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Graduated 3 years ago with an average GPA, should I write an Addendum?

QuannieBQuannieB Alum Member
in Law School Admissions 29 karma

Contemplating if I should write a GPA addendum or just focus more on post grad work experience. I started a business while in College so school unfortunately was not my top priority. Majored in STEM and was offered a pretty good job post grad.

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Comments

  • sarakimmelsarakimmel Member ⭐
    1488 karma

    I would write one, but be brief and stick to just the facts. Think of addenda as pre-answering anything the adcomms might ask themselves when reading your app.

  • studyingandrestudyingstudyingandrestudying Core Member
    5254 karma

    Wondering if you already got your CAS. Sometimes the CAS more or less matches what you think but other times it's a bit different, or sometimes really different. In any case, don't lose hope.

  • galacticgalactic Yearly Member
    edited August 2021 690 karma

    GPA addendums are to describe why something out of your control impacted your grades. The fact that you started a business so early is fantastic, but I think you run a high risk of coming across poorly if your story is that your grades were low because the priority was your business. Pretty sure admissions committees expect that your college grades are the priority while you're in college, otherwise you wouldn't be there. Does that make sense? Hope this helps.

  • wsowellwsowell Free Trial Member
    64 karma

    I would think that saying that starting a business and focusing on that business caused your grades to slip would be a bad look. Shows that you weren't able to handle the requirements that both entail. However, if you could write about how you've learned from that experience I could see how that would be a good thing in front of an admissions rep.

  • QuannieBQuannieB Alum Member
    29 karma

    Since I graduated 3 years ago should I even write an Addendum at all or just let my work experience speak for my abilities?

  • galacticgalactic Yearly Member
    690 karma

    I think a good place for you to get your work experience across and perhaps also incorporate what you learned from starting a business is in your Personal Statement.

  • TE CSC 2021TE CSC 2021 Core Member
    edited August 2021 148 karma

    Definitely agree with the advice here to not include a GPA addendum. Grades pretty much speak for themselves. It is always better to show that your grades are not necessarily indicative of your academic potential or seriousness by showing how successful your business has been or how much you've achieved in the workplace since you've been out of school. In your PS, I'd frame things positively. Be excited about who you are now. Don't feel overly compelled to explain who you were three-seven years ago.

  • Selene SteelmanSelene Steelman Free Trial Member Admissions Consultant
    2037 karma

    Speaking as a former admissions officer, I would encourage you to try to limit the number of addenda you include in an application. If you graduated 3 years ago, your resume will inform the admissions committee of your activities and accomplishments since then. However, if your undergraduate performance was inhibited by outside professional obligations (like starting your own business), it might be helpful to write an addendum that would provide context for the admissions reviewer. This would prevent them from otherwise making incorrect assumptions about your academic abilities. Good luck!

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