Addendum Statement

When creating your addendum, your goals are: to recognize what happened, provide more in-depth context, why, and explain why the incident should not negatively affect your chances of admission. Some of the issues that can be explained with an addendum if you haven`t covered them in another part of the application are: Some schools may also allow you to omit sealed or waive fees. Be sure to read the application instructions carefully to understand what you should talk about in your addendum. Keep in mind that it`s better to risk full disclosure, no matter how uncomfortable, than to let it out later. A useful rule of thumb is that if your poor academic performance was caused or contributed by unforeseen events or extenuating circumstances, you should add an addendum. Valid reasons you should discuss include, for example, poor grades due to a medical condition, family emergency, or the death of a loved one, to name a few. In this sense, an addendum doesn`t have to be dark. It may be a good idea to highlight the positive elements of your application as long as they are relevant to the issue in question. For example, if you`re targeting low GPA but your LSAT score is impressive, briefly point out (and without sounding complacent) that your LSAT scores better demonstrate your talents. Finish by stating that you have been on a better, more positive path since the incident. For example, if your addendum deals with poor grades due to an episode of illness, keep in mind that you have just earned Ace since your recovery.

Or if you`ve had a DUI in your past, mention that you have a blank record in the last four years and your driving privileges have been restored. The unilateral addendum is drafted and submitted independently of the SP or DS. Sometimes it is asked in response to a question (“Have you ever been convicted of a crime?”) and sometimes it`s something you just want to address (“My overall average is low because I was in my first year… »). In the latter case, you have the right to include a unilateral addendum, even if it is not requested. However, whether requested or not, it should simply and objectively address the specific problem that needs to be solved. It is not always true that an addendum is necessary to explain an imperfect situation. In this section, we will discuss the scenarios that most often lead applicants to submit addenda and help you determine whether an addendum is right for you or not. Some candidates use an addendum to locate their low LSAT score in an ongoing battle with standardized tests. We recommend that you only do this if your testing difficulties are significant and verifiable and you can prove that you are an excellent student. It is safe to say that if any of the above applies to you, you should address it in an addendum and make a mistake on the full disclosure page.

An addendum should be a short and concise document – in most cases, one to three paragraphs is sufficient. It`s rare that you need to write more than one page with double-spaced spacing. Not all applicants are required to include an addendum when applying to law school, but for those who do, an addendum is an opportunity to clarify a less than ideal situation and demonstrate responsibility and growth. To write an effective addendum, keep things simple, short, and respectful to illustrate that you are a strong candidate for law school and will be an excellent future attorney. Again simple and factual. The addendum makes it clear that you are expressing your opinion (“I felt”). Use any reason you have, but try to make it a good reason. However, I would advise against simple non-preparation as a reason; If you`re trying to say you did poorly the first time because you weren`t prepared, they may ask you why you didn`t think about preparing and if that reduces the likelihood that you prepared for law school. Criminal convictions are usually only disclosed when necessary. Read the app carefully. It may say that it only requires the disclosure of “misdemeanours and criminal charges” or that it requires the disclosure of “convictions other than minor traffic violations” or “disclosures other than those that have been rejected or removed from your file.” Read carefully here too.

If you are absolutely sure that your belief does not fall within the scope of the issue, you do not need an addendum. If not, you should write one. The most common reason why applicants choose to send an addendum with their applications to law school is poor academic performance at college that resulted in low grades and/or a low grade point average. When you apply to law school, your goal is to determine that you are an accomplished student and a conscientious and upright citizen. Simply put, do you want to present yourself at your best to an admissions committee? But what if there is a flaw in your file that interferes with the exemplary image you are trying to convey? Here it may be useful to write an addendum for the law school. Many people who apply to law school have “extra” problems that they have to solve when applying. These are topics that they don`t want to waste valuable space on in their personal statement (PS) or diversity statement (DS) and usually contain boring, dry details that would kill their PS anyway. If these issues are serious enough to warrant mention, discuss them in a separate one-page addendum that briefly describes the problem and informs law school in clear terms of what happened.

It can even sometimes allow them to turn a negative into a positive and perhaps help convince a school to accept you. There is also the potential problem of fraudTop accounting scandalsThe last two decades have seen some of the worst accounting scandals in history. Billions of dollars have been lost as a result of these financial disasters. In this. A party could simply enter a document to change the terms of the contract – for example, increase payment for goods or services – and attach it. Getting both parties to sign each addendum will avoid this potential problem. Example 1: In this addendum to my application, I would like to address some aspects of my academic record. In 2013, I took a course in macroeconomics and received a “D”, but I don`t think the grade is a good indication of my skills in this field.

Unfortunately, I bought an old edition of the textbook and didn`t realize until late in the term that the reading assigned to the class didn`t cover what was about the exams. When I discussed it with the teacher, she did not allow me to retake the exams. I also didn`t do well in a Spanish course I took in 2012. However, this only makes me more determined to improve my language skills. This was the motivation for my life and work in Spain and I now speak and write Spanish at an advanced level. After all, I didn`t do well on gre and haven`t done well on standardized tests in the past. I hope to be judged on my overall academic record and grades, as well as my dedicated work experience and letters of recommendation. I believe these aspects of my application are a better indication of my commitment to advanced courses and the ability to succeed in a master`s program. As a simple example, after a testator has already completed his will, he can remember a collection of coins that he owns and wants to leave to one of his grandchildren. The testator can easily make arrangements for the property with an addendum to the will. 3) There should be a clear difference between your GPA in the semesters you describe and your GPA. You`d be better able to prove that, other than what you describe, you`d be a much better student.

It is possible, but very difficult, to find a good reason for an addendum that explains the low grades in the four years of university. If so, you`ll need something else to show that you`re stronger than your GPA suggests (probably a high LSAT score and several years of solid work experience). 3) If it is related to your personal statement, include the story in your HCP and the required disclosure facts in an addendum. This gives you the freedom to talk about your life story in your PS. All you have to do in your addendum is state the boring facts and direct them to your PS as it has affected you. (Alternatively, if you want to discuss it more personally, but it doesn`t match your PS, write a diversity statement about how it has affected you. A DS can be about almost anything that makes you unique. it is not limited to race, gender or economic status.) The other thing to consider with an LSAT addendum is that nowadays, many schools automatically reach the highest score.

You may not need an addendum, and it`s probably better not to write an addendum than to write a bad one. If the school you`re applying to already gets the highest score, don`t hurt yourself by writing an addendum unless you have a valid reason to do so. .