I really dont want to focus on my moms disease for my main essay but since my guidance counselor refuses to include this in his recommendation, i feel that i have to address it since it really contributed to my dismal freshman year.
Do you think its okay if I include a supplemental essay explaining what happened, and if it is, how do you do so?
<p>gee...it doesnt sound right that you use ur moms disease to make urself seem better. my mom also had a disease and still does, my brother also went to jail, my sister also ran away from home .... and i tried to suicide bout twice...i didnt include those things in my essay. so if u include ur moms disease becuase it "contributed to your dismal freshman year" than i can use all those things to say that i have im a god for getting a 4.0 gpa lol</p>
<p>not really. it wasnt the disease it was the circumstances. i was unable to get to school because i was at the hospital, i need to explain why i have so many absences during my freshman year and why teachers were unable to give me the grades that i deserved because of them. its a serious matter and i dont appreciate your patronising tone. its rude and disprespectful.</p>
<p>I think the supplemental essay would be okay although it really is your guidance couselor's job.
Just explain what happened briefly and try not to sound like you're whining or excusing bad grades, just explaining a circumstance that affected your transcript.</p>
<p>I wasnt being rude, I was being truthful, those things did happened in my family, even though it may have sounded like i made them up. the truth is, there are many families out there that have worst circumstances, and if your counselor refused to put it in his recommendations, maybe you should ask him why before you write a supplemental essay. also, i didnt put any of the things i mentioned into most of my essays and applications, because colleges would know if youre trying to play the sympathy card, and also, your grades are your grades, the fact that your mom was in the hospital isnt an excuse for bad grades. im sorry if i sound disrespectful, but im just being truthful and maybe you should talk to someone who knows what theyre saying, not to other students who probably doesnt know anymore than you do.</p>
<p>I think you should explain the circumstances. If your grades picked up past freshman year, I think you should be OK. Good luck with Lehigh. Great school.</p>
<p>I think you can address it in the Lehigh essay question about what did you learn during the college admission process. If you're using the CommonApp, then you might use it in your personal statement about what you went through that year. The adcom will pick up on your personal hardship & give you the benefit of the doubt for your freshmen grades. If everything else is in order, like solid SAT/ACT scores, you should do okay with Lehigh. Terrific school, BTW.</p>
<p>I know a few people here at Lehigh with "checkerboard" academic records. Don't worry too much. Just MAKE SURE your guidance counselor says something about this somewhere. </p>
<p>--Sarai--</p>