Explaining Extenuating Circumstances

Applying to College
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<p>This is my first time posting on the site so apologies if I'm not in the correct place. </p>

<p>I was wondering how to go about explaining extenuating circumstances to colleges. University of Illinois Urbana Champaign specifically requests any explanations and I'd like to offer one but don't know how to go about it. </p>

<p>Freshman year I finished with a cumulative 4.0 weighted GPA. Sophomore year I received 3.7 both semesters with some honors classes. However, first semester of my junior year I ended up with a 3.4 GPA while taking to AP classes. Second semester my GPA was another 3.7 with three AP classes. </p>

<p>September of my junior year I was sexually assaulted and did not cope with it well. (The sexual assault was done to me by someone I knew and sort of trusted and involved non consensual oral penetration) I kept it to myself and it pretty much consumed my life which meant I did much less schoolwork than required. It was a situation that I handled poorly that seriously impacted my life but I have for the most part gotten over it. I'm not sure how to convey this in my application in terms of detail/explanation. </p>

<p>I'm not sure if it matters but I'm applying to LAS for Psychology. Hoping to go into research.</p>

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<p>First and foremost – I want to express my deepest sympathy for what you have gone through. It isn’t something that anyone should have to go through. I hope that you have someone in your life, be it a parent or relative, or a professional, such as a doctor, guidance counselor. If not, I can only understand how hard it would be to share this and how hard it is to even write it here, and I hope you find someone in the future.</p>

<p>Speaking only from a grade point of view – the impact on your overall GPA may be smaller than you think. Roughly, your GPA is currently a 3.75. If your first semester JR year were a 3.8, the overall GPA would rise 0.07 (to 3.82), which is not great.</p>

<p>How do you raise it – I do think this is an extenuating circumstance, but honestly have no idea as to the best way to raise it, I’m sorry for that and for what you’ve gone through.</p>