Will this hurt me for RD?

SmithieandProud
Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:29:20 +0000

Hi,
First of all, I’m very sorry for all that you’ve had to go through. That’s a lot for anyone to carry, much less a young person. It’s good that you’re writing a supplement. I think it might be good if there is still time for you to schedule an interview with an alum in your area (since I"m guessing it’s not possible for you to travel to Smith). You may not be comfortable sharing all the details of your family story with a person in a face-to-face interview, but in part of the interview they will ask you if there’s anythinge else they should know, and you can say “Yes. I discuss this in my application in greater detail, but last year I was dealing with a serious string of illnesses in my family affecting my father and my mother has an ongoing condition that makes home life very difficult. Last year things came to a head, and that unfortunately really affected my school performance. this year is different though, and I’ve really been able to pull togehter and turn things around.” or something like that.

Also, I would reccommend sharing your supplement answer with your guidance counselor and having them proof it. With stories of illness and family difficulties, it can be helpful to have a less involved person read things through. You want to explain yourself as fully as you are comfortable, but you don’t want to make the reader feel uncomfortable or feel your explanation is overwrought. You should come across as clear, concise, and rational. And tone is one thing that’s hard to judge yourself when you write things.

Don’t worry about your class rank, that won’t be so important to Smith as your overall course rigor and schedule.

I think what will really be telling is your first semester senior year grades. Life is imperfect, and anyone can have difficult moments either due to family illness or personal stress or just any reason at all. What they will want to know is is this just one of those moments in your life when school had to take a backseat to other things, or is it a trend they are going to have to worry about when/if you become a student at their college.

Best of luck to you. I hope it turns out OK. Please take care of yourself and your family.