<p>Is it bad to have a lot of addendum? My GPA is not that great due to family issues in the past but just wanted to know if its bad or not?</p>
<p>Too many addenda can sound whiny. What other addenda are you thinking about adding?</p>
<p>The best kind of addendum says something like “from 2005 to 2006 I had family problem xyz, but in 2007 my grades were much better after the problem was resolved, and so I feel the 2007 grades are most reflective of my potential.” If your grades were consistently bad, an addendum may just sound like you’re fishing for an excuse.</p>
<p>In other words, use your addendum to explain away a specific anomaly, not consistent poor performance.</p>
<p>for 2009 fall quarter, i had a root canal infection on finals week so i didnt do well on one of my last final, 2010 fall and 2011 winter quarter, i had to help my parents work because their business was not doing great and their health was deteriorating because they been working over 15 hours a day. I been helping them out occasionally. Also, before i transferred to UCLA, my family was involved with domestic violence so for 6 months, I didnt do well compared to other semesters (happened in CC)</p>
<p>I plan on including an addendum, because I was pregnant (then got married and had another kid) and had a large gap in between returning back to school. The admissions reps I’ve spoken to have said use an addendum if necessary but make it effective. It should be a compelling excuse for whatever you’re trying to explain away.</p>