<p>My GPA is quite pathetic (3.3), but I applied to two mega reach schools just because I really like them; I have absolutely NO expectations of getting into either, so I'm feeling quite zen about my application. (Which begs the question, "Why waste money on the application fees at all?" but let's not talk about that.)</p>
<p>The thing is, my GPA is not the result of some colossal struggle--overcoming cancer, domestic abuse, autism, or anything like that. I was simply not interested in doing schoolwork, and preferred to read and write independently instead. Normally top schools wouldn't look at my application twice, but because my SAT score is higher than my GPA would suggest (2350), I thought they might feel some idle curiosity about my performance in school.</p>
<p>So I wrote about it in the additional info section. I was extremely honest about it, and straight up wrote that I hadn't been interested in getting good grades in high school, and that I don't think my GPA is undeserved in any way--that I had other interests, which I pursued outside of school.</p>
<p>So, my question is: Is it ever a good idea to explain your GPA? Is doing it in the additional info section better or worse than writing an essay about it? Do colleges even care? I'm asking because I read some conflicting statements in another thread, and decided to see what the majority of CCers thinks.</p>
<p>Short answer: I would go and say NAY, unless, as you said, is it the result of some colossal struggle.</p>
<p>Honestly, I would imagine that many people in your situation (smart but “lazy”) apply to reach/top schools. Do many of them get into these top schools? I don’t know. But what I have heard is that colleges would rather take a hardworker with moderately good/great scores, over someone with a low GPA and incredibly high test scores. It might make you look like a slacker to them.</p>
<p>True enough, but on the other hand, if the GPA stands out as incongruous and puzzles the adcoms a lot (I’m not saying this is the case with me, just in general), isn’t it better to write a couple of paragraphs about it, just to acknowledge it and give a fuller picture of yourself? Otherwise it might look like you aren’t telling the whole story.</p>
<p>Let your GPA stand as is without explanation. Your explanation pretty much translates as:</p>
<p>“I didn’t feel like doing the work because I had better things to do.”</p>
<p>Don’t make excuses or try to explain away the GPA you earned. It is what it is because of your actions.
Adcoms will see past any excuse no matter how you try to sugar coat it. Let it be and don’t draw any more attention to it by adding an excuse (or as you say, explanation) to the application.</p>
<p>correction: I see that you all ready did mention it on your application. Don’t worry about it now. It’s done and let the chips fall where they may. For others going through the process, unless you have extenuating circumstances (severe illness, recent death of a parent or sibling, etc.), let your GPA stand without explanation.</p>
<p>^^In general, I would say that it is advisable to be completely honest on your app. It seems like you did that, which is a thumbs up for you. However, even though you presented the full and honest picture of yourself to the adcoms, it is ultimately up to them to decide if they should want the person you presented yourself as. You didn’t lie, so in your case I would actually say that you did nothing wrong. All you can do is wait.</p>
<p>It’s good to explain your GPA if you have a good reason- and you certainly didn’t have one. Better to say nothing. They want good students. You can’t really apply to a school, particularly a prestigious one, saying “I want to go to your school but I don’t care about your courses and schoolwork, I care about the things outside of your school.”
On the plus side, you were honest, but “not caring” is why 95% of bad grades are earned.</p>
<p>If you do have a good reason, I think additional info is a better way to explain it than in an essay. If you have bad grades, you didn’t exactly overcome and obstacle; you were brought down by it. Colleges definitely consider your “special circumstances”- to a certain point anyway. Plus I feel that writing it in an essay is kinda a cop-out for the essay prompt. Writing a tear-jerking and depressing story about why you didn’t do great at school makes it look you are begging for sympathy and is not exactly fun to read, whereas an explanation in “extra info” just gets the point across without a pity-party. Then you have the essay to talk about your personality in a light-hearted and enjoyable way.</p>
<p>It’s one thing to be a slacker, but to think that you’re so ‘special’ that you should be excused from doing the things that you don’t enjoy, that reeks of entitlement.</p>
<p>I’d go beyond nay and say it’s a negative.</p>
<p>Interesting how there seems to be this recent belief that as long as you’re ‘brutally honest’ it makes up for anything you chose to do. Not.</p>
<p>Um, just to forestall any more comments in the same vein, I am fully aware that choosing not to do well in school was a mistake, and I’ve mentioned that in my note. I don’t intend for this attitude to carry over in college, which is another thing I tried to make clear, and I certainly don’t feel that I am entitled to admission anywhere, or that I am, uh, ‘special.’ Sorry for not emphasizing that in my original post.</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for the advice! The application process isn’t over for me yet, and I’ll try to discuss this with my guidance counselor tomorrow, so thanks for giving me some food for thought.</p>
<p>My y grades are quite bad as well because I’m not that interested in getting fantastic grades either but I would never put that on the application. </p>