There is now a PowerScore LSAT PodCast episode that expands on this popular blog post:
Episode 78: What’s the Deal With Addenda?
There are several things that can cause students to freak out when applying to law school. Some students worry about the relative “prestige” of their undergraduate institution and how schools will view that during the admissions process. Some have concerns about their choice of major, letters of recommendation, or that one C they got freshman year. Then there are the students that took the test cold and worry about what that looks like on their application. P.S. don’t take the LSAT cold. The list goes on endlessly.
For most students, the fears are unfounded. They are simply a by-product of a stressful admissions process where you nitpick everything about yourself and your file. However, for others, there are blemishes that are founded and need to be addressed and explained. That’s where addenda come in. Let’s start with the basics.
What is an Addendum
An addendum (plural: addenda) is a document, written by the applicant, explaining a negative in their application. It is usually brief in length and is an attachment to the application. By brief, we mean no more than one page long, typically only one to two paragraphs. Students usually write addenda to explain one of the following.
- Issues with your LSAT record. Examples include a very low LSAT score, multiple absences/cancellations, or an unusually high jump in scores from one administration to another.
- Issues with your GPA. For example, a very low GPA, a semester with sub-par grades in an otherwise great transcript, a rash of failed or withdrawn classes, etc.
- Issues with “character and fitness.” On that section of the application, you can explain a number of things:
- Interruption in your academic career.
- Academic disciplinary actions.
- Academic probations and/or expulsions.
- Criminal issues such as felonies, misdemeanors, arrests, or convictions.
- Dishonorable discharges from the armed forces.
How to Make an Effective Addendum
- Write carefully. Tone and word choice are incredibly important when writing an addendum. You’re essentially asking the Admissions Committee to ignore or disregard very important parts of the application. You can easily end up sounding as if you’re groveling. Or worse yet, you can end up sounding whiny, arrogant, irresponsible, immature, lacking in good judgment, or lacking self-awareness. It needs to convey information without boring or offending those reading it.Keep it short. There is absolutely no need to write an addendum that is longer than your personal statement. When addenda start breaking the 250-word barrier, you run the risk of rambling and creating more problems than you’re explaining.
- Don’t tell the admissions officers how to do their job. They know how to interpret LSAT scores and transcripts. The Admissions Committee will know how to interpret what you give them and will understand that it’s a supplement to your file.
- Keep it drama-free. Overselling the case or overstating the flaws tends to remove any seriousness from the addendum. This renders it useless for the purposes of explaining the flaw. You’re not trying to tug at heartstrings or solicit pity, so veer away from dramatic language.
- Stick to the facts. Don’t provide unnecessary information. Aside from increasing the length of the document, unnecessary details can also detract from the message you are seeking to convey.
- No flights of fancy. Addenda are different from the personal statement in that there is no element of creative writing in them. This is simply an explanation and a presentation of circumstances. There is no need to refer to stomach upsets as “exploding fireworks” or a migraine headache as “skull-splitting agony.” You may think it adds flair, but all it does is add unnecessary verbiage.
Final Things to Remember
Understand an addendum is not an excuse. What you’re providing to the Committee is additional information to consider during the evaluation of an application. Present the facts clearly, discuss the lessons you learned, and what you’re doing to ensure the negative doesn’t happen again. Excuses are just that—excuses. They have no place in an addendum. It’s important to remember that the purpose of the addendum is to explain, but not excuse, the negative in the application. Unless the circumstances were incredibly unusual and compelling, chances are pretty good that you are at least partially to blame for whatever the negative in your application happens to be. Don’t try to hoodwink the AdComs. They’ve seen enough of these addenda that they’ll see right through you! And they won’t be happy that you tried to shirk your part in the situation.
Another word of advice, never go “addendum-happy.” You do not need to explain why your GPA is a 3.72 instead of a 3.73, or why your LSAT score went down a single point on a retake. You don’t need to address every tiny detail that you are not pleased with! You need to discuss the glaring issues, not the minutia that is only noticeable to you. Submitting 12 different addenda makes you look slightly crazy, not thorough. You’re likely to exhaust and annoy whoever is reading your app, which is not something you want to do.
Perhaps most importantly, don’t forget that your personal statement is not an addendum. Use the personal statement for what it’s meant for! These allow you to present great or unusual qualities, beliefs, and experiences in a positive light. Don’t use it to explain inconsistencies in your application.
Not everyone needs to use an addendum. If there isn’t anything negative to address, don’t feel the need to create an issue or find something to explain. Instead, consider yourself one of the lucky ones! As for those of you who do have issues to explain—keep the tips above in mind. Be judicious in your use of addenda and you’ll minimize the negatives and enhance your application
Quinn says
Hi there! I took a lighter course load my senior year of college to save money on tuition and I’m wondering if that could warrant an addendum? I already have another short addendum in my application and I am not sure if a second one is even needed for this lighter course load (or if adcoms will probably understand that fewer courses saved me money). Thank you!
