Should I Write About This For My College Application?

College Essays
1

Hi,

During my 2nd semester of sophomore year (high school) I made a terrible choice of eating a marijuana edible and passed out at school. As a result I received two days of out of school and two days of in school suspension, kicked out of the long distance track team for the season, and in NJRTOC I got demoted 2 ranks and got removed off the leadership team & replaced someone else as platoon commander for my class. With all that going on I was at my lowest and unmotivated. I was also failing majority of my classes and barely cared. Throughout the semester I managed to keep my head up and bring my grades up, also started being active with myself and involving myself with other hobbies and activities to do. I am currently a rising junior and studying SAT’s and etc, I wanted a head start of what I should write about my college application essays.

Im debating on whether if I should write about my past drug use and how I over came that. It taught me how to become a better person and leader, not only did it change my life around it showed me how I should start caring about my future and what goals I should set for myself and so I can achieve them.

Please help me out on what I should do, I need more opinions!!
Thank You!

2

I strongly recommend that you not get this much of a head start on your essays. Look how much growing & learning you have done in just the last few months: it may be less dramatic (!), but you will do at least as much over the next 12 months.

That said, writing up this experience as a whole, and what you feel about it as you look at the last ~6 months out- and then putting it away completely until this time next year could be useful- could be material for an interesting essay on how perspective changes over time.

It is also possible, however, that you will have developed other things to write about by then. Focus on being where you are for the coming year, and making the most of the opportunities in front of. you.

Good luck.