<p>How do i tell a college my reason for having bad grades? Is it in the application process?</p>
<p>Let your GC address that in their recommendation. Otherwise it comes across as finding excuses.</p>
<p>Yes, you might want to go meet with your guidance counselor and discuss this with them. Hopefully they will be one the same page as you about this, and be willing to speak about it in the part of the Common App that they need to fill out.</p>
<p>Unless the bad grades were from a temporary situation, like a serious illness, there really isn’t an acceptable excuse. </p>
<p>What is the reason for your bad grades? And what have they been in the last year? </p>