Can you write about depression on college apps?

If a student feels that they must discuss their mental health, they should do so in the “Additional Information” section of the college application, not the Personal Statement. Depending on the application, students may also want to attach a note from a psychiatrist or therapist.

Can I mention depression in college essay?

Mental health history or a disability might be an integral part of who a student is, but that doesn't necessarily make it relevant to a college application. Keep in mind that it is actually illegal for colleges to ask for these types of details about your life because it can be considered discrimination.

How do you explain depression on a college application?

All of the college planners mentioned above agree that if your mental health struggle in high school clearly impacted your performance, then you should mention it in the “Additional Information” portion of the Common Application — but only in a factual manner.

Is it OK to write about mental health in college essays?

Conventional wisdom would caution students against discussing mental health issues in their applications. College essay consultants have discouraged students choosing it as a topic in the past. However, we also encourage students to be bold, speak their truth, and stand out from the crowd.

Is it OK to write a sad college essay?

While there's no definitive answer to whether or not sad college essays will work for every student, it's important to focus on presenting a well-written, genuine, and impactful story. If your "sad" topic is truly significant to your life and has shaped your character or values, then it might be a strong choice.

Should You Talk About Mental Health in Your College Essays?

Should I write a sob story for college essay?

As someone who has been on the receiving end of many sad essays, rest assured that this is not a strategy I would recommend to any student. No college admissions reader wants to spend an entire day reading sad or depressing stories from their students.

Do sob story college essays work?

Students need not make up sob stories to improve their cases for admission to elite universities. In fact, we always discourage students from telling sob stories. We don't want students writing about illnesses that they, their parents, or grandparents have faced.

What is inappropriate to write about in a college essay?

Most topics are acceptable for college essays if you can use them to demonstrate personal growth or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are: Overly personal (e.g. graphic details of illness or injury, romantic or sexual relationships)

What not to write in a personal college essay?

Is it okay to talk about trauma in a college essay?

Students should not need traumatic experiences in their past in order to be competitive applicants, nor should they feel forced to disclose anything that they may have gone through. Pain should not be the avenue through which students must represent themselves.

Do colleges consider depression?

The only reason to include your experience with depression in your college application essay is if you had something very bad happen on account of the depression, and you overcame it heroically, and you have nothing better to write about that showcases why a college would want you as a student.

Do colleges look at mental health records?

Unless you give your therapist permission to release your records to a college or university, they won't have access to your records. In fact, you don't have to reveal to anyone except a therapist that you are in treatment for a mental disorder.

Can depression affect college grades?

Research suggests that depression is associated with lower grade point averages, and that co-occurring depression and anxiety can increase this association. Depression has also been linked to dropping out of school. Many college students report that mental health difficulties interfere with their studies.

Should I talk about mental health in my personal statement?

The majority of your personal statement should be devoted to explaining your motivations for further study and (if it's a research Master's) your potential to do good research. However, since your mental health had such a big impact on your grades, I would add one or two sentences explaining that this was the case.

Can I talk about death in my college essay?

It is commonly said that students should avoid “the 5 Ds” when selecting a college essay topic: Death, Divorce, Disease (including Depression), Drugs, and Dating. This is not to say that these topics are not important or worthy of being written about.

How do you explain depression to a professor?

Explaining Your Mental Health

Try saying, “My struggles with mental health have caused me to miss the last 3 classes, and this has knocked my grade down quite a bit. Is there any extra credit work or late assignment credit you could give me to make up for it?”

What should you not say on a college application?

You shouldn't be dishonest. Don't plagiarize. Don't lie. For your own sake, you should honestly and unpretentiously present yourself and your case for admission, so you can get the school that's the best fit.

Is name dropping bad in college essays?

It will only significantly increase the likelihood of rejection. Name dropping in college essays is one of the items on our checklist of things that will make rejection exceedingly likely. People don't like braggarts. People don't like people who are trying so hard to impress.

What is too personal for a college essay?

Highly Personal Topics

College essay topics to avoid also include anything that's highly personal or a delicate subject. For example, avoid doing an essay that provides too much detail on an illness, disability, or injury, especially a severe one.

Can a bad essay ruin your college application?

A bad essay will prompt an admission officer to assume one of two things: 1) either you don't care enough about your future at their school to take the time to write a good essay or 2) you aren't academically up to attending their college or university. Neither of those assumptions will help you get admitted.

What is the most common college essay topic?

Is one typo in a college essay bad?

You double and triple-checked each essay, and you were positive that everything was perfecto. But then, you reviewed your submitted materials and — gasp — you noticed a mistake! Don't panic. One mistake is not going to jeopardize your admission.

Do admissions officers read your whole essay?

Yes, admissions officers do actually read essays, but they might have already screened candidates first in a preliminary round. Every admissions office has a different process and it's impossible to sum up the exact step-by-step process for each admission office in one blog post.

Who actually reads college essays?

Your essay will be read by the admission committee, which will include admission counselors and in some cases professors. Typically, the counselor that either works with students from your area or evaluates applications for the major to which you have applied will be the first person to read your application.

Do colleges actually care about essays?

Ultimately, the college essay remains important because it can be a key factor in the admissions process. So before you submit that application packet, make sure your essay has all the “write” ingredients to help you stand out.