Confused about disciplinary action and addendum

Ijustwantadecentscore

For my application, there are two sections: disciplinary action and addendum. The disciplinary action question reads: "Have you ever been subject to disciplinary action for academic or other reasons in any of the colleges, universities, graduate, or professional schools you have attended"

Long story short, I dropped out of college a long time ago, received three academic probation in a row, and was academically dismissed. Does this count as disciplinary action, or do I talk about this for the addendum section?

sarakimmel

Yes it is disciplinary action. The addendum section is going to be for your addenda such as GPA, LSAT, Resume, etc, if you have any. If there is a specific section for a given topic, use that section.

Ijustwantadecentscore

@sarakimmel said:
Yes it is disciplinary action. The addendum section is going to be for your addenda such as GPA, LSAT, Resume, etc, if you have any. If there is a specific section for a given topic, use that section.

The disciplinary action was GPA related, so should I refer to the GPA addendum statement within my disciplinary action statement?

sarakimmel

I would write two separate addenda: one that discusses your probation and dismissal for the disciplinary action section, and one discussing the effect on your GPA. These, though related, need to be addressed individually as one is a mandatory character and fitness disclosure and the other is an optional addenda.

Ijustwantadecentscore

@sarakimmel said:
I would write two separate addenda: one that discusses your probation and dismissal for the disciplinary action section, and one discussing the effect on your GPA. These, though related, need to be addressed individually as one is a mandatory character and fitness disclosure and the other is an optional addenda.

Do you mind if I send you both of my addenda? I just feel they are one and the same, its hard to write two separate addenda without reiterating the same facts.

andrew.rsn

Your disciplinary action addendum should state the "what." You are disclosing your academic probation and your ultimate dismissal, with maybe a brief reflection on how you turned things around - so they know you're not going to be that same student in law school.

Your GPA addendum is the "why" Wny did your GPA get so low that you were dismissed, what caused you to drop out in the first place. If you feel you have a compelling enough reason for this period, then write a straight forward addendum. I think it's okay for some facts to be reiterated as long as you keep it brief and to the point.

Selene Steelman

Former admissions office here. The question about disciplinary action (academic interruption, probation, academic dismissal), which usually appears in the Character and Fitness section of the application, requires a thorough written response from the candidate. This is a mandatory explanation of the FACTS that must be received before your application is considered complete. This should address what happened to you academically ("my GPA went down to X"), why ("my academic performance dropped because..."), and the resulting actions taken by you/the institution ("I was put on probation and was told to meet a minimum GPA requirements of X..."). Some applications have designated attachments for such mandatory explanations. Other applications just allow you to attach C&F explanations with other optional addenda.

If your application offers a separate section called "Addendum," it would seem to be for other optional addenda that are not required for the committee to make a final decision on your application. These would include addenda that address gaps in your resume, explanations for your LSAT history, explanations why your GPA doesn't accurately reflect your abilities, or other information you would like to volunteer to provide context for the committee as they review the required parts of your applications. Good luck!

sarakimmel

Yes, I would be happy to read your addenda, if you still need some clarification/help.