【Career Development Centre of Student Affairs Office】Further Study Insider (6) — Concerned About Your GPA? Learn How to Address Academic Weaknesses in Your Recommendation Letter

【學生事務部 生涯發展中心】 升學情報 (六) -- GPA未如理想？推薦信巧妙化解成績短板

 2025-11-04     SAO-SCS     Bulletin / 公告    (Expired/已過期)

Applicants with slightly lower GPAs often make the critical mistake of avoiding discussion of their academic weaknesses in their reference letters, which paradoxically draws more attention to these weaknesses. In fact, recommendation letters are the ideal place to provide context for your academic record. The following strategies will help your professor present your situation effectively and turn your perceived weaknesses into strengths.

Strategy 1: Contextualise Your Progress

⊗ What not to do: Asking your professor to write “Although the student’s grades were average, he/she worked hard.” is a disguised acknowledgement of a lack of ability.

♥ Effective approach: “While Zhang only scored 72 on his first-year calculus module, I later learned that he had been caring for a family member in the hospital. Notably, he achieved a score of 92 in my advanced statistics module and demonstrated significant progress in independent research.”

⇒ Key tip: Prepare a list of modules in which you excelled later on, to help your professor demonstrate your upward trajectory.

 

Strategy 2: Showcase Unique Abilities Beyond Grades

♥ Effective approach: “Out of the dozens of students I’ve supervised, only Wang could independently complete the empirical analysis for the XX paper. This research potential is a better predictor of postgraduate success than a single exam result.”

⇒ Key tip: Prepare 1-2 standout achievements (e.g., research projects or academic competitions) and politely ask if these could be emphasised in the letter.

 

 

⇓⇓⇓ You may provide professors with supporting materials for your academic performance ⇓⇓⇓

  • Context for lower marks: “I was concurrently working on the XX research project (see attached).”
  • Strengths to highlight:
    1. Independent research ability (e.g., XX project)
    2. Resilience (e.g., improving from a C to an A)
    3. Technical skills (e.g., big data analysis)

 

Important Notes!
× Never ask a professor to misrepresent facts.
× Avoid quoting the GPA directly.
× Ensure that professors do not all use the same explanations – this raises red flags.

 

Recommended action: Identify a module for which you achieved excellent grades later in your studies, and schedule a meeting with the professor as soon as possible.

 

Instead of rejecting applicants who lack the required GPA, admissions officers want to see that applicants can explain their situation properly.

GPA稍遜的申請者常犯一個致命錯誤：在推薦信中刻意迴避成績問題，反而令招生官更加關注。其實，推薦信正是解釋學術表現的最佳途徑！以下兩個策略，能讓教授在推薦信中合理說明你的情況，將劣勢轉化為優勢。

策略一：以客觀因素解釋進步軌跡

⊗ 錯誤示範：讓教授寫“雖然該生成績一般，但十分努力”，變相確認能力不足。

♥ 理想寫法：“張同學大一的微積分（72分）表現未如理想，後來得知他當時需照顧住院家人。值得留意的是，他在我的《高等統計學》（92分）及獨立研究中展現顯著進步”。

⇒ 執行要點：面談時準備後期取得優異成績的科目清單，讓教授注意到你的進步趨勢。

 

策略二：以特殊能力超越分數局限

♥ 理想寫法：“在我指導過的數十名學生中，只有王同學能獨立完成XX論文的實證分析——這種研究潛力遠比單次考試成績更能反映其研究生階段的成功可能”。

⇒ 執行要點：預先準備1-2個突出表現事例（如研究項目、學術競賽），禮貌詢問教授是否適合在推薦信中強調。

 

 

⇓⇓⇓ 面談時可向教授提供學業表現說明材料 ⇓⇓⇓

  • 具解釋空間的科目：例如“當時我正參與XX科研項目（附研究成果）”。
  • 建議突出的能力：
    1. 獨立研究能力（例：XX項目）。
    2. 逆境成長力（例：由C級躍升至A級的科目）。
    3. 專業技能（例：大數據分析能力）。

 

注意事項！
× 切勿要求教授提供不實資訊。
× 避免直接提及GPA分數。
× 同時找多個教授寫相同理由，這會容易引起招生官的懷疑。

 

行動建議：選取一門後期取得優異成績的專業科目，盡快預約教授面談。

 

招生官並非排斥GPA未達標的申請者，而是希望看到申請人能夠恰當說明自身情況。