UC Davis Medical School Admissions Counselors

Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee.

 

This is your chance to address any glaring deficiencies in your application. This question is actually more difficult than it seems at first glance, as you need to explain any specific red flags while still taking ownership of the mistake.

 

Things like poor grades (typically anything C- or under, although if your transcript is otherwise stellar, any one grade that stands out from the rest is worthy of explanation), extended leaves of absence from school, disciplinary action, or not being able to obtain a committee letter from your pre-med committee is worth discussing.

 

While this answer will obviously vary depending on your specific situation, you want your explanation to be sincere.

 

Take full ownership of a bad grade: provide the context from which it occurred, but don’t use that as an excuse. Use this section also to explain to the committee what you learned from the experience.