Getting personal in the personal statement

[Waco-Waco]

Ok guys - hopefully this will be my last panicky post, any advice, as always, greatly appreciated.

So - I'm gonna get real for a sec. My undergrad results are good (UK marking system as opposed to GPA - not sure how it equates, but I think it's something like 3.7. I think) but there are a few hiccups here and there, earlier on in university (first and second year). Fact of the matter is, one of my parents passed away unexpectedly a week before university started, which, frankly, affected my entire university life/successes - particularly first and second year. Through some weird pride I never 'used' this to ask for extensions, mitigating circumstances, etc - which in retrospect I certainly should have done. My question is (you can see this coming), do I mention this fact in my SOP by way of explaining a few rocky results? Thing is, I obviously don't want to come across as making excuses, and I definitely don't want it to seem like I'm 'using' this death. But at the same time, the truth is that it *has* adversely affected particular aspects of my academic successes/results. 

 

I wasn't planning on mentioning it at all - this is just one of those last-minute freak outs.

 

Anyway, thanks folks - hope all your apps/terms are going well.

[hippyscientist]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I too had personal losses before and during university which affected my grades (I only came out with a 3.3 - very low 2:1).  I mentioned my circumstances in a line in my SOP, something along the lines of "due to the loss of four very close friends, my fathers diagnosis with cancer and the loss of my grandfather to cancer over the time of my bachelors degree, I do not feel I have reached my full academic potential. However, I know I am a stronger student for experiencing these things, as I have learnt how to excel in the face of adversity, gaining a first on my final year project. I am looking forward to producing work of the standard I know I am capable of in my graduate studies" and I know my LORs are mentioning this too, they know through conversations that I knew a lot more than my exam and coursework marks showed. 

The trick with these things is to show that yes, it affected you, but it's made you a stronger person, better candidate for further study. I think it would be naive to ignore it, as grief changes you as a person, and matures you a lot faster than graduates who have yet to experience substantial hardships. I hope that helps a bit?

[kurayamino]

I think that a little bit of personal information to explain a circumstance or define who you are as a scholar is important. You are more than just the sum result of your academic achievements after all. The key is to keep it concise and to make sure it's doing the job you need it to do. I think piglet's advice is sound in making sure that you have learned from the experience or are looking forward, rather than just apologizing for something that was beyond your control. I'm sorry to hear about your loss Waco. I hope that this advice is useful.

[__________________________]

I don't think having something like a 3.7 GPA (or its equivalent) is bad at all, especially for an overall average.  Last season, I got 4 fully funded (3 Phd, 1 MA), viable offers at reputable schools with a 3.6.  So I wouldn't expect that talking about such a thing would really have much to do with talking about your GPA.  But I don't know you and haven't read your writing.  So, you know.  Salt.

It's your call, obviously.  But were I you I'd use the limited space of an SOP to focus strictly on matters professional and academic.  It's easy to freak out over the details.  Instead, start picturing the kind of scholar you want to become, which questions and passions motivate you, and work on conveying that.  That's more important than any of your statistics.  If terrible personal loss plays an indispensable/vital role in that, then talk about it.  If not, I'd (personally) stick to the scholarship.  I think it's much easier to produce good writing that way.