Hi all, I am currently a CAP student at the university of texas at arlington. URM female who would like to apply to Boston University, UT, USC and Columbia (I know they are reaches. I am looking for safeties) for film production. I had mild depression and anxiety the end of my senior year (I have since visited a therapist and am all right now) and so I barely made B’s my senior year. If I write in my essay about dealing with those mental issues will it hamper my chances of getting in? Also, I would gladly appreciate it if you list any safeties for film production.
Perhaps re post here? http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/
Good luck
It’s never a good idea to write about mental issues.
Yes, agree w Erin’s Dad. I used to think it was fine to write about mental illness, but colleges do see that as either a liability or a probable hindrance in your future performance, especially your senior year. Colleges also want to save where they can, and they don’t want a ton of depressed and anxious people requesting mental health services, or improvements. I do think the only way you can mention it is where you had problems very early in life, but overcame them, and your high school performance did not suffer.
Best idea in this case is to say you had problems with family life, that way colleges know the only impediment to your performance is your family, and you will not be around them during your time at university.
@okon2122 my problem is that dealing with those issues impacted my grades the end of my senior year and I dont want for colleges to think that I stopped caring my senior year or that I had a bad case of senioritis. My fall senior year grades are fine its my spring grades that I’m worried might be looked at the wrong way.
Sorry to hear about what you’ve suffered through. I have gone through HORRIBLE depression due to an intestinal disease, which is pretty much why I am studying psychology, but I wouldn’t put about mental issues in my essay. I REALLY wouldn’t do it if you’re going to live on campus because as stated above, a liability, and still, though it is a college, some people are going to see a depressed person more likely to commit something that could harm themselves or others. Good luck (:
If you can mention the impact it had on the grades in an Additional Info section, that would be better than making it the focus of an essay. Give the college a reason to accept you. You want to use this essay to paint yourself in the best light.
Don’t make it central to your application essays. Instead, briefly mention you encountered a medical condition and were treated, but it interfered with your grades in senior year of high school. Include this only in the Additional Info section.
great idea! When I do that should I make it a paragraph or a simple sentence?
imo, by mentioning this you are expecting them to then make a determination if you are sufficiently recovered and stable and they just don’t have the information to do that. I would not recommend including it.