Undergraduate / Explanation for a low grade - Transfer Essay [5]

Hi All,

I want to explain a C that I got in my Calculus III class in my transfer application. Does this do the job? And does the information at the end stick out? I can see no other place to put that information about the language requirement.

Also Vector Calculus is an extension of Calculus III.

Prompt:
If you are unable to meet one or more of the transfer admission requirements for your program, please explain in the box to the right. You can also use this opportunity to share any additional information you feel we should be aware of while reviewing your application, including extenuating circumstances that affected your academic record.

I would like to take this opportunity to address the circumstances behind the sudden drop in my GPA especially during the Fall Semester of 2011.

Late during the summer of 2011, my father decided to move back to India to be with my grandparents. They were not able to meet their financial obligations without him and were in danger of being evicted.

That caused a sudden unusual financial pressure on our family here in the US. We went from a two-income household to a single income family and the effects were immediate. That was how I ended up working 2 jobs and 42 hours a week while trying to keep up with 16 credit hours of course load for most of the Fall Semester of 2011. For the majority of my Calculus III classes that semester, I would enter the class completely exhausted after having been through an eleven-hour day combining both work and school.

After the initial shock of the C had passed, I decided to pull myself together and work harder. I made a request at [...] for a day off, brought my work load down to a more manageable 36 hours and used that time to catch up. I took the Additional Topics-Vector Calculus course and managed to ace it with flying colors. I admit that was when I really developed a more comprehensive understanding of Calculus.

Looking back, I believe that I learned a really practical lesson and gained valuable time management skills from this episode. Although it led to a poor grade, I believe that this experience made me a better student and a better person. I hope that my circumstances will be taken into account when evaluating my application.

Another information that I would also like to share is that I am proficient in Hindi and I am willing to take the proficiency test to complete the language requirement.