<p>i don't say i would necessarily consider someone who was depressed a threat, or that i think it's right to exclude them from an acceptance, i'm just saying you could imagine why an admissions official (and school policy in general) would not look favorably on a student who has admitted to coping with depression.</p>
<p>"My point was not about someone "relapsing" into poverty, but that some of the negative environments people pull themselves out of to better themselves can produce effects which resurface in their future (alcoholism, violence, mental illness, etc.). I just hope that all applicants can be looked at according to where they are today, with a hopeful eye, knowing that some of them will not turn out OK but believing that they all deserve a shot (if their grades are appropriate in light of their challenges and opportunities).:</p>
<p>The problem is, however, that an adolescent who has had such a major depression that they chose to mention it on their application, is a person who, under the stress of being in a new environment -- college -- has a big chance of relapsing, and as a result of that relapse might die.</p>
<p>Virtually all students, particularly freshmen, experience some stress and depression related to moving away from home and going to college. While painful and stressful, this isn't a big deal unless the student happens to be vulnerable to depression.</p>
<p>Those students with prior histories of depression could lapes into very deep, possibly suicidal depression, and in their new environment, no one may notice until it's too late.</p>
<p>It's also well known that college students are more likely than are older people to do things like binge drink, another thing that could be particularly risky to students prone to depression. Alcohol is a depressant.</p>
<p>What my college counselor told me when I applied, was that the just want to make sure you're not going to be unstable once you arrive on campus. It's bad PR if an undergrad tries to or succeeds in commiting suicide at a college. They are simply covering their butts. It's not necessarily PC, but it is practical.</p>
<p>However, if the applicant is stable and wasn' necessarily suffering from major depression (ie never hospitalized/abused drugs/etc) they don't really struggle.</p>
<p>If you just make a note on your app about struggling with some emotional issues, but overcoming them with appropriate help, it should cover all the bases.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, I think you and I are really on the same page (especially since I read a bunch of your posts on a similiar thread). I believe you are coming at this from the perspective of adcoms, and are representing that view well. My $.02 is all about the true nature of typical depression, and how I believe individuals who are managing it well should be viewed in the college admissions process (versus how they may actually be viewed).</p>
<p>"The problem is, however, that an adolescent who has had such a major depression that they chose to mention it on their application, is a person who, under the stress of being in a new environment -- college -- has a big chance of relapsing, and as a result of that relapse might die."
I am wondering if students with moderate depression, who have learned to manage it, are considering reporting their struggle as a means to explain a GPA. Even moderate depression can have a devastating impact on performance, and therapy plus medication (if prescribed) can put the disease firmly into remission. </p>
<p>It is certainly an excellent point that anyone who has ever struggled with depression, whether they choose to report it or not, should take every precaution to make their transition to the college environment a successful one. In particular, being wary of the alcohol culture at many American colleges would be paramount to ensuring that success.</p>
<p>i'm depressed and i'm hating my summer classes. they were to boost my gpa originally but are only hurting it. while all my friends are either making lots of $$ with sweet internships or enjoying their summer with the people they are closest, i'm stuck screwing myself. i have a choice to continue my summer session but i don't really know what to do and now its between staying at my current school which i like or going to nyu and pay a $hitload of money for a place i won't necessarily be happy in. my advisor doesn't even know if my acceptance and i'm not sure how to tell her and tell her of my horrid gpa story. i'm not very comfortable telling her why im depressed. depression sucks.</p>
<p>If you were depressed about a specific event (e.g., parents getting divorced or death in the family,) then this is something you could talk about without getting penalized in college admissions. This could explain a drop in grades. I'm fairly sure Adcoms would just think you were just a normal kid reacting in the expected way to an unfortunate event. Of course, this depression shouldn't last too long, or it looks like there may be something else going on.</p>
<p>Remember that your college counselor has to write a rec for you, too. Be careful about what you tell him/her about your depression. I would only tell them if there was some tragedy that affected you.</p>
<p>biggyboy,
If you are depressed, see a counselor or therapist. Your college probably has counselors that you can use for free or very low cost. If that's not the case, see if you can get therapy through your health insurance plan.</p>
<p>Colodia:</p>
