Hello, I made a post about this topic a bit earlier, and wanted to ask something more application-specific now. I want to write about getting kicked out by my parents for a few months during junior year in the additional info section because it had a big impact on my gpa and ecs for that time, but I’m afraid that colleges will report it or it will have some kind of impact on my life. I will mention that everything is fine now and that I am living at home again, but I feel like I have to include this to explain my grades. Should I include it?
This is my current wording: “For a few months during 11th grade, I was not allowed to live at home. As a result, I was constantly moving between different friends’ houses. However, tension has lessened, I have returned home, and have been improving our relationships.”
You can include it - but one truly doesn’t know why their grades suffered - so I might not make the connection. Sure, it’s likely it impacted you but you cannot, 100%, say so.
So you might note that you perservered through a period of homelessness or being asked to leave home.
At the same time, you might open yourself to questions of - why were you asked to leave - that you caused issues.
I think what you wrote is fine - as you don’t note impact to your grades - which you shouldn’t do - IMHO
My reaction to what you have written is to wonder why you could not live at home.
I would not write this. The net effect is negative.
Are you afraid that your parents will be reported to Child Protective Services? Is that what you meant by “reported”?
Have you talked to your guidance counselor? Sometimes the GC can provide some explanations in what they send to colleges. From the little you have told us, it is hard to tell if that is appropriate but consider it.
I wouldn’t write the specifics, as some AOs are mandated reporters. What that means is they have to report any abuse/neglect to the police (whether university or local, different schools have different policies.) I would consider parents kicking a student out as potential abuse/neglect and would report it.
You could have your HS counselor write about a non-specific family situation that impacted your grades, assuming they know. If they aren’t aware, know that they may also be a mandated reporter.
This would be best coming from your counselor, not you.
If this is the first your counselor is hearing of it, you need to understand that they are a mandated reporter.
If you are writing about it, I would say you were unable (vs not allowed) to live at home for x months during junior year, and the instability of your accommodations impacted your studies.
I am guessing you were “allowed” to live at home but under conditions you could not tolerate. Your GC may also wonder why this is the first they are learning of this, so this language might allow you to frame it in a less alarming way.
Thank you everyone for your responses.
To clarify a few things:
My GC knows about the situation and mentioned it in his letter of recommendation. I’m not sure how specific he was, but he for sure talked about both the cause and that I had some “family problems” because of it, but that things have been much better lately.
I didn’t get kicked out for causing trouble, but because of my gender identity (I’m trans), which I touched on in some of my essays.
The impact of this was that my grades dropped from As to Cs and Ds for one semester.
If my GC mentioned some kind of family issues (again, I’m not sure how specific he was), do you think they will still report it? I already had to go through the whole thing when I first told my GC because he’s a mandated reporter. Or will they assume that if he knows, then the situation has already been dealt with? Thank you!
In my essays I did mention that I went through this because I’m trans and my family doesn’t accept it. My GC does know and mentioned that I had family issues during this year, but I’m not sure how specific he was.
My grades dropped from straight As to Cs and Ds for that semester. My GC also does know, and mentioned it in his LOR, but I’m not too sure how specific he was compared to what I wrote.
This is not clarifying why they dropped - nor should you attempt. You have no idea why they dropped. You are assuming it’s why but you don’t truly know and this doesn’t note that at all (IMHO).
I agree with others - and perhaps it depends on your grades and the schools you are applying to - but I’m not seeing how this adds value. But it also might not hurt. But it could open questions - that don’t reflect positively on you.
What are your stats and what schools are you applying to?
I don’t understand how you can have a 3.98 unweighted GPA if you have C’s and D’s? Did you remediate the D’s? Were the C’s and D’s in non-core courses?
Regardless, you should not try to explain them since the counselor did. And even with that explanation, C’s and D’s are going to be an issue at selective schools.
I didn’t factor in my grades from the semester when I was kicked out in my gpa here because I was hoping that I could explain it and have AOs overlook that. My gpa with that semester included is a 3.5
For purposes of that thread you would get very different answers with a 3.5 unweighted, which is what you have. Whether or not an AO will give consideration for you based on what the HS counselor writes, I don’t know. I will say at many highly rejective colleges, having any C’s and D’s will likely be disqualifying, regardless the reason.
Do you have at least one affordable highly likely/safety school on your list? Do you have any admits yet?