<p>Hello friends!
I suffered from depression from 8th grade to my junior year of high school, and near the end of junioryear actually attempted suicide. I won't explain the whole story, but basically in the hospital and at the mental hospital I was sent to I had some experiences that completely changed my outlook on life. I am now so much better and am really excited for my future. I was just wondering if I should talk about this in my essay. One of the prompts is to tell a story that is an important part of who I am, and I believe that the story of my depression and suicide attempt definitely is. I don't plan on writing it like a sob story or an excuse for anything, but rather a story of how I finally found hope for myself and for my future. I have heard some people say it is bad to mention mental illness in a college application, however, so I was wondering if this is a good or bad idea?
Thank you all very much!</p>
<p>This is a hugely risky topic. Bottom line, colleges are reluctant to risk admitting students who have had serious mental health issues. I know this is a very prominent thing in your life, but my strong advice is to find something else to write about. You want to give admissions counselors a reason to want you on campus. This is a reason to NOT want you, no matter how optimistic you are about your recovery and the future. I assume there is more to you that is interesting and differentiates you from other applicants besides these events in your life. Brainstorm on those ideas and skip this one.</p>
<p>Nope. Hide it. Sorry.</p>
<p>Obviously such an interesting story and I’m sure it’s a big part of your life and really meaningful but at the end of the day colleges don’t want the risk of having someone with mental health issues on campus. Even if you got over all your problems, it’s just easier to admit someone who doesn’t have a history. Think of something else.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>