Australian applicant

[HCL]

Hi,

I have a grammar question. I know I'm over thinking this one and apologize for being trivial, but I am wondering how to head my additional information section or essentially my addendum. I am addressing two issues in a few short sentences.

Header

1) Gap year…

2) GPA sophomore year…

Should the section that currently reads "header" say "addendum" or "addenda."

Thanks.

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi HCL,

Thanks for your question. If you absolutely, positively need to write two addenda, then yes - the proper plural form of the Latin word "addendum" is "addenda." In the vast majority of cases, however, applicants only write one addendum, and only if necessary to explain a significant irregularity in the application.

Just because you took a "gap year" does not, in and of itself, warrant an explanation: lots and lots of applicants did the same exact thing. Unless something extraordinary happened, admissions officers won't care that you took a year off. You do, however, need to explain the GPA during your sophomore year (which, I imagine, is significantly lower than your overall GPA).

Let me know if this answers your question.

Thanks!