Addendum and me...what do I need to know?

LSATcantwin

SO! I feel like I am the king of needing addenda. I need an addenda for my GPA, I need an addenda for my LSAT jump, I need an addenda to explain my ugly face...oh wait..

I am having an issue with balance on my applications. My PS talks about the change that took place during the Marine Corps. It starts to draw a clear line of me before the Marines, (1.7gpa) and me after the Marines (4.0 gpa). I don't mention my exact GPA but I do show them that I was a loser playing WoW before the Marines, and now I'm just a loser with a 4.0.

I also want to write an addenda that goes into more detail about this change because it's really drastic.
I also went from a 157 to a 163 to a 171. So I need to explain that in an addenda.

Where's the balance? How far into detail should I go on the LSAT? GPA? I don't want to overwhelm the schools and beat a dead horse, but I also want it to be very clear that I AM NOT the kid with a 1.7 gpa but I am the kid with the 171 and 4.0...

Any suggestions on how to strike this balance?

goingfor99th

Have you already written your PS? You could knock a lot of this stuff out with a well-constructed personal statement. Stories of personal growth and transformation are a great way to show law schools who you are and why you want to go to law school.

LSATcantwin

@goingfor99th said:
Have you already written your PS? You could knock a lot of this stuff out with a well-constructed personal statement. Stories of personal transformation and growth are a great way to show law schools who you are and why you want to go to law school.

Yep! And a lot of it is covered in the PS, just not very deeply. I used the PS to show my over all change, it paints a larger picture of how I developed and changed. I want to use the addenda to give more specifics. That's where the issue is. When does it become too much?

goingfor99th

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:
Have you already written your PS? You could knock a lot of this stuff out with a well-constructed personal statement. Stories of personal transformation and growth are a great way to show law schools who you are and why you want to go to law school.

Yep! And a lot of it is covered in the PS, just not very deeply. I used the PS to show my over all change, it paints a larger picture of how I developed and changed. I want to use the addenda to give more specifics. That's where the issue is. When does it become too much?

Honestly, I don't know when it becomes too much, but there is definitely a point at which it does. I would have to read your essay to say whether you should cut or add or write addenda.

LSATcantwin

@goingfor99th said:

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:
Have you already written your PS? You could knock a lot of this stuff out with a well-constructed personal statement. Stories of personal transformation and growth are a great way to show law schools who you are and why you want to go to law school.

Yep! And a lot of it is covered in the PS, just not very deeply. I used the PS to show my over all change, it paints a larger picture of how I developed and changed. I want to use the addenda to give more specifics. That's where the issue is. When does it become too much?

Honestly, I don't know when it becomes too much, but there is definitely a point at which it does. I would have to read your essay to say whether you should cut or add or write addenda.

Yeah, this question is hard to answer without seeing it all. I agree, the boundary exists I'm just not quite sure where. Maybe I'll e-mail this to some friends and see if they think it is overkill...

goingfor99th

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:
Have you already written your PS? You could knock a lot of this stuff out with a well-constructed personal statement. Stories of personal transformation and growth are a great way to show law schools who you are and why you want to go to law school.

Yep! And a lot of it is covered in the PS, just not very deeply. I used the PS to show my over all change, it paints a larger picture of how I developed and changed. I want to use the addenda to give more specifics. That's where the issue is. When does it become too much?

Honestly, I don't know when it becomes too much, but there is definitely a point at which it does. I would have to read your essay to say whether you should cut or add or write addenda.

Yeah, this question is hard to answer without seeing it all. I agree, the boundary exists I'm just not quite sure where. Maybe I'll e-mail this to some friends and see if they think it is overkill...

Good luck. I can take a look if you want.

LSATcantwin

@goingfor99th said:

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:
Have you already written your PS? You could knock a lot of this stuff out with a well-constructed personal statement. Stories of personal transformation and growth are a great way to show law schools who you are and why you want to go to law school.

Yep! And a lot of it is covered in the PS, just not very deeply. I used the PS to show my over all change, it paints a larger picture of how I developed and changed. I want to use the addenda to give more specifics. That's where the issue is. When does it become too much?

Honestly, I don't know when it becomes too much, but there is definitely a point at which it does. I would have to read your essay to say whether you should cut or add or write addenda.

Yeah, this question is hard to answer without seeing it all. I agree, the boundary exists I'm just not quite sure where. Maybe I'll e-mail this to some friends and see if they think it is overkill...

Good luck. I can take a look if you want.

That'd be awesome! Let me finish editing up my PS a bit more, I'm in the process of working on someone with it. Would it be cool if I shoot you a PM in a couple of days maybe to see what you think?

goingfor99th

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:

@LSATcantwin said:

@goingfor99th said:
Have you already written your PS? You could knock a lot of this stuff out with a well-constructed personal statement. Stories of personal transformation and growth are a great way to show law schools who you are and why you want to go to law school.

Yep! And a lot of it is covered in the PS, just not very deeply. I used the PS to show my over all change, it paints a larger picture of how I developed and changed. I want to use the addenda to give more specifics. That's where the issue is. When does it become too much?

Honestly, I don't know when it becomes too much, but there is definitely a point at which it does. I would have to read your essay to say whether you should cut or add or write addenda.

Yeah, this question is hard to answer without seeing it all. I agree, the boundary exists I'm just not quite sure where. Maybe I'll e-mail this to some friends and see if they think it is overkill...

Good luck. I can take a look if you want.

That'd be awesome! Let me finish editing up my PS a bit more, I'm in the process of working on someone with it. Would it be cool if I shoot you a PM in a couple of days maybe to see what you think?

Yeah, of course! PM me your email address and I'll let you take a look at my essays to give you some ideas.

TabbyG123

Sounds like you're in good shape considering the story of your personal statement. It'll be a good setup for your GPA addendum.

And a GPA and LSAT addendum is not that bad.

I would keep your addenda super brief and factual, only a few sentences each. Particularly since it seems that your personal statement and transcript already provide great background. I wouldn't worry that your readers won't understand that you're a different person now--you only have to look at your transcripts to be convinced of that. So I'd keep the addendum short and simple.

I know you said you've got folks helping you, but I'm particularly addendum savvy. LMK if you want help writing them.

Lok'tar ogar.