Thoughts? Forum

[prilaw2020]

I finished writing my personal statement. It's about a disease that has affected my life greatly and honestly changed the way I approach everything. The statement is about overcoming adversity and part of the adversity is the disease and the fact I didnt do well my first of college in part because of it. I do not focus the whole speech on GPA at all but its in the background. I was just wondering if its problematic to include the GPA things at all. I don't want to make the mistake of using the personal statement as a GPA addendum.

[Pozzo]

I finished writing my personal statement. It's about a disease that has affected my life greatly and honestly changed the way I approach everything. The statement is about overcoming adversity and part of the adversity is the disease and the fact I didnt do well my first of college in part because of it. I do not focus the whole speech on GPA at all but its in the background. I was just wondering if its problematic to include the GPA things at all. I don't want to make the mistake of using the personal statement as a GPA addendum.

I wouldn't include GPA and I wouldn't make the PS into a GPA addendum. That is way too clinical for a personal statement. You're trying to tell a story here--let the committee see how you've improved and overcome this adversity.

[34iplaw]

I finished writing my personal statement. It's about a disease that has affected my life greatly and honestly changed the way I approach everything. The statement is about overcoming adversity and part of the adversity is the disease and the fact I didnt do well my first of college in part because of it. I do not focus the whole speech on GPA at all but its in the background. I was just wondering if its problematic to include the GPA things at all. I don't want to make the mistake of using the personal statement as a GPA addendum.

I wouldn't include GPA and I wouldn't make the PS into a GPA addendum. That is way too clinical for a personal statement. You're trying to tell a story here--let the committee see how you've improved and overcome this adversity.

100% agree. I think an essay about overcoming a disease that has profound influence on your life makes absolute sense... but the second you mention GPA I think it will ruin the power of the statement... you can say how you struggled with school, but do not use an acronym like GPA in your PS or an actual GPA... it'll be obvious enough to convey it hurt your grades without saying so.

[DrGlennRichie]

I finished writing my personal statement. It's about a disease that has affected my life greatly and honestly changed the way I approach everything. The statement is about overcoming adversity and part of the adversity is the disease and the fact I didnt do well my first of college in part because of it. I do not focus the whole speech on GPA at all but its in the background. I was just wondering if its problematic to include the GPA things at all. I don't want to make the mistake of using the personal statement as a GPA addendum.

There are examples of similar (Overcame disease) PS here. I have seen a few. Of ciurse they are different.

GPA can be introduces softly. You dont need to blame GPA on disease, but it seems like you overcame and GPA improved. So you can always say something "After disease you improved this, you were able to do that, your GPA improved greatly".

[prilaw2020]

So explain life before the diagnosis and then life after? What adjustments I needed to make, etc.?

[34iplaw]

So explain life before the diagnosis and then life after? What adjustments I needed to make, etc.?

IMO, talk about some key moment (perhaps moment of diagnosis, a moment where you failed from limitations imposed or difficulties caused by the disease) and jump off from there. Talk about how you overcame it. Given your topic, it should be fairly evocative, intimate, and personal. I think you could talk about life before the diagnosis, but I think it should be brief and done for contrast. A lot really depends on the disease. If you want any feedback or bounce anything more specific, feel free to PM me.