<p>I wrote two versions of my essay. For the prompt, I have to explain why I got bad grades for my first two years of high school. </p>
<p>The true one talks about living with a undiagnost bipolar disorder for 17 years. I talked about having extreme bursts of productivity which resulted in great grades and accomplishments. And then, during a low state, I would have lesser grades and struggle with staying involved in life. I mention that now I am on medication that keeps me stable and acting like a normal human being as of 4 months ago... There is some other explanations in between but basically what I am saying is that I am a 4.0 student that due to an extreme emotional disorder and an extremely hard life suffered during most of high school academically.</p>
<p>My other essay says the same thing, except that I don't mention bipolar disorder. The essay sounds good, but it is bs about lack of parenting, teenage rebellion, angst, and confusion. I talk about my real family traumas having a lot to do with it too. A reason that has happened to a lot of kids that have a bad high school record. </p>
<p>I guess I don't want to lie but I really want to get into a college/university. I am very much on the edge of having to go to a community college. I can't help sounding kind of crazy in my bipolar version and that I am only normal because I am meded out (which is true to an extent). From personal experience, most people don't know what bipolar is or misunderstand it. It is also known that bipolar is sometimes diagnosed because of drug companies wanting to make more profits. I also know a lot of people who literally don't believe in emotional disorders.<br>
On top of this, I read an article about how colleges reject students because they have emotional problems and they do not want students like that in their college.</p>
<p>I want to make sure I am not making a mistake.</p>
<p>edit:
I have a 1480 SAT score which isn't that good. I can do a lot better and I am studying to retake it. So, that is another problem. I know I can't get into a top school as of now, but some "lesser" university would still be better then community college.</p>
<p>I mentioned in another thread that stories of personal hardship work so long as you can demonstrate that you’re grown from the experience and aren’t just using it as an excuse or for pity points. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1109925-do-sob-stories-work.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1109925-do-sob-stories-work.html</a></p>
<p>It’s up to you whether you want to disclose your mental health. Whatever you decide, tie it back to why your experience/perspective would still make a good addition to the university. </p>
<p>I had a friend in college who included mention of something that happened to her just sort of in passing and it made for a pretty effective essay. “After surviving [horrible thing], I went on to do awesome things 1, 2, and 3 because I’m passionate about blah blah blah…”</p>
<p>I would not mention it. Honestly, schools don’t want the liability and it’s none of their business. And I would not dismiss community college, either - a year or two with great grades there will get you into a college you want and save you or your parents a lot of money.</p>
<p>Schools are wary of admitting students with mental disorders. Of course, you’d want them to be able to help you when you got there, so hiding it might not be the best idea. It’s a tricky balance.</p>
<p>i’m looking at it now and it sounds like a really bad "sob’ story. i only had a few days to write it after deciding not to turn in my polished teen angst one. haha i’m not going to get in. it has no balance and it’s over the top. i am going to re write it…</p>
<p>so do you think a teenaged angst story will sound better in the future for college applications? i did a good job writing that essay, it has good balance of tragic things and learning from your mistakes and improving. it’s close to misszebra’s idea of essays. but, mentioning bipolar, with the negatives asides, conveys that i was never a rebel and always wanted to succeed academically but the disorder got in the way. </p>
<p>the colleges i’m applying at aren’t that selective. also, i really dislike the idea of spending a year at community college. i want to live in the dorms on campusm for my freshman year, that seems fun.</p>
<p>anyone have any sources for their claims that colleges don’t like to accept students with a mental/ mood disorder?</p>
<p>a hospital,</p>
<p>I am not sure how far along you are with your application process, or if your deadlines have already passed. But as an applicant who is/was in a situation similar to yours, I feel I may be able to offer some insight.</p>
<p>I wrote my transfer application essay (from a community college) on my experience with panic disorder. To make a long story short, I was diagnosed at 12 years old, and I struggled with them until I was 18 years old… right through high school. As a result, my HS grades were so-so (ranged from a 2.0 to a 4.2 some semesters), although they weren’t atrocious. </p>
<p>The first third of my essay portrayed what it is like to have panic attacks on a daily basis, and how it affected my life. The last part (and majority) elaborated on how I overcame it, and how I am stronger because of it. Gaining control of the panic enabled me to control my future, and after spending weeks locked in my house… life is beautiful. It pretty much said: “Go ahead and throw an unimaginable college workload at me. My diaphragmatic breathing techniques can get me through the freakin’ apocalypse.”</p>
<p>I’ve been accepted to Smith College and Mount Holyoke College thus far; both are schools with about 50% acceptance rates, give or take. I am waiting for other responses. Granted, the essay was paired with college transcripts with a 4.0, and other evidence of my improvement.</p>
<p>I am not sure how the first-year essay is different from the transfer essay. I hate to say I am “cured” of my anxiety, but I have certainly overcome it; I haven’t had in attack in two years. If you feel as though bipolar disorder is no longer an impediment to your success, and that you have truly matured as a person because of your recovery, then I don’t see it as a problem at all. </p>
<p>Good luck! If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>Hi, you can write about a disorder that you have faced or still facing. But, as one of the earlier members said, make sure that this essay is not about sympathy or empathy grabbing, but a real and painful experience that you have gone through. As the disorder that you spoke about was before and after medication. so, there must have been an emotional side to it. Try to bring it forth and use words which do not make the essay an emotional black mail but an experience about a genuine problem. Please do not take my words as offensive but take them positively.</p>