<p>I was really sick my freshman year (the medication I took for an injury bascially wore away all of my stomach) and missed a significant part of the second semester. I ended up with 2 Cs in honors classes, the rest As. My counselor will probably speak about this on my recommendation (I've had her since sixth grade, she knows the whole situation pretty well, and I specifically asked her to include it), but should I use the seperate essay space to discuss this? Some schools specifically ask you to explain any academic problems; others only leave a space for "additional information." I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses for myself, but should I discuss this? For all the schools? Just for the ones that specifically ask?</p>
<p>It is an excuse.</p>
<p>" 2 Cs in honors classes, the rest As"</p>
<p>So what made you perfom badly in the classes that you got As in?</p>
<p>To be perfectly honest, it was mainly because they were the ones with the teachers who refused to mail me the assignments, work with me to catch up, etc, but I can't really put this on a college application. I was planning to just say that the two classes -- English and Biology -- because they were ones where I wasn't already competent in the material (like in math), they were the most difficult to do without being in class. In biology, I missed material I couldn't teach myself, and it was difficult to understand just by reading it from a book. In English, I missed the first year where I was actually challenged, where we learned to write an analytical paper the first time, class discussions, etc. My other classes -- math, history, French -- where ones which generally either moved more slowly (French), which I could learn well from a textbook (history), or which I could get help from my parents/sister on (math). If I had to do it again, I would've gotten a tutor, but from several weeks, the doctors didn't have any idea it was the medication causing it, so we kept on assuming I'd be back in school any day.</p>
<p>I don't really buy it ... to be honest with you.</p>
<p>To answer your question, I think you shouldn't use the extra space to explain if your counselor is already doing so. Make sure to ask her HOW she phrases it, too. </p>
<p>Sometimes too much repetition shows a lack of coordination/communication between the counselor and applicant. I don't know if admission committees care about this but...better safe than sorry?</p>