So, I’m 18 and I was wondering if it’s appropriate to talk about my struggle with depression in my essay. I missed a lot of school due to hospitalizations, so my grades are a bit erratic, although high; I took an extra year to graduate. In addition, I wasn’t able to do many activities/ECs due to hospitalizations. I think that talking about it in my essay could help explain the odd bits of my transcript; in addition, I don’t want colleges to think I’m a slacker, or unmotivated. Does anybody have any advice?
Please take great care in choosing where to apply to best get continued access to treatment and the right environment for you to manage your depression.
Depression is generally not considered a good essay topic.
I would just say that you had health issues that impacted your attendance and ECs in the Additional Information section. I would not specify what they were. Colleges are not especially eager to accept students with past mental health issues. Even if you think you have them under control, they are concerned that they could recur. Pick another topic for your essay.
You should also apply mostly to schools that match your actual academic & test scores, not what you wish they were.
Schools and employers and anyone else evaluating you for positions want to hear about your strengths and assets, not your weak spots. Your guidance counselor can mention “an illness” that has limited your EC’s. You would be better off writing about positive things.
Colleges get nervous about depression because of heightened risk to the student. They want students to adapt well and thrive. If your depression comes up have a plan for how you will manage it at school. Which you should have anyway for your own sake.
In additional information, write “due to serious health issues requiring hospitalization, I couldn’t participate in many outside activities and was required to spread my high school schooling over five years.”
That’s it.
And your essay should be about strong points of yours wrapped up on a cool narrative.
Please do not use depression as an essay topic. Legally, you are not obliged to disclose depression in college admissions. If you do disclose information such as hospitalizations, absences and poorer grades, and anything else related to depression can and probably will be included in discussions about your admission. The college may be concerned about depression hampering your academic performance there which might even result in an adverse decision decision that you could not challenge as a disability as you had raised the topic.
Further, depression would be difficult to describe clearly without talking about its impact on your schooling.
My suggested rule of thumb is that a struggle, problem, or illness should be used as an essay topic only if you have completely overcome that problem, and can demonstrate it in the essay.
Your essay should give colleges a reason why they would want to accept you, not a reason why they should be nervous about bringing you onto campus.
@Hunt and many many people who struggle with depression often find it is a recurring problem. Young adults think it is sometimes it is a struggle they have overcome. Adults i.e. the admissions officers and faculty who will be reading your essays know the true story is that it is often a relapsing illness.
Your guidance counselor can-- and will-- include that information in the letter he or she will write on your behalf.
The point behind your essay is not to explain what went wrong-- why your attendance was erratic or the struggles you’ve been through.
It’s to sell your application. This is a sales job, pure and simple. Your essay should leave the essay feeling like he wants to know you better, like he wants you on his campus because you would be such a great addition.
So choose something upbeat, something that paints you in much better light. Everyone has been through struggles of one type or another, but this isn’t the right time to highlight them.
Good luck!
You can always include this in the additional information section and have your counselor right about it! That is how I am handling my concussion in my common apps. Tell them about another aspect of yourself or tell them a story… not what defines you but how you define yourself! 