Addendum or No addendum

Comments

• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  February 2018 edited February 2018 23929 karma

  @ddavis_223 said:
  I took the December LSAT and scored a 150. My last score reported was in Decemeber 2016 with a 141 and before that in 2013 with a 143. Should I write an addendum explaining my scores or is it not worth it?

  Thanks for all of your responses.

  What would the hypothetical explanation be exactly?
• studyingandrestudying Core Member

  February 2018 5254 karma

  What were you thinking of telling them? Gut feeling is don't do it, but I need to know more before I vote and I'm also interested in other people's thoughts on this.
• ddavis_223 Free Trial Member

  February 2018 28 karma

  @lsatplaylist said:
  What were you thinking of telling them? Gut feeling is don't do it, but I need to know more before I vote and I'm also interested in other people's thoughts on this.

  perhaps your right. An attorney at my firm told me it doesn't make sense to acknowledge the bad things in my application. Honestly the truth I was just unsure if the truth would actually hurt my application. When I took the test in 2013 my family was just evicted so my study habits weren't what they should have been because I was working 3 jobs (one of them being over night) to help get us a new place. In 2016 I there was a family issue that required me to become a guardian for my youngest sibling so my focus had changed and so did my fiances. Last year I saved up enough money early in the year to invest in new study material and stopped my second job to give that extra time to more LSAT prep. Just wasn't sure how this would have been portrayed to admissions.
• calcal101 Alum Member

  February 2018 edited February 2018 582 karma

  @ddavis_223 said:

  @lsatplaylist said:
  What were you thinking of telling them? Gut feeling is don't do it, but I need to know more before I vote and I'm also interested in other people's thoughts on this.

  perhaps your right. An attorney at my firm told me it doesn't make sense to acknowledge the bad things in my application. Honestly the truth I was just unsure if the truth would actually hurt my application. When I took the test in 2013 my family was just evicted so my study habits weren't what they should have been because I was working 3 jobs (one of them being over night) to help get us a new place. In 2016 I there was a family issue that required me to become a guardian for my youngest sibling so my focus had changed and so did my fiances. Last year I saved up enough money early in the year to invest in new study material and stopped my second job to give that extra time to more LSAT prep. Just wasn't sure how this would have been portrayed to admissions.

  Hmmmm if I were in your shoes, I would note that my family had been evicted just before the LSAT in 2013, and that turmoil affected my study habits because of the 3 concurrent jobs. Then, I would note the 2016 family issue (if possible, be more specific…also, if you mean fiancé's, not finances, I don't think I'd bring that up). Don't spend too much time on your current situation (more money to buy better study materials and more time); just note that your life situation has changed and enabled you to focus on one job and LSAT prep. In other words, focus primarily on the two previous LSAT administrations and the very legitimate mitigating factors that affected your scores. Let your current score speak for itself.
• westcoastbestcoast Alum Member

  February 2018 3788 karma

  What would you write in your addendum. Unless you were sick or the school didnt specify that you should write an addendum, I dont believe you should.
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  February 2018 23929 karma

  @ddavis_223 said:

  @lsatplaylist said:
  What were you thinking of telling them? Gut feeling is don't do it, but I need to know more before I vote and I'm also interested in other people's thoughts on this.

  perhaps your right. An attorney at my firm told me it doesn't make sense to acknowledge the bad things in my application. Honestly the truth I was just unsure if the truth would actually hurt my application. When I took the test in 2013 my family was just evicted so my study habits weren't what they should have been because I was working 3 jobs (one of them being over night) to help get us a new place. In 2016 I there was a family issue that required me to become a guardian for my youngest sibling so my focus had changed and so did my fiances. Last year I saved up enough money early in the year to invest in new study material and stopped my second job to give that extra time to more LSAT prep. Just wasn't sure how this would have been portrayed to admissions.

  I don't agree with the attorney that you shouldn't acknowledge "bad" things in your app.

  Even so, I wouldn't write an addendum for the reasons you've listed above. As an admissions officer I would question your judgement and why you decided to keep taking the LSAT when thins weren't going well for you.

  The good news is, I think the adversity you've worked hard to overcome may be topics you could use for a diversity statement of some sort perhaps?
• studyingandrestudying Core Member

  February 2018 5254 karma

  This almost sounds like a good topic for a personal statement--overcoming adversity, minus the LSAT--you probably don't need that part, but the family situation makes for a good thing you could maybe share with them. I don't think it would help you to belabor the LSAT issues and your file will speak for itself with the upward trend anyhow.
• tylerdschreur10 Alum Member

  February 2018 1465 karma

  I'm captain of the anti-addendum camp. Unless you have extraordinary circumstances I think addendums tend to be either no impact or come off as making excuses.
  For you specifically, I think the time interval between takes is pretty self-explanatory.
  I would agree with previous posters that you might be better served using your story as a PS. Shows determination, work ethic, and ability to overcome obstacles. But not a worthwhile reason to addendize. (Yeah I know that's not a word, but you know what I mean)