Should I provide explanation for a bad grade?

[FrancisHsu]

I am an undergrad applying MFE and I have three majors and one of them is Mathematics, out of all math courses I have taken I earned a "C" in Real Analysis. Anyone with math background should know that it is a pivotal course and I am fearing that this grade will hurt my chances. In my defense, this is the only "C" I have ever earned in my undergraduate years, and the grade result from the broken design of the syllabus and irresponsible teaching. Should I provide a detailed explanation on what happened as supplemental material? I am afraid that it may sound like I am trying to making excuses which is the opposite of what I intended.

 

[CasanovaJ]

Providing explanations for isolated weak grades is generally considered to be a good idea I think, but only if done effectively. "I got a bad grade because I thought the professor was really unfair and the course really sucked" will just come across as whining, and it probably won't help you.

 

[C S]

I am an undergrad applying MFE and I have three majors and one of them is Mathematics, out of all math courses I have taken I earned a "C" in Real Analysis. Anyone with math background should know that it is a pivotal course and I am fearing that this grade will hurt my chances. In my defense, this is the only "C" I have ever earned in my undergraduate years, and the grade result from the broken design of the syllabus and irresponsible teaching. Should I provide a detailed explanation on what happened as supplemental material? I am afraid that it may sound like I am trying to making excuses which is the opposite of what I intended.

As you say, it is a pivotal course. Meaning, you should have gone on to take further significant math coursework, which is evidence enough that your C grade is a fluke. If you did not, then instead of "pivotal" you mean "peak", which isn't all that impressive, as far as math majors go, especially since the evidence is you failed to achieve a higher level there. Also consider that real analysis is typically a course that distinguishes the real math majors from the poseurs, who often give excuses like the kind you gave. Given all that, I would emphasize what you did well.

 

[bigbadwolf]

I am an undergrad applying MFE and I have three majors and one of them is Mathematics, out of all math courses I have taken I earned a "C" in Real Analysis. Anyone with math background should know that it is a pivotal course and I am fearing that this grade will hurt my chances. In my defense, this is the only "C" I have ever earned in my undergraduate years, and the grade result from the broken design of the syllabus and irresponsible teaching. Should I provide a detailed explanation on what happened as supplemental material? I am afraid that it may sound like I am trying to making excuses which is the opposite of what I intended.

If you got A's in courses like complex analysis and abstract algebra you probably don't need to bother. Concur with C S.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Real Analysis is a watershed topic.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Real Analysis is a watershed topic.

But why is that? The ones having difficulty with the subject -- are they the same ones who in decades past had problems with Euclidean geometry in high school (i.e., the formal structure of definition-lemma-theorem-corollary)? Or is it something about the definition of the reals -- the l.u.b. property that is not grokked in fullness, for example?

 

[Daniel Duffy]

But why is that? The ones having difficulty with the subject -- are they the same ones who in decades past had problems with Euclidean geometry in high school (i.e., the formal structure of definition-lemma-theorem-corollary)? Or is it something about the definition of the reals -- the l.u.b. property that is not grokked in fullness, for example?

Hard to be precise but analysis is thinking (in the Polya sense) while the other stuff is like learning stuff, methodically.

 

[yetanotherquant]

The only problem (however, it is a big problem) with grades is to pass thru the first filter: a trainee HR, who has a directive to throw away the candidates with an average grade less than x.
But not every company engages such filter. So if it is there, your explanation will not really help. And if not - you'd better explain during the interview rather than in cover letter.

 

[Hemant Dua]

@FrancisHsu I have somewhat similar concerns. I scored relatively poorly on a Probability course in my first year at college. Most other scores on hardcore math courses have been excellent for me, but I continue to sweat it out over that one blemish on the record.

As some others have stated, you should look at putting emphasis on all your strong points in the application, rather than resorting to excuses for that one bad score.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

You could go back and do Real Analysis again, but better in all ways.

 

[FrancisHsu]

Thanks for everyone's advices, I do have good grades in other similarly difficult (I think) courses: Complex analysis, abstract algebra, differential geometry, etc. So I guess I will just let it play itself out.

 

[FrancisHsu]

You could go back and do Real Analysis again, but better in all ways.

After that course (which uses lecturer's notes as textbook) I go through Pugh's Real Mathematical Analysis on my own but other than that I can't help because my schedule is stuffed.

 

[bigbadwolf]

After that course (which uses lecturer's notes as textbook) I go through Pugh's Real Mathematical Analysis on my own but other than that I can't help because my schedule is stuffed.

Bought it about ten years back. A fine book. I like his discussion of the Lebesgue integral.