Make a point to lay out your academic shortcomings and explain a plan for improvement.
A semester of lackluster grades, a disciplinary report or a poor showing on a standardized exam can all present significant challenges when attempting to get into a competitive college. Most experts advise addressing any deficiency directly, with the assumption that the essay portion of your application is your best chance to explain weaknesses.
The essay, however, may not always be the ideal place to do so. But if it is, how can you use it most effectively?
1. Consider the complexity of your issue: Addressing a delicate issue in an admissions essay can be challenging because emotion is especially difficult to accurately convey in text.
You may believe that you explained the situation in great detail and said all the right words, but your reader may find the essay is unclear. If your issue is very complex, one alternative to consider is the in-person interview.
One advantage of a face-to-face discussion is the opportunity to impress your interviewer with your sincerity. Interviews are also better suited to situations that require long explanations. For instance, if you have a disciplinary record, you may benefit from the chance to fully explain the circumstances and to demonstrate your determination to improve.
Explaining a difficult situation often works better in person because dialog is possible, and the difference between excusing bad behavior and explaining the circumstances often comes down to the look in a person's eye and the sound of his or her voice. Neither of those factors operates in text.
If you opt against addressing a significant issue in your essay, mention in your application that you are aware of the problem and that you look forward to addressing it in an interview. That avoids appearing that you are trying to conceal or skirt difficult topics. Instead, you are choosing the most appropriate medium for the discussion.
2. Define the problem clearly: Do not assume that the issue you see in your application is equally clear to your reviewers. Define, in your own words, what you see as the problem. This is also your opportunity to demonstrate that you understand the issue and its importance to your future college success.
If you received several C and D grades in your freshman year, for example, you might point out not just your low marks, but that you are aware that they could demonstrate an inability to handle stress. Self-awareness is one of the best indicators of a capacity for change.
Anyone can obey instructions, but it takes truly understanding yourself to really change. Defining the problem also ensures that you and your reader will be on the same page as you explain why you got into this dilemma and how you will escape it.
3. Accept responsibility for your actions: There are often mitigating circumstances that contribute to problems. You will have a chance to explain how you found yourself in such a difficult situation, but start by making it clear that the responsibility rests with you.
Use a simple statement like, "I earned a C-minus in algebra during my freshman year." The word "earned" indicates that you realize that you received the grade you deserved.
You likely learned a lesson from the experience, but the grade was not given to you. Students who claim that their teachers "gave me this grade" are far less likely to be or seem sincere in their desire to grow.
4. Articulate the lesson learned: While everyone makes mistakes or poor decisions, only some individuals learn from them. For others, past poor behavior indicates future poor behavior. You want to prove that you are in the first group.
Ensure that what you learned relates to your own behavior. In other words, say, "I learned to ask for help when I am struggling," instead of, "I learned that teachers will not automatically know that I need help." The first statement indicates that you have learned how you can do better, because your own behavior is the only thing that you can control.
Remember, too, that if you cannot articulate the lesson that you have learned, you will have a difficult time convincing others that you have matured.
5. Describe your plans for improvement: What are your plans for the future, and how will you incorporate any hard-won wisdom into your future actions? This can be challenging to say or write, as it is easy to sound formulaic and insincere.
"I plan to study harder," is a generic response to a bad grade. "I will continue to implement a plan of daily review, and I will ask for a pretest study session with my instructor in order to stay on top of my responsibilities," is much more detailed and specific.
A blemish on your admissions package does not automatically rule out any school on your short list, so long as you do not try to cover up or ignore the issue. Admissions officers, like most people, are likely to be sympathetic to a sincerely told story of error and redemption.Source Taken By / usenews.com
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