Hello. Both of my grandparents died in 2009, but I did not know about their deaths until around 2011 or 2012, when I was in 8th grade. My parents and siblings kept their deaths hidden from me until I found out on my own. I was completely devastated and was not suspecting anything since almost all of my family lives thousands of miles away and we visit them rarely (every couple of years). A few weeks after finding out about their deaths, my parents finally decided to also tell me that my uncle had also passed away a few years ago. It was difficult for me to comprehend that three of my family members passed away and I had no idea for years. I really do not want this to be an excuse, but their deaths did impact me hard. In 9th grade, my unweighted trimester grades were 3.78, 3.78, and 3.82. In 10th grade, I had 3.72, 3.84, and 3.95. In 11th grade, I had 3.82, 4.0, and 4.0. I know there is not a huge upward trend, but do you think that I could briefly mention the impact of my family members’ death on my freshman grades in the additional information section of the common app? I do not want to mention it on my actual essay, since I already know what I’m writing about. I do not believe that the deaths impacted my sophomore or junior grades. My cumulative grade is a 3.86, which isn’t bad, but it’s not competitive for selective schools. I am not even sure if I am in the top 10% at my school. I believe that the rest of my app is alright. I have a 35 on the ACT and decent AP and SAT subject test scores. I should have strong teacher recommendations, and I have strong EC’s. I am just very worried about my GPA. Do you think I should mention their deaths in the “Additional Information” box of the Common App? Or does it sound too much like an excuse and I shouldn’t mention anything at all? Thank you for reading.
My grandparents died too, and it had no effect on my grades. But I did learn right away, so it might be different. Some people might think that it’s a good excuse, while others don’t. It really depends on who interviews/reads wherever you’re writing it, if you do.
Like the poster above me said, your application will be perceived differently depending on who is reading it; some will think it is acceptable while others may not.
Are the GPAs you listed weighted or unweighted? Because if they are unweighted, then you don’t really have a lot to fret about. 3.86 is still a good unweighted GPA, even for a selective college.
If I were in your position, I would probably not mention it, especially since the deaths did not impact your sophomore or junior year. A lot of applications show that a student’s freshman year is less impressive academic-wise, and therefore a lot of colleges put hardly any emphasis on first year performances. By mentioning this setback – no matter how real it is – it may jeopardize your chances by making you appear like you are giving excuses for even the most trivial numbers.
But the decision is ultimately yours, and best of luck as you are finishing high school + applying to colleges. Again, I just want to reiterate that your GPA is still pretty impressive; I was in a similar situation grade-wise as you as a freshman in high school, and I was still able to be admitted to a pretty decent school, so try not to worry too much. 
Sounds like an excuse.
Unweighted GPA. Thanks for the responses!
If you were under medical care for depression or something that can be backed up medically that is one thing. Otherwise I’d focus on the upward trend and not start with something that could be considered an excuse.
If you want to explain your grades improving, focus on how you improved as a student rather than mentioning any excuse for why you weren’t as good. Since the difference in GPA is so miniscule, it would sound very strange to mention deaths in your family and extremely private family dynamics.