Addendum vs Optional Essay

[budacre22]

Going to be very direct and blunt here, so apologies in advance for any potentially traumatizing content ahead.

In my first two years of university, I experienced deaths of two friends under especially traumatic circumstances - one killed in a mass shooting and another who died by suicide in the campus building where I was living at the time. As a result, I took a leave from school and started a full-time career. Over the next 5 years I continued to take classes part time, but the resulting mental health challenges and trauma associated with being on campus caused some further gaps as well as withdrawals from several courses (these are noted on my transcript but unscored by the CAS GPA). Ultimately, I graduated after seven years of undergrad with a pretty solid GPA of 3.78.

While I am happy with my graduating GPA, I do feel the gaps and Ws on my transcript require some additional explaining. I also am proud of the steps I took to overcome these challenging circumstances and feel they contributed to the person I am today. Most law school applications have a question about how you overcame a particular challenge or difficult moment in your life as one of the optional essay prompts. What I am trying to determine is, is it best to discuss these circumstances in response to one of the optional essays? In an addendum? In both? Any advice would be much appreciated!

[Dave Killoran]

Going to be very direct and blunt here, so apologies in advance for any potentially traumatizing content ahead.

In my first two years of university, I experienced deaths of two friends under especially traumatic circumstances - one killed in a mass shooting and another who died by suicide in the campus building where I was living at the time. As a result, I took a leave from school and started a full-time career. Over the next 5 years I continued to take classes part time, but the resulting mental health challenges and trauma associated with being on campus caused some further gaps as well as withdrawals from several courses (these are noted on my transcript but unscored by the CAS GPA). Ultimately, I graduated after seven years of undergrad with a pretty solid GPA of 3.78.

While I am happy with my graduating GPA, I do feel the gaps and Ws on my transcript require some additional explaining. I also am proud of the steps I took to overcome these challenging circumstances and feel they contributed to the person I am today. Most law school applications have a question about how you overcame a particular challenge or difficult moment in your life as one of the optional essay prompts. What I am trying to determine is, is it best to discuss these circumstances in response to one of the optional essays? In an addendum? In both? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Hey Budacre,

Terribly sorry you went through this but congratulations on fighting through it to graduate with a strong GPA.

You could do either approach, really. It's really like 50-50. Although, that said, I wouldn't use both to discuss the same topic. Just one is enough.

I'd probably write it out first before making a final decision. but since you are focusing this specifically on the gaps in your record aspect, I'd lean slightly towards an addendum.

Thanks!

[budacre22]

Going to be very direct and blunt here, so apologies in advance for any potentially traumatizing content ahead.

In my first two years of university, I experienced deaths of two friends under especially traumatic circumstances - one killed in a mass shooting and another who died by suicide in the campus building where I was living at the time. As a result, I took a leave from school and started a full-time career. Over the next 5 years I continued to take classes part time, but the resulting mental health challenges and trauma associated with being on campus caused some further gaps as well as withdrawals from several courses (these are noted on my transcript but unscored by the CAS GPA). Ultimately, I graduated after seven years of undergrad with a pretty solid GPA of 3.78.

While I am happy with my graduating GPA, I do feel the gaps and Ws on my transcript require some additional explaining. I also am proud of the steps I took to overcome these challenging circumstances and feel they contributed to the person I am today. Most law school applications have a question about how you overcame a particular challenge or difficult moment in your life as one of the optional essay prompts. What I am trying to determine is, is it best to discuss these circumstances in response to one of the optional essays? In an addendum? In both? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Hey Budacre,

Terribly sorry you went through this but congratulations on fighting through it to graduate with a strong GPA.

You could do either approach, really. It's really like 50-50. Although, that said, I wouldn't use both to discuss the same topic. Just one is enough.

I'd probably write it out first before making a final decision. but since you are focusing this specifically on the gaps in your record aspect, I'd lean slightly towards an addendum.

Thanks!

That's good to keep in mind about only discussing it once. I was probably leaning towards the optional essay, but only if I can get myself to craft it into more of a narrative, which might be emotionally difficult given the subject matter. I really like the recommendation to just start writing and see where it goes. Thanks!