I’m currently a junior in college and my goal is pursue a dual PhD in neuroscience along with a DVM (I love the idea of comparative medicine). I was wondering if writing about an eating disorder will help (or hurt) my chances at a competitive research internship, and eventually grad. school & vet school. I know these dual degree programs are sometimes fully funded but are INCREDIBLY competitive.
If I were studying anything else, I would certainly not mention it. I’m not looking for sympathy or trying to show that I overcame hardships. However, I was hospitalized with anorexia when I was 9 years old, and spent 5 years of my life in and out of facilities. Some places were solely E.D based, but in others I had roommates who were dealing with schizophrenia, depression, and other disorders. My “friends” weren’t 6th grade girls, but doctors, psychiatrists, and 20 year old psychiatric patients. After a long incredibly difficult road to recovery, I became fascinated with medicine, physiology, and learning how the mind works. I also became amazed about how little we know about the brain and began to understand that research in this area is crucial. It lit a fire under me. It led to my decision to major in Biochemistry and Neuroscience in college, and work in a neuro research lab studying appetite and eating disorders (however, my PI has no idea I have a history of anorexia…).
When I was initially applying to college, my parents instructed me NEVER to mention my anorexia. They said it was a huge red flag. Also, they didn’t understand it and were embarrassed of it. However, since I have been healthy for 6 years, and this experience sparked my passion for medicine/neuroscience/health, is it worth mentioning on an essay? Or will it be a huge liability/red flag? I might be able to get in somewhere without mentioning it… (i’ve worked my butt off and have a 3.95 gpa and 500 research hours, 200 vet hours), but its hard to understand my true passion for medical research without knowing this.
My guidance counselor at school told me that talking about eating disorders is mundane. It’s a stale topic at this point. You’re parents may be right - it could be a red flag for the admissions officers.
But who knows? It depends on how well the essay is written. Personally, I would avoid this topic. It’s a little personal.
I really disagree with ilovethecity’s position, and I really question his/her experience in college essay writing.
This topic is intensely personal to you, and contrary to ilovethecity’s opinion, that is a really, really good thing; I think that if written well, anorexia as a topic could be interesting, engaging, and showcase your personality. The topic could be mundane, but not inherently; it all lies in your execution. As a tip, don’t make it a sob story, and don’t make the main focus turn into one that tries desperately to arouse pity. Instead, focus on how you grew as a person and your future aspirations. Maybe even spin it into how anorexia ultimately had a positive affect on the way you viewed life, etc. Good luck!
Yeah agreed Yui that inherently it’s really not a mundane topic. It’s actually a really interesting topic, but has to be taken with a great deal of care.
Just know that universities are dealing with a crisis of so many students needing mental health care for one reason or another, and battling eating disorders, cutting and other behaviors. If you feel you need to address the topic to explain your passion for your chosen career, make it clear from the beginning through to the end of your essay that you were cured many years ago, and you want to help cure other people of medical issues. You could even sympathize with the universities and the crisis, and say you hope to help college students one day – show some awareness of the issues beyond yourself.
Remember the purpose of an essay: to make the college WANT you. That’s why I advise students against anything that might bring that into question, especially past mental issues, drug or alcohol use, or any illicit activities. I would avoid it, even though that issue is extremely important to you, the term “red flag” has meaning here.
Thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate the advice. @digmedia do you think it would be a bit less of a red flag if I’m currently working in a lab studying the neurobiology of eating disorders? I made sure not to mention my AN when applying to college a few years ago, but I don’t know if it would be a bit safer for grad/med school… Its for the “why medicine” essay. If I did mention it, I would not write it about overcoming an obstacle. I’d write about how as a kid I always loved solving puzzles and couldn’t stand not finding the solution to a problem. The experience of being in a hospital witnessing first hand the amount of unanswered questions there are in medicine sparked my interest in biomedical/neuro research.
So I was in a similar boat, but for mine it was a disability. EVERYONE told me not to write it, but at the end of the day, I wrote about it. It was my choice and I felt it truly made me unique from other applicants because of the lessons it taught me. I would suggest you try drafting it and see how it comes!
Also, if it helps I’m 7/7 so far for college acceptances, so it did not hurt my chances.
I agree with posters who say not to bring it up. Anorexia has been linked to other forms of addiction, and while you might be 100% cured, it is kind of a red flag if they want a smooth sailing student. There must be other things to write about, and if the only reason you’re using it is as the hook that got you intrigued with medicine, I mean you’re bringing up a pretty big negative for a small return. And BTW, there’s a big issue with doctors having access to pharmaceuticals and the hidden addiction crisis in the medical community. I would not bring it up.
In most instances I’d say that writing about this topic would be a bad idea…but if this eating disorder really was your inspiration for wanting to learn about health and medicine, it could be a doable topic. Our personal experiences and struggles are often what motivate us to learn more about a field and it could be worked in somehow. However, I don’t think I’d bring it up.
Personally, I might use it, but mention only that you were hospitalized for an illness, and then switch the focus to how your interest in medicine was fueled.
I see it as a red flag. Stress is known to cause relapses in whatever problems people have, and I wouldn’t want to flag them in this way.
This is something that guidance counselors should address in their latters – past mental illnesses. It is better coming from someone like them, who can also attest to your improved condition. Mental illnesses are used quite commonly by many students who have been affected by them in the past, so as previous posters have mentioned it is a pretty stale topic.
On paper, it sounds like a good idea to write about, but it’s the “black zone” of things that shouldn’t be wrote about in personal college admissions essays; it’s in the same pool with sexual experiences, illegal behavior, etc.
You may like to ask in the graduate student part of the forum, the rest is basically for undergrads. there is also thegradcafe.com
When my daughter applied to PhD programs she didn’t discuss any personal information. She didn’t even refer to her high school research experience, which was extensive and sparked her interest. She kept it professionally focused. Here is an except from an article that resonates with me:
An overly personal admissions essay is not well-matched to its audience. Admissions committees want to know about your goals, your skills, your reasoning ability, and how well you fit the program. They don’t want to know about your or your family’s personal crises, mental health issues, addictions, or anguish. Some of these experiences may have influenced your career goals, and that is understandable, but graduate admissions committees do not want to know about all of your hidden skeletons. That is, they might be interested in knowing, but revealing your skeletons will probably harm your application. The student who says he wants to get a PhD in Psychology because of his history of major depression and parent’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder, for example, won’t get into graduate school. Why? Too much information. Don’t reveal anything that may be used as an excuse not to grant you admission. In doubt? Speak with a professor and get an academic’s view.