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True academic Ability


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I've been thinking about it. I was on a varsity team that had a demanding early morning and weekend race schedule in my first year, and was still adjusting to university life away from home, so my GPA suffered a lot that year. Clearly, I was capable of more, as my GPA increased greatly the next year, and each year thereafter with more manageable commitments.

 

Any thoughts on whether this would be a legitimate reason?

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Do you think the adcoms will think of it in that way?

 

What's your GPA without mentioning that?

 

To me, anything except something similar to the death of your immediate family seems like an excuse.

 

You probably don't want to show them that something demanding brought you down.

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Do you think the adcoms will think of it in that way?

 

What's your GPA without mentioning that?

 

To me, anything except something similar to the death of your immediate family seems like an excuse.

 

You probably don't want to show them that something demanding brought you down.

 

yeah i was contemplating putting down a stroke/death of my grandmother. it did effect me but when i look back some of marks were high(80s) but some were low(70s)... so i figure its best not to put it in because i still had some good marks

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everyone will think to themselves there's something they could put in.......so for most cases i'd resist.

 

everyone has managed multiple things while at school so that will just look worse.

 

HBP said it best - unless it was a life altering experience tht would have realy hurt anyone's year, i would avoid it. but thats just me....i hate excuses.

 

worst case - you bring light to something adcoms didnt even notice!

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I've been thinking about it. I was on a varsity team that had a demanding early morning and weekend race schedule in my first year, and was still adjusting to university life away from home, so my GPA suffered a lot that year. Clearly, I was capable of more, as my GPA increased greatly the next year, and each year thereafter with more manageable commitments.

 

Any thoughts on whether this would be a legitimate reason?

 

 

They will see that you have proven you are capable of more. That is not necessarily the issue. However, if your cGPA is borderline so that things being equal with other candidates, you may not be selected b/c of CGPA in your judgment - only in that case would I consider some carefully chosen words thereby alerting adcom that your overall cGPA does not accurately affect your true abilities: your first year GPA brought you down b/c your focus was on varsity blah blah

 

This cannot harm you and can only help as I see it. Admittedly it is not a life changing event, but it is an honest explanation that could conceivably cut you some slack. I do not see a downside. If you think you are going to do it, why not brainstorm with others. Good luck.

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Everyone could put something...I think if it's by choice (i.e. too many ec's, overloading courses) you should leave it. Sickness or deaths on the other hand would be understandable.

 

I suppose I was forced to take extra courses in my degree. But i chose the degree knowing full well that's what the deal was, so i'm going to leave that blank myself.

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Everyone could put something...I think if it's by choice (i.e. too many ec's, overloading courses) you should leave it. Sickness or deaths on the other hand would be understandable.

 

I suppose I was forced to take extra courses in my degree. But i chose the degree knowing full well that's what the deal was, so i'm going to leave that blank myself.

 

exactly my point. no need to point out that you were too naive to realize how much you had taken on.

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Agreed with Adam--simple stresses (not really simple, but you get my drift) shouldn't be included.

 

I used it. I quit my first degree without withdrawing from my classes and landed 8fs on my transcript--they are HAUNTING ME! LOL. So I wrote about that.

 

I didn't include giving birth just before finals (even though, I ended up with Bs instead of As...) because I didn't want to use it as an excuse.

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Everyone could put something...I think if it's by choice (i.e. too many ec's, overloading courses) you should leave it. Sickness or deaths on the other hand would be understandable.

 

I suppose I was forced to take extra courses in my degree. But i chose the degree knowing full well that's what the deal was, so i'm going to leave that blank myself.

 

OMSAS set a warning label on my grades because I had over 6 courses in each of two semesters (I was ambitious)--they seem to think I plugged it in by mistake and had me "re-check" my submission, did you get the same warning?

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Agreed with Adam--simple stresses (not really simple, but you get my drift) shouldn't be included.

 

I used it. I quit my first degree without withdrawing from my classes and landed 8fs on my transcript--they are HAUNTING ME! LOL. So I wrote about that.

 

I didn't include giving birth just before finals (even though, I ended up with Bs instead of As...) because I didn't want to use it as an excuse.

 

Call me conservative, but I'd say that birthing anything, but I'm gonna assume a human (!), may merit a mention, especially during exam season.

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Call me conservative, but I'd say that birthing anything, but I'm gonna assume a human (!), may merit a mention, especially during exam season.

 

It's included--but not in that answer.

 

Thank you--birthing wasn't nearly as difficult as nursing and writing the exam at the same time ;) My handwriting suffered. LOL.

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OMSAS set a warning label on my grades because I had over 6 courses in each of two semesters (I was ambitious)--they seem to think I plugged it in by mistake and had me "re-check" my submission, did you get the same warning?

 

yeah I got the same thing, last year for sure, i probably just quickly glanced by it this cycle.

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