What Actually Counts as a Red Flag on Your Application? Expert Advice

Kendra_Solis

What counts as a 'red flag' on your application? We reached out to a Kaplan admissions consultant (who is also a Doctor) to get the real scoop. She broke down exactly what you should address, what you can save for the interview, and why you should stop worrying about those slightly less-than-perfect grades. Check out her expert tips below.

Red Flags on Applications

• Academic Performance: Incomplete courses or failed classes are significant red flags.
• Gaps in Schooling: Taking a semester off is not necessarily a "bad" red flag, provided you have a justification or can show what you were doing during that time. However, it will stand out to the committee.
• Legal History: Criminal offenses, felonies, and misdemeanors will stand out and require an explanation.

Strategic Advice for Your Application

• Be Prepared to Explain: For major red flags (like legal issues), be ready to include explanations in your primary application, expand on them in supplementals, and discuss them during the interview.
• Don't Over-Explain Minor Grades: A B- or a C+ is typically not a red flag. Do not write an entire paragraph explaining these grades in your written application. Highlighting them in writing draws unnecessary attention to them.
• Focus on the Big Picture: Admissions committees focus more on your overall GPA. If a lower grade was in a non-science class, it is even less of a concern.
• The Interview is Your Safety Net: If you feel strongly about addressing a minor grade or a specific gap, save that discussion for the interview rather than taking up space in your written application.

Key Takeaway: Unless there is a failure, an incomplete, or a major gap, be confident in your application. Don't point out flaws that the committee might have otherwise overlooked.

Let us know:
Looking back at your own journey, is there a 'hiccup' you’ve been over-thinking that might actually just be a part of your unique story?