<p>I mentioned depression in one of my UC personal statement and also elaborated a bit on it in my appeals letter to one of the campuses. I included that mainly to help explain my low GPA and grades, especially my tremendous drop in my sophomore year. I was accepted by one of the UC's, and got into and enrolled in another after my appeals was successful. Obviously, it is not going to hook you, but it won't automatically cause you to be rejected either. As with anything when it comes to these college admissions stuff, you would need to put a positive spin on it. I guess the important thing would be to show how it has affected you, what you learned from it, how you dealt with and are dealing with it, and that you are hopeful and optimistic for the future. And I also hope that you are able to get help for your depression - even if you get into the college of your choice and choose to enroll, you will bound to experience some of the same feelings again, which may lead to a poor performance in your academics. As for your admissions essay, I'm no expert, but if you choose to write about that topic and would like someone to just give you an opinion about it, feel free to PM it to me and I'll gladly read over it. :)</p>
<p>I had problems with depression for two years, right smack in the middle of high school. My GPA dropped huge amounts, I didn't participate in ECs, and I really didn't feel like doing much of anything.</p>
<p>I overcame that depression and, in doing so, gained a whole new perspective on life. I managed to come out of HS a National Merit Finalist. However, I was discouraged from mentioning the depression by my parents as well as a somewhat-well-known college counselor, so I ended up leaving it out.</p>
<p>I read a list on this site of a college listing "extenuating circumstances" that would help the chances of applicants - "emotional disorder" was listed. bluedevilmike, a respected contributor to this site, stated that I should have mentioned it in my apps and should in my med school apps as well. However, Northstarmom is also a respected member of the site, and she's telling you not to.</p>
<p>It's a difficult decision, and I think it depends on your chances with the college (I regret not mentioning it in my Rice and Cornell apps, since both rejected me), how long ago your depression experience was, and how much it affected your high school/EC performance.</p>
<p>Another option for you (and one I forgot at first) is to have a therapist, psychiatrist, or guidance counselor address the depression. If the college would have considered you a risk, and you're better now, having a person of authority writing that it's all in your past might sit better.</p>
<p>Good luck with your college search!</p>
<p>I have to bump this thread, because I am affected.</p>
<p>What if you were previously suffering from severe depression, and it hurt your grades a ton? I, for example, had severe depression from 7th grade until 10th grade (going into my senior year now), and my grades took a dramatic hit. 11th grade wasn't too hot, but it was better. I'm completely healthy mentally now, however, and look to have a great senior year academically. Should I explain that 4 year period, and my (hopefully) improved grades this year has shown that I'm a worthy student?</p>
<p>Sure, you can put it in the additional information box. But I would talk to your counselor about it and have him/her look over any explanation your write before you send it. If they can mention your condition in a letter and then highlight your continued academic improvements, you'll be in a much better situation.</p>
<p>honestly i would not put that down. </p>
<p>After the whole Virginia tech incident, they'll definitely have some unconscious biases against depressed people, and it's a perfectly understandable concern. Not that stereotyping all people with depression as crazy is wrong, but you can see where they'd be coming from.</p>
<p>As long as you're recovered and functioning 'normally' then it's fine.</p>
<p>All a college wants to know is that you're not going to suddenly relapse when you get on campus. This is where letters from doctors and teachers who have seen the turn around are helpful.</p>
<p>If you don't report it or at least allude to it subtley you've got this huge nose dive in your application (if not more red flags like disciplinary infractions and lots of missed days of school) on your record without an explanation.</p>
<p>Mental health issues are just as important as physical health issues. If you missed 2 months of school and got 3 Cs because you had cancer (bad comparison, I know) then a school wouldn't hold it against you. It's the same way (ideally) with mental illness.</p>
<p>Once you're at school, however, things change. Schools can and will ask a student (read: force) to take a medical leave of abscence if unsafe/troubling behaviors manifest themselves. This is mostly to protect their image. No one wants their paper in the Metro section in the article about the kid who killed himself at college.</p>
<p>The VT thing is an ** entirely separate issue*. He wasn't depressed. He was **psychotic and possibly bipolar*. Virginia Tech was unable to force him, because of school and state policies, into treatment. Obviously this is red tape they are now trying to get rid of.</p>
<p>The majority of clinical depressives are dangers only to themselves.</p>
<p>I think every situation is unique and whether to mention it or not is up to you, but if your depression affected your grades, etc to the point where you think it will affect your admissions negatively, then it seems you have nothing to lose by bringing it up. Either you submit your app. with a low gpa, ec's, etc and get turned down because you don't measure up or you explain that you had some trouble maintaining your gpa, etc in HS due to a bout with depression but have since improved and maybe they let you in. If you were depressed and are applying to schools where your stats match the admitted profile, perhaps you should focus on other positive things in your essays.</p>