Should I say so..? A q about PSEs..

[scienceisbeauty]

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Hey there everyone. Hope everyone is doing well. My one question: I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder in the summer before my 3rd year of university and the diagnosis was confirmed during second half of my 3rd year (the diagnosis was MS). I'm completely ambulatory ...you'd never be able to tell ... but this diagnosis affected my concentration during that year. Thus, my GPA dropped significantly.. (3.47 for that year compared to 3.68) ...this year my GPA was 3.73 (4th year). I'm going to be doing one more year (5th year) because most Canadian grad schools look primarily at your last 2 years of uni (and perhaps other schools in the States too)...
Anyway: I was wondering, ought I mention this in my PSE or would I take up unnecessary space?

- Sincerely,
scienceisbeauty

 

[RayneeDeigh]

Hmm, well that's not a huge drop and I'm sure your 5th year will pull it up nicely. I've heard mixed views on the SOP issue. Some people say you should never mention low GPAs (the sort of "don't ask don't tell policy), and some say that explaining it can significantly help your application. I'd say... go with your gut. It all depends on whether you're comfortable disclosing your medical condition to future grad schools or not. It's always a toss up with things like this.

 

[WaitingKills]

I would say that your GPA didn't drop to an alarming level causing the need to disclose anything. Your previous GPA and your current year's GPA will even out the lower one nicely, especially if you do an additional year.

I think it would benefit you to use yoru 1-2 pages talking about your experience, interests and reasons why there is a match between you and the school, rather than talking about why your GPA dropped a bit. If you are worried about it and feel the need to mention it for your own peace of mind (I totally understand this), I would say something in passing like "In 2006, my grades were impacted due to a medical condition, however I was able to pull them back up in the following year with hard work and determination...." Blah blah blah. Obviously you'd have to say it way better than I did there, but you get the point.

Unless you have a specific reason for mentioning your MS (like interest in psych or your research or something) I wouldn't go into detail. It's no one's business and you never know which university or professor would look down on such disclosure. WIth that being said, some also like to see a more personal statement.

Ok, it's late and I'm rambling so I'm off. Good luck with it.

 

[Ollie123]

In your situation I wouldn't bother. If your GPA had dropped to a 1.4 then it might be worth mentioning🙂

Its up to you though, if it was a life-changing experience for you that led you down the road to psychology, it might be okay to mention (though generally I was told NOT to cite my own issues or a family member's issues as a reason for entering the profession). Then again, MS is really neurological not psychiatric, so it might be more acceptable.

Really, its up to you. I would not mention it unless asked about it.

Also, good for you for pulling everything back together and going for this. I've met a bunch of people with MS, some doing fine, some not doing okay at all, and its always nice to see someone managing it well and not letting it get in the way of their dreams🙂

 

[psychwanabe]

I think I would choose not to include any discussion of your GPA drop due to MS in your SOP. My reasons are twofold: first, the drop is not significant, and as stated by everyone else, you are already bringing it back up.

My second reason is the primary one. I would be concerned that any dx could bias a committee against you. Although it shouldn't have an impact, it could create a question in their minds about whether you can handle the rigors of a graduate program. You know yourself, and the evidence shows that you are quite able to keep up with your workload, however you never know how such information is going to be received. I am aware of similar situations in which students were strongly advised (by a high ranking faculty member) to keep such matters private. You just never know, and with all the competition out there it's best not to give them any reason to choose someone else.

Just some food for thought.

 

[scienceisbeauty]

You guys are the best. I really value all the advice. THANK YOU ALL!