<p>I switched schools my senior year because of an emotional trauma that I experienced at the end of my junior year. As a result of the trauma, my grades in my senior year also dropped significantly after having maintained all A's my first three years of high school. </p>
<p>Additionally, I am taking a gap year right now to take time to evaluate all my options, do some self-exploration, and make sure I am making the right choices. </p>
<p>I am required to explain these two interruptions in the Common App. </p>
<p>My question is - is it TMI to give the trauma as a reason? If not, should I keep it vague or give a more specific explanation?
Also, will any college trust that I am ready to move on to higher learning when my entire last year of school was blemished by one traumatic experience?</p>
<p>First I only see one interruption-- your gap year. It is generally a good idea to show developmental activities you did during the gap year, but I don’t know that you have to explain it. The other was just switching schools which doesn’t have to be explained. What was your gpa Sr year? If it wasn’t too bad, there is no need to explain not getting all A’s. Really without knowing what happened it is too difficult to advise you. Is it something that should be in the adviser’s report?</p>
<p>The Common App considers my switching secondary schools an “interruption” and so requires me to explain it - I just don’t know to what extent.
My cumulative GPA ended up being 3.9, but my GPA for the last semester of Sr year was 2.5 - very poor. </p>