Hi,
I’m currently a junior in high school and looking at colleges to apply to next year. I have suffered from social anxiety and severe depression since I was about 13 (I’m now 17), and the depression has mostly gotten worse over the past few years. I’ve been hospitalized for suicide related reasons three times within the past two years and have also had to deal with an alcoholic sister and other family issues throughout the course of my high school career.
As a result of these things my grades have suffered. I take all honors classes, except this year I took CP Physics because math/science aren’t my strong suit, and I may take CP Algebra 2 next year. This year I also took AP English Language and AP Music Theory (those will most likely be my only two AP’s). My freshman year was good, I received all A’s and B’s, but sophomore year I started getting some C’s, and this year (which I know is often considered the most important for colleges) I nearly failed algebra 2 but passed with a D and received mostly B’s and C’s on my report card. I only have one quarter left of the school year to get my final grades up. The last I checked my gpa was a 3.2 (I’m not sure if it was weighted or unweighted, it’s just what was on my transcript) but since last quarter I’m pretty sure it’s gone down and at the very least I would like for colleges to see a 3.3 or a 3.4 and I only have the end of this year and the beginning of my senior year to accomplish that.
My only extra curricular is participating in the school musical yearly (I also had a job for about a year but I know that doesn’t count for anything). I’m now worried I’m not going to get in anywhere. My top school right now is probably Mills College in Oakland, CA. It has an acceptance rate of 84% and the average gpa of those accepted in the 17-18 class was 3.55 with SAT range 1470–1760. If I manage to do really well on my SATs and keep my gpa at least in the low 3’s, do I have any chance of getting in there? Or anywhere for that matter?
And should I mention my mental health struggles when applying? I’m just terrified I won’t get into any schools and I don’t know what to do. I know on paper it seems that I don’t have much to offer to schools and I just want to show that I am capable of being successful and that I would be a good addition to the schools I want to apply to. Please help.
Definitely mention your struggles with mental health. You could make that your main topic of your common app essay. As long as you don’t sound as if you are complaining or using it as an excuse. People today are generally accepting of mental health issues and are willing to listen and talk about them, so don’t be afraid. I wish you luck!
I would be cautious about any discussion of your mental health history. I think if you talk about any mental health issues, it would be important to be able to show that you have resolved your problems and that you are not a risk to the college going forward. I wouldn’t necessarily write about depression for the main Common App essay, unless you are able to put a positive spin on it, like “Having experienced depression myself, I’m interested in volunteering to be a peer counselor/form an emotional support group for fellow students/work on a hotline” etc. etc. Remember there is also a section in the application where you can describe any factors affecting your performance. I would ask your high school guidance counselor for advice about this if you think you can trust this person.
If you can get SATs in the range of what Mills College is looking for, I don’t think your slightly low GPA rules out your acceptance. Remember, they will also see the first semester of senior year. Do your best to improve your work habits and bring up your grades. Go all out in your favorite subject and try to pull an A.
Having a job for a year is a perfectly respectable EC. Colleges understand that holding down a job, especially a menial one, requires discipline and a sense of responsibility.
My advice is to research Mills College thoroughly and make sure you include some thoughts of how you see yourself contributing to the campus community in your application. With your background in musical theater, maybe you want to continue that involvement in college or even do some more low key, like join an acapella group. Think about what you want to explore and achieve in college and make sure to communicate that.
Also, think hard about constructing a plan to help yourself deal with the stress of college since you have a vulnerability to depression. Make sure that you are set in terms of medication, doctors, academic and emotional supports before starting school. Don’t wait until you are struggling until you get those pieces in place.