I have a 3.18 undergraduate GPA, which isn't great for the schools I want to get into (I'll be applying to top 20 engineering schools for computer engineering). I was pretty blind to this at the time, but I was consumed by a bad relationship during my junior year and beginning of senior year that had a really bad impact on my balance of life and health at the time. It's especially evident in my grades, which are good Freshman and Sophomore year (A's/B's), droop to C's/B's junior year, then rise back up to B's/A's towards the end of senior year. I'd really appreciate some advice on how to extenuate my GPA using my Statement of Purpose!
Some other info:
My GRE score is strong (167 M / 162 V / 4.5 Writing), I still managed to get two letters of rec from professors and a strong one from a VP in my company, and my design work experience in my company is extremely valuable for what I am applying to (computer engineering). The glaring black mark is the 3.18 GPA, which if I don't address it, I don't think I am doing myself any justice with how hard I've worked on the other parts of my application.
What's the best way to exonerate myself while sounding professional and not seeming like I'm whining/making excuses? How directly should I talk about my overall mental health/balance at the time? Has anyone been in a similar situation?
Kind of related question: given my situation, does anyone have any advice on what the balance should be between talking about what I have accomplished (design work) at my company vs. why I am interested in the school's program/what I plan to do with my degree?
Thanks for the help!!
