal hospital for 4 years since graduating and have worked my way up. I had an amazing mentor in my second university who really left an impression on me. My question is, should I explain ANY of this in my application? The adcoms will obviously see my grades and experiences but I'm wondering if an explanation of why I'm applying 4 years after graduating will be beneficial to my case in any way? Should I just keep my mouth shut?

Any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks in advance

Are you discussing your motivation for applying elsewhere in your application? If that covers it, then no explanation statement needed.

Your improved grades should speak for themselves, and your LORs should talk about persistence, dedication, and hard work.

If you still feel like there’s a gap in your application after all of that, then include an explanation statement that frames things in a very confident, positive light.

 

[dragonfroot]

Thank you all so much for your replies!
I think I WILL write an E.S., but focus mainly on the positives and what I learned as a result.

 

[Sb7044]

Hi, I am having a similar problem deciding if I should write an explanation statement. UF's supplemental questions this year also has a question asking to address low academic workload and failed courses. Should I only respond to UF's question and disregard the explanation statement? I'm applying to other schools besides UF as well. In my case, I only failed a pre-calc my freshman year but I also had a low academic workload ( enrolled in three 10-credit semesters) After I declared my major, I was enrolled full time and got A's in the following math classes and got a B when I retook the class. Any suggestions?