Applications to law school offer many opportunities to write about experiences through personal statements, short answer responses and supplemental essays. However, you may also need to explain aberrations in your candidacy. You can proactively address potential red flags by submitting an addendum as part of your application.
Addenda should be short pieces — typically one to three paragraphs — that provide objective explanations for any anomalies. You want law school admissions committees to spend the bulk of their time reviewing your personal statement, resume, letters of recommendation and other materials that showcase your success, rather than lengthy addenda.
Without listing excuses or justifications, you should state the topic and note the point you are trying to convey. The purpose of the addendum is twofold: to acknowledge the irregularity and to account for the context in which the situation arose. This is your chance to succinctly explain why a particular issue in your application should not adversely affect your candidacy.
Here are four common addenda topics and do’s and don’ts for each.
[Know when and how to write a law school addendum.]
1. Low GPA: If you have a low GPA compared with your LSAT score or the average GPA at the particular schools you are applying to, consider submitting an addendum.
— Do discuss extenuating circumstances, such as medical issues or a family emergency, which may have affected your grades, but provide explanations rather than excuses. Mention classes in which you excelled, particularly if those classes relate to your major.
In fact, if your GPA major is higher than your overall major, point that out. Use any opportunity to shed a positive light on your college academic career. For example, perhaps you can highlight a significant upward trend in your grades.
Lastly, highlight your LSAT score if it is notably higher than your GPA.
— Don’t highlight your poorest grades. And avoid writing a GPA addendum that sounds like a sympathy grab for the choice of a hard major or a challenging course load.
Remember that you want admissions committee members to understand why your GPA is suboptimal and to also conclude that your GPA should have minimal bearing on your candidacy.
2. Low or multiple LSAT scores: Write this addendum to address a less competitive LSAT score or if you’ve taken the LSAT multiple times.
— Do explain why your GPA is a better indicator of your intellectual abilities and a better predictor of success in law school than the LSAT if you have only one score but it is low relative to your GPA. For example, you could highlight extensive research and writing experiences .
If you have multiple LSAT scores, characterize the low score as an anomaly, if true, and explain why you might have done poorly on that particular exam, such as sickness or other extenuating circumstances.
Focus the admissions committee’s attention on your higher, and hopefully most recent, score and explain why this is a more accurate representation of your ability to excel in law school.
[Get insight into how law schools view LSAT scores.]
— Don’t use your addendum to blame the test itself for your subpar results. Also, don’t generalize your standardized test performance.
I worked with a client who had a 3.9 GPA and an LSAT in the mid-140s. She devoted a significant portion of her draft addendum to a lengthy history of struggle with standardized tests. I advised her that if she wanted to address this history, she should do so very briefly and shift the focus to her superior academic performance in college. She followed this advice and, with her strong essays, secured admission to law school.
Some schools, like the University of California–Berkeley School of Law, will require you to substantiate any claims of historically poor performance on standardized tests.
3. Disciplinary or criminal record: Write an addendum if you have a record of disciplinary or criminal misconduct. It is imperative to disclose this information not only to law schools but also when you apply for bar admission.
— Do err on the side of overinclusion when considering what to disclose for this addendum. It is better to mention any and all incidents, however minor, than to risk appearing less than completely candid.
[Learn how to address academic, criminal mistakes with a law application addendum.]
Give truthful accounts of each situation, detailing any mitigating circumstances without diminishing your acceptance of responsibility. Discuss any lessons you have learned from the incidents, and show that you have since reformed your behavior and become more responsible. Take the opportunity in this addendum to highlight your respect for rules and laws.
— Don’t downplay the incidents you were involved in, and don’t blame other people for your mistakes. Even as you explain the surrounding facts in the addendum, be careful to remain accountable and avoid deflecting blame.
4. Other anomalies: The previous addendum categories cover the most common subject matters. However, if you have concerns that any aspect of your profile might raise questions for the admissions committee, such as a transfer from one college to another or withdrawal from studies for a period of time, address the issues in an addendum.
If the topic of your addendum falls outside of the first three, seek guidance from a counselor or from the law schools you are applying to about whether an addendum is appropriate.
— Do make sure in your addendum to show your accountability and provide adequate explanation — without listing excuses — for any misstep.
— Don’t flag aspects of your candidacy unnecessarily. Try to put yourself in the admissions committees’ shoes to determine whether anything in your profile requires further explanation.
If you decide to submit an addendum, keep these goals in mind: Be respectful, gracious, forthright and brief.
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Do’s, Don’ts of Writing a Law School Application Addendum originally appeared on usnews.com
