Should I answer the academic record question on my supplementals?

[kris_]

Supplemental applications often ask: Does your academic record accurately reflect your capabilities?

 

I got a 3.4 during undergrad. Instead of my GPA trending up, it kinda goes in a U shape. I got a 3.9 my freshman year- then around a 3.2 my sophomore and junior years, then increased slightly again to a 3.5 my senoir year.

 

The reason for fluctuations in my GPA was not the difficulty of the classes. I worked 25-35 hours per week starting my sophomore year in order to off set my student debt. I freely admit that I got overly involved in my work and treated it as more than just a job when I should have been focusing on academics. This is evident in the BC grade that I recieved in Physics II my junoir year. My senoir year I realized what I was doing and regained some focus.

 

My question is this- My GPA isn't horrible. I got a few bad grades in Calc 2 © and Physics 2 (BC) (Calc 1 I got an A and Physics 1 I got a B) and I didn't get anything below a B in pre-reqs. But should I explain the drop in my GPA anyways? Or just avoid bringing attention to it?

 

Thanks! Kris

[mbalaban]

Does the record reflect your abilities accurately? From what you are saying it does. Do you believe you are a B+ type student?

[kris_]

I think it reflects my abilities when focusing on a job over focusing on school. In many ways it has prepared me for the hectic schedule of the didactic year of PA but I also think that I will do much better academically when I am able to narrow my focus to academics and other tasks of the didactic PA year. So I guess my answer to your question is No, I believe I'm more of an A student if my sole focus is academics. But I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses either- I would rather fess up to the fact that I didn't focus on academics for the middle 2 years of college.

[mbalaban]

I think it reflects my abilities when focusing on a job over focusing on school. In many ways it has prepared me for the hectic schedule of the didactic year of PA but I also think that I will do much better academically when I am able to narrow my focus to academics and other tasks of the didactic PA year.

 

That sounds like you already answered the question right there, does it not?

[kris_]

Haha yeah I guess it does. Thank you for helping me see that! :;-D:

[mbalaban]

;) np. Sometimes it just takes a little nudge to open the eyes a bit more. Glad I could help.

[IndianaU-PA]

@kris_:

 

As a PA admissions director, let me say that the entire admissions committee knows your GPA situation. If not the "U" shape, then the figure, including math/science GPA or any local GPAs that are calculated.

 

What we cannot know if you don't inform us is the "why" of the situation. What I'd like to see is an explanation of your soph-junior years and what you learned from that experience. It's not enough to say that your focus moved to work instead of academics. That is something you can say in 2 sentences. What we want to know is, most often, what you did, what you learned from it, and how that experience has changed your perspective and/or behavior.

 

Best wishes.

 

Josh Morrison

Director, Student Enrollment Services

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program

[kris_]

Hi Mr. Morrison,

 

Thank you for your wonderful answer to my question! That helps to clarify things. The only question I was pondering about the admissions committee was "Will they see this me making an excuse for my poor performance?" I will definitely explain how the experience changed my perspective.

 

Thanks again!

Kris

[Patho]

Thanks for the tip. While I was reading this thread, I was wondering, when and how does the academic question come up during the course of the interview. Is it simply an adcom asking, "Tell me about your grades?" or is it something more subtle that we have to pick up on and then elaborate on our own?