<p>I would genuinely not mention these issues (I've been struggling with severe, severe OCD/generalized anxiety my entire life, depression for about three years, and an eating disorder for about a year and a half) in order to gain sympathy. I know the essay topics are about what shaped you and such, and my ailments have genuinely taught me compassion and the importance of integrity and perseverance. I find that having some ailments has shaped me the most in terms of who I've become. But is it too personal to mention these things? Also, would colleges get the wrong idea and think I'm trying to gain their sympathy?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>I think the main problem with essays that mention mental illness is that they tend to be depressing. Usually the writing and descriptions are very good, but the writers tend to describe the experiences they have with the illness itself rather than describing their growth. They portray themselves as victims of circumstance rather than agents of positive change.
Also, mental illness is sort of a taboo subject and a lot of people feel awkward when it’s brought up. I don’t think this is a good thing, but it’s something to keep in mind.</p>
<p>Thank you! I will take this into consideration.</p>
<p>The main problem is not that they are depressing (although they often are) our that it is taboo our makes people uncomfortable (although it often does). The real problem with those topics as essays is that most (I really believe, all) colleges are very risk-averse. They have to be. There is tremendous liability, both financial and personal, at stake.</p>
<p>No college wants anything to happen to their students while they are in their care. Thus, they try to limit their exposure.</p>
<p>One method by which they do that is through the admissions essay. You do not want to put up a red flag.</p>
<p>Now, there are people who will say that it is disingenuous not to disclose an illness, and I would agree. But you can disclose it on your health forms after admissions.</p>
<p>There are many ways to obliquely suggest that you have battled through things and prevailed, and you should definitely think about how you would do that, but remember that the goal is to present yourself as a contributing member of a community.</p>
<p>Mental health is a risque topic. A lot of readers don’t like when they hear about people struggling from multiple disorders of the variety you’ve described. It can reek pretty heavily of self-diagnosis and defeatism. </p>
<p>If you were to share a story about how you overcame a eating disorder, that would be one thing. If you were to talk about having multiple mental illnesses for a prolonged period of time, that would be another. </p>
<p>In general, people who have been through severe hardships are more compassionate people. But just being nice and sympathetic doesn’t cut it when you want to make a strong impression on your reader. It takes more than aligning with a social trend to stand out in the right way.</p>