<p>Well, on my transcript I have a long unexplained absence from the private school I was attending and then all of a sudden I switched into the local public school. Of course my transcript doesn't say where I was. So it seems strange. My mother thinks that it would be a good topic if I wrote about being in the mental hospital for Bipolar disorder and trying to commit suicide and how I overcame and learned from it. I did keep a journal of every day for six months while I was there. But I'm not sure if it would freak colleges out or not? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you all very much in advance</p>
<p>When I visited Kenyon College they said that for the Common App avoid 4 D’s:</p>
<p>Death, Depression, Dating, and Drugs. </p>
<p>If you could write the essay in a manner that is reflective/ doesn’t freak colleges out then it would be a good topic. However this is very difficult. That being said if you still want to explain the absence the Common App has a section for a personal statement or extra comments.</p>
<p>I would not recommend your proposed topic for a main essay. However, imo someone is going to need to explain the time that is otherwise unaccounted for in your schooling. Do you have a GC who you could trust to do that as part of her/his letter to colleges about you?</p>
<p>As mentioned by rijudasgupta, another possibility is to submit a supplemental statement in addition to your main essay(s). </p>
<p>My preference would be for your GC to speak for you, if possible. However, I realize that many GCs are not up to that task. Do you have one that is?</p>
<p>I decided to go ahead and write it, in a way I hope is tasteful. Simply because it was a profound learning experience for me. Thank you for all of your suggestions :)</p>