If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the committee should be aware, please explain them here.

Sample One

I believe that my professional and military experiences have prepared me for the academic and quantitative rigors at Wharton. I’ve always had a passion for learning and a desire to participate in my community, and I graduated 4th in my class from high school. During my first two years of college, however, my undergraduate academic performance suffered in part because I struggled to balance my 15-hour a week commitment to ROTC and the heavy course load of a double major. My intellectual curiosity and commitment to succeed never faltered but my transcripts my first two years of school do reflect that I was still learning how to balance my many competing commitments. My transcripts also reflect that my time management and ability to prioritize improved in my final two years of college.

My professional experience indicates that I am now adept at fulfilling numerous commitments; I have excelled as both an Army officer and a management consultant, earning rapid promotions in both settings. Thanks to my professional and military experience, today I am prepared for the academically challenging environment at Wharton and I believe that I will excel as both a student and a leader.

Sample Two

My academic performance experienced a downward trend during my junior year as the result of working near full time. In 2001, I was devastated to learn that my father had been diagnosed with eye cancer and was in danger of losing his sight. I had always admired my father and the financial assistance he gave my grandfather, so I was determined to help however I could. Ultimately, although it pained me to sacrifice some aspects of my college experience, I decided to take a near full-time job while still a full-time student in order to help pay for my father’s treatment.

Working 30 to 35 hours a week, attending classes, and striving to be emotionally supportive to my family was very challenging at the age of 19. In addition to my difficult academic commitments, my job was very demanding and required me to develop many new skills in a short time period. Consequently I missed out in establishing deeper relationships with my classmates and had to overcome many self doubts throughout the process. As I assessed my personal priorities, however, I discovered a passionate resolve to support my loved ones and a resilient spirit that has given me the confidence to succeed under even the most unfavorable conditions. I also realized I had the maturity and will to carry others through hardships. In the end, with my relentless support to pay for his medical care, my father was able to recover vision in his left eye. Today, strengthened by the experience of overcoming this personal challenge, I am ready to become fully engaged with Wharton’s challenging curriculum.

Sample Three

I would like to provide additional evidence of my quantitative ability in light of the C- in college statistics on my transcript, which was a consequence of poor final exam preparation rather than a weakness in my analytical abilities. I believe that my solid GMAT math score (49/87%), strong performance in college finance classes, A in business calculus, and success in management consulting at PWC (ranked among top three analysts from class of fifty, based largely on financial modeling skills) are better indicators that I am well prepared for the analytical rigor of the Wharton curriculum.