Is this a good or bad approach for the UC general prompt?

College Essays
1

3rd Year Transfer
Major: Political Science
GPA: 3.91
Applying to: UCB, UCSD, UCD, UCR
UC Prompt: “Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?”

I was thinking about discussing my poor academic performance in my first two years of high school (around a 1.5 GPA) and how I learned from this experience and turned my academics around. I’m worried that perhaps admissions officers will fear that the circumstances or mindset which resulted in my awful grades in high school may emerge again in university, but is this a valid concern? I also think it may be promising in that since graduating I’ve maintained a high GPA, which I can perhaps attest (in the essay) to a personal quality of ambition and perseverance.

I appreciate all feedback.

2

If you decide on this topic focus on its effects and not the low gap in the beginning. Consider writing it and see I ng how it feels, get some friends to read it etc. It could be strong but if you sound whiny or braggy it can be bad.