Academic Explanation Section

[premedbyday]

Does it look bad to indicate that my grades don't reflect me accurately? 1st year was really rough for me but I have had a strong upward trend, however I dont know if it would look bad to say that my grades don't reflect me. What do you guys think?

[Limes]

I wrote exactly this in my application. If they don't accurately reflect who you are right now, and you feel confident that you've demonstrated that in your application, I can't imagine that being an issue.

[Bambi]

The readers are smart, not stupid. I don't know Memorial or the question you want to answer, but there must be a compelling explanation for poor grades, for low grades, such that you remain in the competitive spectrum. If your grades are not competitive year after year, they speak louder than anything you can say, in my opinion at least. Are there deaths in the family, severe circumstances in the family? You can stress the positive, i.e., a strong upward trend. 

When I went to Cegep, my grades were so low that I did not qualify to even apply to medical school. The journey was not over, it had not yet began. I was entering undergrad and this was my second chance. I took a program I was interested in, it also prepared me for med, I never had worked harder in my life and became a straight A student and got directly into medical school. My grades in Cegep did not accurately reflect me, but I had to prove it objectively to get into medical school, which I did.

1st year results per se are unimportant - so long as you become competitive thereafter. I don't have details of what you want to say or the proof. Need more information to make an informed judgment but the statement alone is meaningless.

 

[rozag]

Could an intensive program (7-8 courses per semester) and education system that excludes course choice (to register and drop) be a compelling explanation for poor grades?