Dave Killoran says
I don’t think this needs explanation, personally. Unless you only took a single class, this likely won’t be seen as an issue.
Thanks!
Sophia says
Hi, I would appreciate getting your opinion on whether I should write an addendum about my graduate low GPA (3.17). I did my LL.M graduate degree at a T14 law school, but during that time I was being stalked, assaulted, and threatened, and to solve that I was not able to prepare well for finals. I am worried because that was a law degree, and maybe schools would consider that as not being able to perform well in their JD program. Also, my LSAT score is 157, and my normal PT score is 160, but during the test, the proctor interrupted me multiple times. I wonder if I should write about my low LSAT score or graduate score, or if law school would care about any of these problems. Thank you in advance!
Dave Killoran says
Hi Sophia, I am sorry to hear about your experience in your LLM program. It would definitely be something you should write an addendum about–there’s no question about that at all. I’m less certain your LSAT addendum is as important, since you accepted the score and it’s only 3 points off your average. Thanks!
Alessandra says
Hi! I got all As this semester aside from one class in which I received a B+. The class is one of the requirements for my Law and Public Policy minor, so it doesn’t look great on my transcript that I got a low grade on the only law-related course I took this semester (last semester, I took another requirement for the minor and I got an A).
I had issues with my professor’s grading throughout the course and, on our last week of class, he used a lot of stressful rhetoric that made me incredibly nervous about our final. I was so stressed that I blanked out multiple times during the exam. I did not do well on the final (B-) and my average in the class decreased significantly from a 93 to an 87. I had a 3.97 GPA before this semester and now I have a 3.93. Is this something I should address on the addendum? I wouldn’t want to complain about my professor, especially because I know law school will be insanely stressful, but that’s the main reason my grades/GPA went down. I also know that professors have discretion over grades, so it might not even make sense to mention him in the addendum. I’m just not sure how to address the issue, if at all.
Thank you in advance!
PowerScore Test Prep says
Hi Alessandra,
In this case, it would do more harm than good to write an addendum about this grade. First, please keep in mind that an addendum should be used to discuss a glaring issue. A 3.93 GPA/one B+ is not low enough to require explanation! Second, experiencing dissatisfaction with a professor’s teaching style is not an uncommon occurrence in undergrad, and bringing attention to that experience might seem like complaining, and that is not something law schools would find compelling. It might also raise red flags for them as to how you would respond to the pressure of law school grades. Therefore, we would recommend no addendum in this case.
Thank you!
Hannah says
Hello! I wanted to write an addendum explaining why I have college credit even though I did not come into my university as a transfer. For context, in my resume, I added that I got an AA from community college. However, I received my AA and high school diploma at the same time. This was because I was part of a dual enrollment program. So I though it would be a good idea to clarify that in case it looked confusing on my application that I received an AA, and was in high school at the same period I was in community college since my application does not cain any of my high school information.
Thank you!!
PowerScore Test Prep says
Hi Hannah,
Thanks for your comment! Law schools require original transcripts from each institution where you have received college credits, including institutions where you completed college-level classes while in high school. So they’ll likely recognize that your AA was obtained through a dual enrollment program. However, if you feel it’s unclear, there’s no problem with submitting a brief explanation.
Thanks again!
Luke says
Hello! I wanted to write an addendum talking about my history of poor standardized testing. I never broke 1000 on my SAT (970) but have excelled in college to having a 3.7. Unfortunately the LSAT has been no different despite taking 3 different prep courses and studying on my own as well. Do you think it is worth writing an addendum talking about how although I may have scored low I am extremely eager to learn (of course without complaining!)
PowerScore Test Prep says
Hi Luke,
Thanks for your post, and great question! Yes, it is worth writing an addendum that deals with your past history with standardized tests not being representative of your academic achievements. Turn that negative into a positive and talk about how hard working you are, how much effort you put into studying, and how your standardized test scores have historically not been an accurate predictor of your success.
Thanks!
Ali says
I received a 169 on my first LSAT in June of 2021, but I decided to retake it because my PTs were in the 170s. I retook it in August, but the test did not go well at all. I had issues with ProctorU (my proctor didn’t shut her microphone off which was really distracting and I had to take time out of my testing to ask her to shut it off, and the interface froze and few times and did not allot the correct amount of exam sections (so they had to get their supervisor which added a lot of extra waiting time and stress). I also had a headache during the exam. I ended up with a 166.
I graduated summa cum laude and with a 3.96 at a respected school. I am wondering if I should write an addendum regarding the 3 point drop in my LSAT score?
PowerScore Test Prep says
Hi Ali,
Thanks for the question! The quick and easy answer to this one is no, you shouldn’t write an addendum. 😊 That 3-point score difference is so minimal that law schools will simply consider you a 169 and will not pay attention to your 166. Thus, an explanation (although a valid one in your case) is not needed! Dave and Jon actually discuss a similar situation to yours in the podcast episode at about the 55-minute mark: https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/lsat-podcast-episode-78-whats-the-deal-with-addenda/
Thanks!