<p>I've heard that if you have a good reason for getting bad grades at a certain time or something similar, it's a good idea to put those things in your essay. I'm just a little skeptical about this, because I feel as if colleges don't care to hear excuses. I mean things like medical problems or personal problems causing academic problems. My guidance counselor told me to add that stuff and I'm still just not too sure about it.</p>
<p>You’re right; many don’t usually want to hear excuses. Unless they significantly impacted you, I wouldn’t talk about it in your personal statement. If you want to, you can include a short explanation in the additional information section.</p>