<p>My mother was treated for cancer during my freshman and sophomore years of high school. While it was a difficult time, and I'm sure it affected me in a lot of different ways, it's not something I've chosen to write about in my essay or personal statement. Much as I wish it would, that stuff doesn't automatically translate into essay material, you know? </p>
<p>But as I'm considering what to write in my Additional Information section (my activities fit just fine in the other section... should that worry me?) I keep coming back to that experience. I feel like it's something the admissions people should know -- not because it somehow made me a better person, because I'm not sure it did; or even because it made my grades worse, because in some perverse way I think it actually made them better -- but just because it happened. I don't know. </p>
<p>There is one definite way in which my mom's sickness then will affect my college decision now: financially. My parents have a considerable amount of debt because of it, the kind that I know the FAFSA doesn't take into account. Would it be appropriate to explain that in the "additional information" section? Would doing so help at all with the financial aid part of my admissions decision?</p>