I have cerebral palsy with severe muscle spasticity and chronic pain, and during my undergraduate studies I did not always have the accommodations I needed. My condition significantly affected my concentration, stamina, and exam performance, and there were only about two semesters when my GPA better reflected my academic ability. My pain and muscle spasms also affected my LSAT preparation and performance, particularly my ability to concentrate, sustain focus, and work efficiently under timed conditions.
I want to be clear that I’m not saying this because I didn’t study hard enough. The pain and muscle spasms can be extremely distracting and physically exhausting, especially during exams and other timed assessments. I believe that even a very strong test-taker could struggle to perform at their normal level while experiencing that degree of pain. If my LSAT score does not fully reflect my abilities, I would want admissions committees to understand that my medical condition affected both my undergraduate GPA and my test performance.
At the same time, I have a strong personal story, meaningful professional and life experience, and a serious interest in practicing disability law. I also intend to demonstrate my abilities through my application materials, recommendations, work experience, and, if appropriate, an LSAT score earned with accommodations or a later improved score.
Would an explanation like this, supported by appropriate documentation, give the admissions committee enough context to understand how my pain and cerebral palsy affected both my academic record and LSAT performance, and allow them to evaluate my application more holistically?
5 comments
Good question, @TheOmid, and this is honestly a really easy example of information that should be mentioned in an addenda. Even if you discuss cerebral palsy in either your personal statement (as part of your reason why you want to go to law school) or your statement of perspective / diversity statement (as a discussion of a thing that has shaped your perspective on the world), it would still be relevant to give a quick explanation in the addenda about how matters directly affected your GPA and LSAT performance. And you wouldn't have to go into a great amount of detail because your audience will understand what you're trying to communicate nor do you have to give any documentation. Just an explanation will suffice!
pretty much what you’ve said here but in an addenda and with a bit more detail
Hi! I’m sorry you’ve had to navigate that. I have a somewhat similar situation, and I chose to write a GPA addendum explaining my condition, how it affected my academic performance, and why my grades were not always reflective of my abilities.
I also highlighted the circumstances that allowed my performance to improve, including receiving better accommodations and developing strategies that helped me manage the challenges more effectively. I thought it was important not only to explain the lower grades, but also to show evidence of what I was capable of when those barriers were better addressed.
I took a similar approach with my application as a whole. My personal statement focuses primarily on my professional achievements, experiences, and the perspective I would bring to law school, while the addendum provides the necessary context for my academic record.
Hope this helps!
I would do an overcoming obstacles essay or something like that, as an addendum.
I would provide the explanation. It's your truth and important part in providing context to your statistics and story. Good luck!