Does anyone have any advice as to how to address a less than stellar GPA (or any other factor) in the personal essay???
<p>Well, from what I've been told by my GC and from a college advisor, they said that it is indeed okay to explain a bad year or some bad grades in general, and that it won't sound whiny unless you make it sound whiny. I'm going to be writing something about taking education for granted in one of my essays, which IMO is a good way to touch base with some bad grades - because I too have a less than stellar GPA. Anyways, yeah, depending on your circumstances, you can write about what you were going through at that time that might have caused your grades to slip. Yep, hope that's helpful at all!</p>
<p>If I were to write about it though, I would be very indirect. Better to tell them about a hard time and adversity you went through in your first few years of high school and let them make the connection to grades on their own. I would draw as little direct attention to a less than stellar GPA as possible. Instead, focus on good things that make up for it, rather than amplifying the bad.</p>
<p>Make sure your counselor addresses it in her letter.</p>
<p>Honestly, I'd want the exact opposite. There will be tons of applicants who have better GPAs. It'll seem a bit pathetic to the adcoms if you (or your counselor) try to say something to the effect of "joey is smarter than his GPA conveys." Unless you have a really, really good reason for it, I'd avoid explaining your low GPA altogether.</p>