<p>I'm not planning to go in depth as to what these "bad" things are in my essay, but will it hurt my chances? I would only be mentioning things like lying and stealing. I know most people have probably stolen and lied at some point in their life, but would it still be a big no-no to talk about such things?</p>
<p>It depends… Can you post an excerpt or elaborate on what context you are talking about it in?</p>
<p>I don’t plan on elaborating in my essay, just mentioning that I have done things I’m not entirely proud of, such as what I mentioned above. But I do flat out say that I have “stolen, lied, and cheated” without context. Would that seem suspicious?</p>
<p>I advise against it. I’m sure you have other topics that are more suited for college admissions. Put yourself in admissions shoes, if you have two similarly qualified candidates with equally well-written essays, would you choose the applicant with a history of lies,etc. or the one without?</p>
<p>The thing is, I only briefly mention it. It’s not a major theme in my paper at all. Only the impact it had relates to a point in my essay.</p>
<p>Can you find another way to make your point?</p>
<p>Mentioning a bad history without explaining it is bad in and of itself.</p>
<p>I feel like I am making this come across waaaay more bad than it actually is, but I guess that’s why I needed to hear other opinions. I can easily take the part out, but it sounds too vague without it… well now I am paranoid since I already submitted this essay to two colleges, but I suppose I can find a different way to get my point across for upcoming apps.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about if you already submitted it. College admissions looks at more than the essay. just revise for apps going forward. : )</p>
<p>I think I understand, and I still don’t think it’s a great idea.</p>
<p>I’ve always been taught to stay positive in college essays and avoid saying anything negative since you do want to sell yourself to that college.</p>
<p>Unless you mention what you have done in context, I think it’s a bad idea. Even if the majority of students have lied, cheated, or stolen, having the admissions office doubt your credibility doesn’t sound like the wisest thing to do…</p>