Should I write a GPA addendum?

McBeck418

Does an unhealthy relationship with someone count as a reason to write a GPA addendum?

I'm a non-traditional student who has been out of school for several years now, but when I was in undergrad, I struggled with setting boundaries with other people and ended up in an unhealthy relationship that consumed my whole life. From the first day of Freshman year, to basically end of my first semester of my Junior year, my boyfriend (we met at orientation) went from being a bit clingy to being in my life every second of every day. He would constantly want to be with me and when he wasn't he'd seek me out on campus or ask me where I was. He'd tend to have emotional episodes that always seemed to correspond with the times I had a big test or essay to write and I wasn't available. I eventually broke up with this person, but by that time, I had basically lost my whole undergraduate experience and my GPA was mediocre(low for law school purposes).

In my final semester of undergrad, finally free from the toxic relationships (and the mental health issues) that I had built for those 3 years, I got a 3.9 taking serious classes. I've always wondered if this was a fluke, so eventually, I decided I'd go and pursue a master's degree at the University of Edinburgh. I completed the degree and received a distinction, which is the highest mark you can get. I know that my graduate experience is a soft and not really useful in a sense, but I do think that it helps show that I can succeed in academic settings.

I just don't know if this is a stupid thing to write about or not.

bananabo

I don't think it's a stupid thing to write about at all! I would maybe keep it general and say something along the lines of, "during undergrad, I was going though personal issues that affected my academics but after I got over that, my grades went up in X semester and I continued to do well in my masters degree...therefore, I believe that my performance after X semester and masters degree is a better indicator of my academic potential"

McBeck418

Thank you for the response. It gives me a little more perspective. I wanted to show a sense of growth academically, but I wasn't sure if my circumstances was too small to mention.

giulia.pines

My heart goes out to you. I had a very similar experience in undergrad (an abusive, controlling older boyfriend was always trying to take me away from friends and academics, distract me from my schooling, get me to contribute money to all sorts of things when I was a college student with no income to speak of). While my overall GPA was very good, I probably would have gotten a 4.0 if not for him (junior/senior years I made dean's list and had 4.0+). I've been wondering whether to write a short statement and this is telling me I wouldn't be wrong to do so.

McBeck418

@"giulia.pines" I'm sorry you also experienced this, but it's good you were able to maintain a strong GPA. I think if we do write about it, it just depends on how we frame it and approach it that will make the difference.

galactic

@McBeck418 Sorry for your experience but really happy that it sounds like you've had a tremendous rebound. To me this sounds like it could fall into addendum territory but I think you're exactly right with what you said above - it's all about how you frame and write about it. Because of the sensitivity, this is one of the things that I wouldn't even think twice about paying an admissions advisor to have a look at your statement and offer their feedback. I think it would be well worth your money and give you the peace of mind that you didn't come across in any negative way to the adcoms that will be reading your app. Hope this helps & happy studying!

GreenEggsandSam

@McBeck418 I believe that this is the very reason for an addendum. It shows "here is a less than desired, personal reason for these less than my best grades" and then shows "once that reason was gone, here's how I was able to shine!"

McBeck418

@GreenEggsandSam and @"galactic law" Thank you both for your kind words and your perspective. I really appreciate it. I think I'm going to write the addendum and have at least a few people read it before I send it off to make sure the one is appropriate. Professional admissions counselling is probably good idea, but I'll have to see what my budget allows.