Hello all. So I have a bit of a unique situation and would appreciate any advice. I am in my last year of undergrad and am in the process of researching/reaching out to potential advisors. However, I am a bit worried because of my academic past. Basically, i've been enrolled in 3 different colleges for undergrad and my college experience has been broken up over several years. This is mainly because of a combination of financial issues(as I was basically kicked out of the house when I turned 18 and have had no support from parents) as well as the fact that i've been working in the field.
At all 3 colleges i've had a 4.0 GPA, great rec letters, and research experience, but i'm worried that it will seem like a red flag, or that I am not committed. My CV explains all the gaps and I have had some great field research experience and have learned tons of great skills, and i've even worked under the top researcher in my(i'll admit, very niche) field for several years.
I'm wondering if it would be appropriate to attach a small letter describing and giving more detail about my college experience, because just looking at the transcripts is very confusing given the different ways the colleges award credits and things like that. Would it be appropriate to state that this was because of financial issues? I'm also worried that reading that will give the impression that I am not able to afford grad school, which is untrue- i'm in a much better financial state than I was before.
Or am I just overthinking and it will be fine?
Is my college experience likely to be a hindrance in my grad school applications?
Should I even bring this up or not draw attention to it?
