<p>Is this the part of the Common App where you complain about disadvantages and explain why your application doesn't make you seem as great as you really are? If so, how do you go about it without sounding whiny?</p>
<p>Some things I want to talk about are my relatively low class rank, due to the fact that my sport has an actual unweighted class period that pulls my GPA down; and that I have a single mom who works a part time job, is in the middle of a severe three-year depression, and can hardly muster the energy to get out of bed most days.</p>
<p>It’s pretty hard to explain or complain about disadvantages without sounding whiny, and the additional info section is often used more to expand on ECs, though I’m sure there are people who have had a pretty ****ty environment to grow up in that use it to address that. </p>
<p>Personally, I’d avoid mentioning the class rank thing at all, or let your GC address it; I just think it would be strange to try and explain a disadvantage due to a sports team when others are describing being the sole caretaker of a terminally ill parent. Though having a single parent, and a depressed one at that, sucks, I suspect it is not all that uncommon and trying to evoke sympathy for that would probably have a negligible impact on your admissions and come off more whiny than anything. You can always use essay to address such difficulties though.</p>
<p>Some things I want to talk about are my relatively low class rank, due to the fact that my sport has an actual unweighted class period that pulls my GPA down; and that I have a single mom who works a part time job, is in the middle of a severe three-year depression, and can hardly muster the energy to get out of bed most days. </p>
<p>Your uw class period for your sport has nothing to do with your ACADEMIC GPA, which is what colleges really care about. If the situation with your mom is affecting your ability to do your best, you need to explain how and why. Are you having to cook, clean, and care for your siblings which takes you away from your school work? I’m not sure this is the case, if you have time for an after school sport and, hopefully, other EC’s. If you truly are at a hardship, due to your mom’s condition, you may want to elaborate in this section of the common app. I’m sure this situation is also emotionally draining on you as well, but just be careful how you include the information, if you decide to include it.</p>
<p>I think my application is fairly strong regardless of these circumstances, so mentioning them to colleges isn’t a necessity. In that case, do I have to write anything at all in the additional information section? There’s not much else I want to convey that isn’t already apparent in my essays, transcript, and recommendations.</p>
<p>You absolutely do NOT have to fill in the “Additional Information” section and I would suggest many applicants, who have weaker stats and resumes, tend to want to throw as much “stuff” against the wall to see if anything else sticks. </p>
<p>Good luck with your application journey and best wishes with your situation at home.</p>