UC Davis 2018-2019 Secondary Application

[Dr. ThorStrange]

Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee.
Is this question required or optional on the application?
If required, should I explain about one bad grade or low MCAT?

How should I approach this question? Should I mention the concern then provide positive aspects?
Is it bad to draw attention to a negative on application?
Should I just not answer it?

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[realitysickness]

Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee.
Is this question required or optional on the application?
If required, should I explain about one bad grade or low MCAT?

How should I approach this question? Should I mention the concern then provide positive aspects?
Is it bad to draw attention to a negative on application?
Should I just not answer it?

Take this with a grain of salt since I'm just an applicant: But I didn't answer this question. I think it is optional. My GPA is fine so I was going to discuss why I retook the MCAT (508 to 517). However, I ultimately decided not to bring it up. If you don't have any significant item to discuss, I would leave blank... Adcoms have enough to read as is!

 

[gyngyn]

If you have something to discuss, go ahead. Otherwise put "none."
I've never seen a really good explanation for a grade or MCAT, but maybe they will see things differently...

 

[Goro]

Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee.
Is this question required or optional on the application?
If required, should I explain about one bad grade or low MCAT?

How should I approach this question? Should I mention the concern then provide positive aspects?
Is it bad to draw attention to a negative on application?
Should I just not answer it?

No matter how they're written, explanations always come off as excuses.

 

[Goro]

To answer my wise colleague @LizzyM's earier post, of course there are compelling explanations. These typically come for an entire disastrous semester or even an academic year, and are also (usually) followed by academic recovery.

But too many SDNers seem compelled to explain a single bad grade, or an MCAT performance that didn't meet thier standards. These are people who seem to have their entire soul and self-worth defined by their grades.

 

[LizzyM]

I do think that there are extenuating circumstances that can explain grades and scores that happened after the event. I'm thinking of catastrophic events such as a family member murdered, family home burns to the ground, accident that lands several members of the immediate family in the hospital, you are forced to evacuate and live in a shelter for weeks due to weather/wild fires. Those things might not otherwise appear on the application but could cause your GPA to take a hit. I think that those are extraordinary, very rare events that an adcom will take into account when examining an academic record.

 

[Dr. ThorStrange]

Blank, none, or N/A sounds better?

 

[realitysickness]

Blank, none, or N/A sounds better?

I put N/A, but I think any of the above should work.