I'm wondering if I should submit an academic addendum to add context to my 3.21 gpa. My GPA improved over the course of the semesters, with my last three semesters being majority As and my highest GPAs (4.0 in the last two semesters). The main point of the addendum would be to highlight the rigor and other priorities of service academy educations, my specifically heavy course load (151 hours), and the technical rigor of the courses with the lowest grades (chemistry, electrical engineering, and heavily technical computer courses). Wondering if this is advisable since I've often read that without a specific reason for a specific dip (a family emergency, ect.) that an addendum is more likely to look like excuses than provide valuable context. 171 LSAT and trying to explain that difference. Thank you!
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That’s a perfectly reasonable thing to explain! But I may be able to save you some trouble because admissions officers already know that the service academies have gnarly grade curves and some different academic requirements (especially in the STEM fields) that you don’t see elsewhere. That’s before we even get into regular PT, leadership training, and all of that.
So I’ll put it as being something that you can totally do but don’t feel like it’s necessary.
I think this is one of the cases where a short addendum is reasonable, as long as it's framed as context, not a defense of the GPA.
The things you listed aren't excuses. They're facts an admissions reader might not know, especially at schools that don't see many service academy applicants: a required technical core no matter your major, 151 credit hours, and military training and duties on top of classes. That's different from "my classes were hard," which everyone could say.
How I'd keep it from sounding like excuses:
Keep it to one short paragraph. Lead with the facts (credit load, required core, other obligations), then point to the trend ("my last three semesters were my strongest, including a 4.0 in each of the last two").
Don't argue that the grades should count less, and don't compare yourself to civilian schools. Just give the context and let the reader draw the conclusion.
Skip anything that sounds like you're grading the courses ("notoriously difficult"). Naming the courses is enough.
Also, your 171 and the upward trend already tell most of this story, so the addendum just helps the reader connect the dots. If any of your schools have an optional "anything else" or military/service question, that's a natural place for it too.