I lived in a “ghetto” city for a while before moving at the end of middle school. I was involved in substance abuse through peer pressure… Now I’m a junior and I’ve been substance free since then, getting decent grades and being involved in many ECs and leadership roles. I really don’t want to go into specifics because it’s personal, but looking at the bigger picture: can writing about overcoming this experience hurt me?
Thanks.
I’ll be curious to see what other people say but my gut reaction is not to use it. Drugs are illegal. You succumbed to peer pressure. College can be very stressful. Some people turn to drugs when they are stressed. It can be perceived as a potential red flag. You can write about other things associated with living in the ghetto and now doing as well as you are doing. I don’t even know you but hats off to you for turning your life around!
It is hypocritical, but I would assume that no one would want to touch you with a ten foot pole once you mention drug involvement. If it weren’t so dicey it would be a good story, because it is something a lot of people face. Peer pressure, low socioeconomic area with drug underbelly, even drug subculture is everywhere anyway. And having turned your attention to school and leadership is a good role model to portray. But I can’t recommend it. It has been 3 years you say? I don’t know, you could choose to submit it to a couple of schools if you are willing to do the extra work to make a few extra applications and isolate that to just a few, see what it gets you.
Thanks for the responses, yea I’m still skeptical to even touching to topic, but people say when writing essays you have to dig deep down… So when it comes to an essay about overcoming a weakness, that’s probably the only topic i can relate to.
It’s REALLY risky to be acknowledging drug abuse. Pick some other LEGAL ghetto peer pressure issue you overcame.