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 For example, a very low GPA, a semester with sub-par grades in an otherwise great transcript, a rash of failed or withdrawn classes, etc.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
Hi,
Thanks for the post. I have a follow up question. I graduated from Syracuse in May of 2019. After graduating, I took 2 classes in a non-degree, non-certificate manner at Fordham University, that have nothing to do with my interest in Law School. I just registered for the Feb. LSAT and I’m currently compiling application materials. Do the 2 classes from Fordham NEED to be submitted too? Are there any repercussions for not submitting them?
Hi,
Thanks for the question! Based on work I’ve done in the past, I’d say these still need to be reported. However, please call LSAC and double-check because regulations change all the time!
the currently printed rules read as follows:
Required Transcripts
Law schools require transcripts from the following institutions you have attended:
community colleges
undergraduate and graduate institutions
law, medical, or professional institutions
institutions attended for summer or evening courses
institutions attended even though a degree was never received
Technically that last item applies to you, and so they’d likely say you need to have them submitted. the penalty? If you are found to not have complied with disclosure requirements you can be disbarred once you are a lawyer. That’s not highly likely though, but you might run into C&F issues trying to get into the bar.
Note: this is not legal advice, and in any event we strongly advise you to disclose all classes taken at all institutions.
Thanks!
Hi! Thank you for the helpful post. I have a 171 LSAT but a 3.14 GPA from my degree school (3.25 when combined with a semester at a community college). I also have been out of school working for nearly 4 years. I can honestly say I just handled undergrad immaturely, but it doesn’t reflect my current work ethic or approach to education. Is this something you would suggest not including in an addendum or could being honest about handling undergrad in a way you regret be a positive?
Thank you!
Hi Lucas,
Thank you for your question. Please note that you are what is called a “splitter.” A splitter is a person with a high LSAT score and a low GPA. We generally think addendums are unnecessary except in more extreme cases (e.g., a very low GPA, a semester with sub-par grades in an otherwise great transcript, a rash of failed or withdrawn classes, etc.), so your case usually wouldn’t qualify. Low GPAs often come with some cause for the low grades that can be used to create a compelling personal statement instead. Feel free to check out our blogs on traditional splitters and splitter-friendly law schools below!
https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/what-are-law-school-splitters-reverse-splitters-super-splitters/
https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/which-law-schools-are-splitter-friendly/
Thank you!
Thanks for the post. I have two “negatives” on my resume (although neither are terribly bad). I have a 3.92 GPA, an honors student, getting around 168-170 practice LSAT, etc. However, I have withdrawn from 3 classes over the course of 9 semesters, the first two classes I was deciding whether or not I wanted to pursue that specific major (Econ), and the third one was a language, and I dropped it because I had a job offer and I could take another language during my school’s winter semester.
My other negative was during my first semester; I had a 2.7 GPA because I kept getting sick (I had mono and strep throat over the course of 8-10 weeks). My grades dropped because I took 8 A.M. classes every day and often couldn’t go to class. However, this was my first semester and on my transcript it shows that this was clearly an anomaly. So for my question (sorry it took this long lol), should I write 1 addendum on both of these issues, 2 separate addenda, or should I not worry? Thank you in advance!
Hi Max,
Thanks for the question! This is an easy one: write a single addendum that focuses solely on the 2.7 semester, mainly because you have an excellent and reasonable excuse for it. The 3 withdrawals are simply not notable enough or even a concern that would require an addendum or any comment so don’t worry about mentioning that.
Thanks!
Thank you for this post! I’m not sure if I should include an addendum or not. I took the LSAT three times. The first time I cancelled, second time I got a 156, and the third time I got a 162. There weren’t any significant issues going on like family issues or illness, I just changed up my studying habits and that led me to my 162. Is that something that should be addressed?
Hi Kyra!
Congrats on your score increase! Our advice here is no addendum. Schools will treat you as a 162, and take note of the fact that you made a 6-point improvement as the result of (presumably) hard work and dedication, two highly-desirable attributes in the eyes of an admissions committee.
Thank you!
Hello, I have a 142, 148, and a 159 on my lsac record. Should I write why there is a 17 point difference between my first and last scores? The first two scores were over a year ago, when I had bad family problems going on and once those subsided I was able to get a better handle on the LSAT and study regularly . My Ugpa is 3.77 and my Graduate gpa is 3.7x currently enrolled (Applied Economics).
Thank you.
Hi Kole,
Yes, I think if you can give them some further details about what was happening, it will let them ignore those early scores with a clear conscience (they would anyway, but if you can eliminate an obvious question with a good explanation, why not do it?).
Thanks!
Hello! This post was very informative, thank you! I have a 3.99 from my undergrad degree but a 3.36 from my graduate degree due to two Cs that I got in a term where family issues took over my time. Would this low GPA in my graduate degree warrant an addendum? Will explaining the family issues– even in a matter-of-fact way– still be viewed as making an excuse? How would you suggest approaching that– if at all? Thank you so much for the insight!
Hi Jena,
Yes, I’d write one since you have a viable excuse as to your grades there. The good news: they don’t care much about grad school grades, and once they see a viable explanation, they will focus almost solely on your undergrad GPA, which is excellent. So a win for you in this case!
Good luck!
I’m wondering if I should write a GPA Aaddenda . My GPA is a 2.57 from LSAC (2.67 non-LSAC) but i was a biology major at the beginning of college so i had a lot of C’s, D’s and a few F’s that i didn’t retake upon changing my major due to no longer needing the classes as well as dual credit i took in high school . I do have a masters degree with a 3.69 GPA. So is this something i should explain ?
Hi Nasharra,
This is a tough question to answer, in part because how you execute an addendum here and what you say will fully determine the impact. and that impact could be good or bad. On the one hand, you are drawing attention to a negative, but this is also a negative that likely needs explaining. That’s a point for writing one. That said, you need to have a good explanation for what happened aside from the classes didn’t interest (because “what if law doesn’t interest you?” is what the schools will think). Schools will expect a compelling explanation for low grades, and that can be very difficult when there are multiple low grades like this. So that’s a point against writing one.
Overall, I think it needs explaining but you need to do an excellent and engaging job of telling the law schools why they should downplay your GPA. That should be your focus.
Good luck!
Hi! Thanks for this post. I think I have a solid undergrad gpa- 3.7-from an Ivy League school and I’m currently in a grad program with a 4.0 average. I’m taking the LSAT in a week and, although I can’t fully predict what I’m going to get (hoping for the best!) I’ve been consistently scoring about 8 points below what I think I need to be comfortably in the range of my top school. Do you think they would appreciate and addendum to explain that I’ve been studying for the LSAT while also fully enrolled in a graduate program and teaching? Or is that too much of an excuse?
Hi Rebecca!
While the answer here will really depend on your LSAT score, working while being enrolled in school full-time will not be seen as an extenuating circumstance and may instead reflect poorly on your time management skills. If your LSAT score does turn out to be relatively low compared to your GPA, it may be best to explain why your GPA is a better reflection of your academic abilities and indicator of you being successful in law school. For example, you could point out substantial research and writing experiences you gained during your time in undergraduate and graduate school.
Thank you!