Hey all
Was hoping to get some thoughts/wisdom regarding how seriously its taken when students try to justify a change in grade trend for a certain semester due to an elucidated circumstance.
To put it in my personal context, 3 of my 5 B’s in my HS career all came from the first semester of junior year (that timing, I know). This was the explanation I included on my common app:
I never wish to fault outside circumstances for my own personal shortcomings, but it may be noteworthy to mention that during the first semester of junior year my mother quite unexpectedly left me to live with the man she had recently broken up with to go and be alone for awhile. I had to pack my things and spend the next couple months going between various friends and trying to arrange more permanent arrangements while I remained going to work, school, and in contact with my emotionally distraught mother. After failing to find extended shelter among my friends, I moved back in with my mothers ex and used my own income to pay rent there and support myself for about a month. I did eventually end up back with my mother and my situation improved during the second half of the year.
This tumultuous situation was coupled with an emotionally trying break up. Either of these factors isolated would probably have been manageable for the sake of my academics, but between the two of them, enough adversity was taking up room in my conscience that for the first time in my life I actually found myself struggling to focus in class. Such is apparent in the sudden break in my grade consistency.
Again, I am the only one who is responsible for what I put forth, so I can’t and won’t blame my circumstances on unacceptable performance. There are people with much worse things to contend with who far exceed what I manage to accomplish. I simply wish to provide context to an otherwise ambiguously peculiar spot in my academic record.
Any chance this is actually taken into serious consideration? Any opinions much appreciated.
Thanks