Got a C+ in Intro to Symbolic Logic: am I doomed? (And should I mention it in my personal statement if not?)

[SXS0P8HDYL]

Hello all,

I've already applied to three schools (Tufts, SFU, NIU) and I'm about to apply to at least 4 more by the end of this month (all funded MA programs). But now the fact that I got a C+ in Intro to Symbolic Logic in my Sophomore year and then never took a logic course again is really making me nervous. It's an outlier compared to my philosophy grades (A's and A-'s otherwise, with one B+ from a course I took in German on study away), but I suspect it will look pretty bad to the admissions committee (because it raises doubts about my ability to finish the logic prerequisite). 

Worse, I don't really have a good excuse for it. It was a pandemic class held on Zoom, so it wasn't exactly taken under the best circumstances, but I did fine on all my other classes that year. I just wasn't interested (in analytic philosophy as a whole back then, really), and since I wasn't thinking much about grad school, I didn't put in very much effort. I feel pretty stupid about that now.

So far I haven't mentioned it at all, on the basis of the advice given in this article not to explain weaknesses unless they're truly enormous. If it's likely to be a huge deal, then perhaps saying something about it might make sense. But if not, then perhaps it would be better to ignore it and hope the admissions committee doesn't care or doesn't notice. Which seems like the better choice?

[eternal]

It's not the best but it's not the worst, either. The fact that it was only in your sophomore year helps a bit. Perhaps best not to mention it, but get some second opinions from professors. Is it too late to take it again, or enroll in a similar course? That's something you could mention.

[SXS0P8HDYL]

Thanks for the response!

Unfortunately it is probably too late to take another logic course, since I've already graduated and I'm applying this cycle. One of my professors said to mention it if I have something to say to explain to the admissions committee. Since I really don't have a good excuse (I suspect "it was the pandemic" will seem pretty pathetic, while the more honest "I just didn't care about formal logic back then" would only make the situation worse), I'll probably take your advice and not mention it.

[SXS0P8HDYL]

For anyone reading this thread in the future: I got in at a couple of the funded MA programs I applied for (GSU and NIU), so having a C+ in Intro to Symbolic Logic doesn't necessarily make you doomed.