I’ve been struggling with depression for quite a long time. It does not define me, but it is a part of my story. I’ve been hearing that if I am able to write a strong, captivating essay on it then it will help me but I’ve also heard that depression and mental illnesses send colleges running because of the very vague correlation with shooters and mental health issues. This really upsets me that mental health has such a strong stigma in society of being related to “insanity”.
Not only shooters, but failing out. Suicide. Nobody can deny that the latter two are valid concerns for depressed students.
Not many colleges require essays/personal statements and most colleges will gladly admit you if you fit their academic standards – which you can apply freely w/o ever fearing discussion of your illness. What sorts of schools are you targeting? Have you tried the SuperMatch tool on the left panel of this page? Best of luck to you
@bodangles Failing out of class? I have depression and suicidal thoughts and I have a 4.0. It’s because school and my mom both give me anxiety. It would be better if people didn’t automatically assume stuff about people who’ve dealt with mental illnesses.
@T26E4 the colleges I am aiming for do require an essay/personal statement. I’m just incredibly worried b/c my doctor put on my school health form that I should see a psychiatrist so my mother is freaking out on me and telling me I made a big mistake but admitting I’ve wanted to commit suicide before.
We can only give you broad information. If you were my kid, I’d ask if going to college in Sept 2017 is really what’s best. To me, your mental and emotional strength take priority over all. Do you have a regimen to see a psychiatrist? Is this or other counseling something you’re avoiding? College apps pale in comparison in my mind.
I do hope that you are focusing on treatment and taking care of yourself over college applications. My daughter has struggled with depression / anxiety, too, and seeing a therapist has made an enormous difference (as well as making more time for herself and making changes to her very rigorous school schedule to make sure it isn’t overwhelming.)
I personally wouldn’t write an essay about depression in and of itself. You are under no obligation to disclose medical information and it’s possible that it will be held against you.
Most importantly, if you are having suicidal thoughts/ideation, you should be seeing someone right away. Please take care of yourself.
Ditto and ditto, until last semester. 3.95 now as an incoming college junior. I’m not assuming anything – go search the dozens of threads about depressed college students losing the motivation to go to class, study…
@bodangles @T26E4 I have the capacity to go to classes in my mind, I mean my depression mostly stems from when my mom gets mad at me because she is emotionally abusive. I’m still ambitious.
Your school health record won’t be sent to colleges as part of your application… But as part of healing, kids can and should get the right kinds of pro support. It’s the right step. Try for a therapist who specializes in your age group.
Many colleges are trying to build some sort of community. They like engaged kids, with some grounding, willing to go forward, take on challenges, make friends. Kids who pick themselves up if they fall and get back in.
So when a kid just writes how he/she is stuck, it doesn’t show those qualities. It’s different when a kid writes of overcoming, doing well, the successful steps he took. Getting help and feeling improvement would be a good thing. Best wishes.
young–Don’t write an essay on it.
It is true that people don’t know about depression and mental health and I understand how frustrating that may be for you. But right now your goal is college admission. No matter how strong the essay may be you have no idea who may read your essay and how they would react to the subject matter. If you are a strong writer you can just as easily write on another subject.
Don’t write an essay on it. Even on this thread, different people had different reactions. Don’t take the chance.
@younganddead I notice you have mentioned your mother twice. I hope that you have some kind of support–friends, other family members, therapist–with whom to discuss this relationship. You sound like you are under a lot of stress.
Echoing other posters, I’d say do not write essay on depression or your relationship with mother. You can journal about it, as that might help, but I’d find another topic. There is more to you than being depressed.
As to your original question, do admissions officers avoid depressed students? I hate to sound insensitive, but maybe. There is a slim but real possibility of suicide and a VERY slim chance of violence against others. Much more common is what bodangles pointed out: dropping GPA and failing. Colleges want to admit students who succeed, who return for second year, who graduate. Present yourself as well as you can.
But let me return to your current emotional state. Your username concerns me. I hope you are finding support. Are you under the care of a doctor/psychiatrist for medication? I have a family member taking Zoloft and it has helped greatly. (Also seeing a therapist). The final years of HS (all of HS really) and preparation to go to college are very stressful for families. Where will student go? What about HS friends and what they do? Can parents pay for college? What about when a parent says, what will I do with my daughter/son gone?
I used to work in the mental health field. You are correct, there is a stigma about mental illness and so much ignorance. Depressed people are almost never threats to anyone but themselves. Depression is not schizophrenia, that severe form of mental illness that often begins in late teens and early twenties, right when kids are new to college. Depression is not the same of bipolar illness.
As @T26E4 said, ‘your mental and emotional strength take priority over all.’ Please take care of yourself first. As a former professorial and not a scold, please avoid use of illegal drugs to deal with this, even ‘harmless’ pot. Those may only temporarily, nut make it worse in the long run.
Maybe you really need the time away from your emotionally abusive mother. You need to be your own person and be as highly functional as possible. Study is sometimes therapy too. Pour yourself into your studies. Don’t write about depression in your essays, though. Focus on yourself and how you can be the best you can be.
My mother was horribly verbally abusive. I still have her negativity in the back of my head telling me I will never be able to do things or that things will never work out. I’ve had to fight it for 55 years, but you know what? I won. I have a doctorate and a wonderful family. Things will work out for you too. Just take it day by day and don’t let it define you. Study hard to make something of yourself. You can do it. You can win too.
I think it is hard to conceive of this, especially for a student who is still facing mental health challenges.
Agree with what most posters have said. Look after your mental health and wellbeing first - it’s more important than college.
It’s unfortunate but yes, depression can cause concern for colleges. It’s not that they think people who are depressed are “insane,” but rather they’re worried about things like suicides which, while tragic in their own right, also cause bad press for colleges. Furthermore, even people with depression under control at home can struggle to find a good support system at college presenting a risk of dropping out or worsening depression.
I would advise against writing an essay about it. There’s more to you than depression and while it’s part of your story it’s not your whole story. You can’t fit your whole story into an essay so why not avoid risky material?