Should I write my essay about my anxiety/depression?

Im 20 years old, I took 2 years after college to figure things out. Im now applying to a few schools but my grades were so horrible in high school and my attendance was even worse. I ended up dropping out and getting my GED. The reason for all of this is that I suffered from a severe anxiety/depression disorder which started in kindergarten. Im a completely different person now, I barely have any anxiety and zero depression all thanks to medication, therapy, and life style change. Im at the point now that i don’t need the medication anymore. Ive learned so much from this and really feel like i could tell a great story of personal growth from it but I know mental illness is an iffy subject for college essays. I just know I need to explain why my grades were so bad because I’m not a bad student. When I was at school I did fantastic, my grades were only low because my attendance messed me up so much. I know if they saw my transcript with no explanation, my chances of being accepted are very low.

No you should not. Your grades are bad because you did badly in classes. If your attendance was “messed” up then that would contribute. Universities are wary of becoming large mental health centers! Your risk of depression is higher in the future because you have experienced it in the past. So schools will be more wary of admitting you if you talk about your anxiety and depression. Medication does not solve all difficulties and if you are not taking the medication the changes of relapse are elevated. Regardless, the colleges don’t really need to know why your grades are poor. If they are very poor you may need to attend community college and demonstrate that you are capable of good grades. But the excuse of depression and anxiety does not erase the grades and it does not give you good grades.

I agree with lostaccount. It was bluntly put - but accurate. You will be considered an at-risk student by most schools if you put your mental health history out there as the cause of poor academic performance. Your best bet is to attend CC, get the stellar grades that you are capable of and then transfer. If, at that point, you feel compelled to share your history (I wouldn’t) you can at least point to a track record of 1-2 years of stellar academic performance without an relapses.

It is a bad idea to approach mental health issues as a ‘sick/cured’ binary option. It doesn’t work that way. This isn’t the measles. Anyone who has been incapacitated by severe anxiety or depression - unless it’s situational (a parent died, for example) - should be taking the approach that they are potentially vulnerable in stressful situations (which is what freshman year at college is) and need to be especially vigilant in avoiding situations that are high stress, getting support in place in advance of need, making healthy choices like a reduced academic load, etc…A competent therapist is a great place to start the discussion about attending college and what to look for to increase your chances of success.

No. Colleges have read many essays like this, they rarely work. There is surely something more to say about you than a person who was previously depressed.

I agree with both the above posters, and I strongly encourage you to consider community college first. Two years out of high school and straight back into four year college may well be a shock to your system. College isn’t meant to be easy, but community college is a good way of easing into the transition, offers a lot of flexibility, allows you to save a lot of money, and gives you a chance to get some impressive grades which will probably be very beneficial. I actually think you will have a difficult time getting accepted to a four year college without going to CC first, because your previous academic record and attendance is poor. Good luck to you.

I don’t think OP is speaking of competitive colleges that will parse every word. But the principle is still “show, not just tell.” OP sounds at least a bit excited to get back on track (and kudos for taking care of yourself.)

I won’t discourage you from this goal. But the important message is that you would benefit by taking some cc classes and doing well, “showing” yourself and your targets that you’re ready. It would also give you the time to continue leaning about yourself. A few classes might be enough, for grades, but not matriculated (not enrolled for a degree.)

^ This. I agree with all who said don’t mention it. Use CC to prove you are college ready. Good luck.

I agree as well…you seem the ideal candidate to excel in CC and then transfer to a 4 year college.

I would agree with everyone that it would be best to demonstrate that you are now able to do great in school by completing classes at a CC, kind of as proof that you’re capable of doing great things.

The claim that overcoming depression/mental illness essays rarely work out is interesting to me. Is there verifiable information out there on this?

You do not need to tell them specifically WHY you were absent. You can simply say due to medical reasons. Period.

You should show that you can handle academics by enrolling in and doing exceedingly well in a community college for at least a year. You’re word that you can handle things is worth very little. They will want to see proof.

Writing and telling them about your mental health issues is not advised and will definitely make them think twice. Colleges want students who will be successful. Right now you have a transcript which says you will definitely not be successful. Attend CC and show them otherwise.

If your application has an optional additional information section, I would suggest (if you truly feel as though you need to tell them) that you write about it there.

That being said, I had the same dilemma a few months ago and wondered whether or not I should write about my own depression/anxiety, but I ultimately decided that it would be in my better interest to write about something else. However, I can understand that your situation is very difficult to not include in your application, and I do think you should try and research online if it would be appropriate to do so or not.

I also agree with the poster above me in that you can explain in the additional information section that the absences were due to medical reasons and to not elaborate much past that. Hopes this helps…good luck!