If you’re considering not disclosing something, make a very careful analysis that should include:
-Very carefully reviewing the language of the relevant question(s) on each law school application—the precise language will vary and so may mean that one school clearly requires disclosure of something that isn’t included on another school’s list.
-Carefully review all paperwork associated with the incident and any public or school records relating to the incident.
-Determine the exact legal term used in conjunction with the incident, find out exactly what it means, and then do the same for each of the terms included in the question to be very sure whether or not one of those terms is
synonymous with or encompasses your situation.
-Get help answering this question if necessary: an attorney in the state and county where the incident occurred and was cited or prosecuted would be the best source of information about how that offense and adjudication is properly classified.
-Ask the school; if you’re not comfortable discussing the situation openly with someone in the admissions office, simply make a call as a prospective student who hasn’t yet applied and don’t share your name. Explain your situation and find out whether or not the school would consider this item to be covered by its application question.
As always, err on the side of disclosure. If this analysis yields any uncertainty or apparent gray area, default to the original advice: disclose, disclose, disclose.
When an Explanation is Optional
Law school applications also generally provide the opportunity to explain pieces of your application that you would like to clear up, put in perspective or simply distance yourself from by pointing out the passage of time and the positive change that has occurred in the interim.
Maybe you weren’t on academic probation, but your freshman year GPA was a 2.1 and you averaged a 3.9 during each of your last three years. That set of circumstances may or may not warrant an addendum, depending on:
-How your numbers match up with the numbers the school is publishing: if the net result of your single bad year followed by three good years was a 3.7 GPA and the school you’re applying to has a median GPA of 3.2, you might do just as well to leave it alone—why point out a “negative” that would otherwise never have been perceived as negative? If you come in under median or in the bottom 25% just because of that one bad year, it is probably to your advantage to write the addendum and recalculate.
-What kind of explanation you have to offer: if your GPA was low during your freshman year because you drank a lot and didn’t show up for class, you probably don’t want to write this statement unless you have to—that is, unless the numbers and your other factors for this school require you to showcase your GPA in a more positive way. On the other hand, if your grades were lower because you were working full-time during your freshman year or had a new baby or faced some kind of family crisis, it’s worth offering that explanation and your recalculated GPA.
-What other addenda you’re including with your application. While you want to provide the information and perspective necessary to mitigate any negatives, including three or four different essays attempting to explain away some aspect of your record can do more harm than good—you end up with a stack of explanations that work together to point out to the reader that your application is riddled with problems. If you’re in this situation, you may have to prioritize.
There may be other factors depending on the specifics of your situation. The bottom line is that before you submit any non-required explanation statement, think seriously about whether it does more to enhance your application or to draw attention to a negative that might not have had a serious impact if you’d left it alone.
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