Personal Essay about mental illness

College Essays
1

<p>I wrote a stunning essay (in my opinion) about how I have overcome a mental illness and the positive difference it has made in my life. </p>

<p>How true is it that once a person writes about a mental illness, they're automatically rejected?</p>

2

<p>I would suspect it depends what the mental illness is, but in general it is not a good thing to write about.</p>

3

<p>generalized anxiety disorder. may i know how the specific mental illness makes a difference?</p>

4

<p>Some mental illnesses are associated with violence, suicide, erratic behavior, progressive deterioration and/or diminished cognition. General anxiety disorder is not. I still would choose another topic.</p>

5

<p>I would also choose another topic.</p>

6

<p>That is such a joke. Aren’t institutions supposed to be open-minded to not generalizing people into pre-determined stereotypes. Some disorders are stigmatized as dangerous, but in reality, they are no more dangerous people than “normal” people. If you are transferring, bring it into the counselor where you are now and read it to them.</p>

7

<p>It may not be an automatic rejection, but it is a risk. Do you have a track record of excellence scholastically and a convincing period of stability to demonstrate? Is it he most important thing for them to know about your abilities, talents, drive and contribution to the society you interact with and the community you hope to join? It it the one thing you want to be remembered for when the admissions committee hears a 20 second summary of it?</p>

8

<p>Don’t do that! I was going to do the same. But then I read at many places that it is not beneficial. Firstly. Because it makes reader uncomfortable, secondly, because they get suspicious whether you are now well enough or not. It’s a big risk. Very big and unnecessary.</p>

9

<p>I agree with BrownParent. It is a risk and depending upon what colleges you apply to, it could be a HUGE risk. For example, after reading the below articles, I would not recommend that anyone with a mental illness – even if you have overcome that illness — write about it in an essay to Harvard, as the university’s mental health care system is overwhelmed and Admissions just may not want to take on another student who might have a relapse sometime in their 4 years of college.</p>

<p>[A</a> Mental Health Reality Check | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/2/28/mental-health-reality/]A”>A Mental Health Reality Check | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson)</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>[Mental-Health</a> Breakdown: When Harvard Fails Its Students - The Daily Beast](<a href=“Mental-Health Breakdown: When Harvard Fails Its Students”>Mental-Health Breakdown: When Harvard Fails Its Students)</p>

<p>

</p>