I broke my arm in wrestling sophomore year. I broke both radius and ulna and had to have surgery to put in 2 metal plates. Along with a slight pain when flexing my arm, I have two large scars. I need another surgery to remove the metal plates. Most fortunately (and unfortunately in terms of application), this is my left arm and I am right handed.
Is this worth mentioning - is it serious enough?
If it is, where is the best place I should put it (common app)?
How should I mention it?
I was considering putting it under EC activities and under wrestling.
<p>I can't think of any reason why it would be relevant. What would be the point of your mentioning the injuries? It's not as if you have overcome a major disability such as blindness, cerebral palsy, etc.</p>
<p>If this caused a drop in grades, I would include a special explanatory "essay" in addition to the regular essays, and you might ask your GC to mention it in his/her rec. Otherwise, I agree with Northstarmom.</p>
<p>If the injury caused a drop in grades or involvement, thoroughly explain it. If it only caused you to take time off from wrestling, mention somewhere that this is why you could not compete during X season/year. Otherwise, don't waste time on it, b/c it won't help you.</p>
<p>My eight year old broke both bones in his forearm a couple months ago. When his cast came off, we were dismayed to see that his arm healed crooked! Worse yet, it is his dominant arm that was injured. He might require surgery similar to what you had to correct this, but since he's so young there's a chance the bone will remodel itself. We have to wait and see.</p>
<p>I just want you to know that I understand how significant the injury is to you. My little guy is working hard at therapy every day, and he may never fully recover his strength and full range of motion. I think your situation warrants a mention, whether it's to say why you did not take part in sports or in an essay about overcoming hardship and learning to adapt. </p>
<p>tigeruppercut: I'm sorry I wasn't more sympathetic. When I read your post, I wasn't thinking enough about it. There is a focus on CC such that when reading the posts, if someone says that their entire family was trambled by elephants, you ask if it affected their gpa. Sorry, and good luck.</p>
<p>This needs to be put into perspective. What will you be saying about the injury? Has it taught you something important that isn't a cliche? Remember, adcoms are reading apps from all over the world and many have suffered hardships without access to or being able to afford Western medicine. There will be kids who've battled cancer and lost limbs. I'd think very hard about presenting this as a significant hardship. </p>
<p>Now if your family was uninsured and you found out the shortcomings of US medicine and you plan to be a doctor, you have an essay.</p>
<p>I'd just like to say that an injury like that and the subsequent physical therapy needed is extremely traumatic. Sure it's not severe CP, but it's still very significant, so don't downplay it. As a person riddled by sports injury (especially in a sport like wrestling -- fellow wrestler here) and utterly consumed by physical therapy, I know what I'm talking about. </p>
<p>As for whether it should be in your application, that depends on what effect it had. Or if you learned something from it. </p>
<p>On a personal note, I presume you can't wrestle any more. MY APOLOGIES! I myself won't be able to wrestle for a few years more years, I think (I've already been out two) and am just now able to get back on the rugby field.</p>
<p>Include it if it explains something that would otherwise reflect negatively on you. If you're big thing was wrestling, and suddenly you just up and dropped it, it'll look suspicious unless the school knows that you snapped your arm and couldn't compete until it healed. I myself dislocated my shoulder my junior year which put an end to my baseball career (I had been playing since I was five) and my senior year swim season (dislocated it again first day of practice). It's more than two years later and I still can't throw a ball well enough to even play second base (shortest throw on the diamond).</p>
<p>heyy omg!! we are soo similar, i had a compund facture almost an open fracture where i broke both bones in my left arm, i went through heellll, i bet you did too, i know how you feel, i brok it in my sophmore year and have plates and will get them removed later too:(</p>
<p>im in my sophmore summer right now, i broke it in the last month of school, which affected my chem grade, and chem/math2c SAT2</p>
<p>so iono if i were in your case, which i am i would definetly put that in your application
-peace
(p.s haha my arm is soo skinny that i can actually see the plates sticking out :( )</p>