<p>I've struggled with the autistic spectrum and moderate-to-severe depression all of my life. Also, I lost my brother to cancer when I was younger. </p>
<p>Despite this, I'm usually a 3.8 unweighted, 4.2 weighted GPA student, but because of a family crisis this last month, my grades have dropped to B's. I'm confident I can pull up to straight A's by the end of the semester. But as it is, I have a 3.5 unweighted, 3.8 weighted.</p>
<p>I'm a full IB Diploma candidate, with a projected score of 38-39. I got 29 on the ACT and 2000 on the SAT. I've volunteered 500 hours at the zoo and science museum. I've been to Vietnam on a Medical Mission. (I love volunteering, as you can probably guess!) I've been in five school plays (about 200 hours per show), I'm an active member of the swim team, NSHSS, Mensa. I'm also a singer and I do acrobatics (trapeze, a little gymnastics).</p>
<p>You gotta be able to put everything into words. How has it affected you? what have you learned from these experiences? How different are you now than if none of those adversities affected you? They want to see how you have developed as a person from these experiences. If you just tell them you’ve been through that without explaining anything about it, then it won’t look good. Sure, it will explain any struggles in grades and such, but to truly utilize it you need to explain how it has affected you on a deeper level.</p>
<p>It could if it shows how you’ve grown from it, as Chewey said. Lots of people have suffered through hard times; no college gives you extra points merely for having had it rough. The key is to show what you’ve learned and who you’ve become because of the experiences you’ve had.</p>
<p>BTW, be careful in how you write about your depression. Colleges are leery of accepting students who might be suicide risks, and depression can be a red flag.</p>
<p>Yes, I completely agree with #4. Not to be a total buzzkill, but there are many other applicants who may have been through worse than you. Although your recent family crisis may account for your sudden dive in grades, your chances are the same as anyone else’s unless you can show how your past experiences have changed you as a human being and your outlook on life.</p>
<p>Not to derail the thread, but I wrote about how my sister’s lifelong disability (Rett Syndrome) inspired me to work harder and dedicate my achievements to her. Would that be really significant i.e. a tiebreaker in my solid application?</p>
<p>@Darthpwner
“dedicate my achievements to her” lol…
eh it’s sketchy enough to be writing about one’s own hardships. But writing about a family member who has had it rough, and then sort of saying that it was an inspiration to ‘work harder’ probably won’t be that big a deal. Unless it was something more direct like “volunteered everyday at a center for people with similar disabilities” or “researched at an institution to learn about these disorders and contribute to future solutions” and whatnot. But that’s just how I kind of see it. Maybe a slight tiebreaker at best, but don’t rely on it giving you that much.</p>
<p>@sirjosh
I wrote about my own hardships when my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My dad had divorced and left us when I was little, so when she got cancer it was just me and my little sister. She wasn’t able to take care of us or even really run her business. So it was up to me to help take charge and run the business and take care of my little sister. Then I talked about me growing from the experience and learning about responsibility and leadership etc etc (and this was during sophomore year up to now --they care more about hardships during highschool years tbh). </p>
<p>Try not to use your hardships as an excuse. Avoid even trying to emphasize how your grades suffered because of what you’ve gone through. It really is best to talk about your growth and learning experience because of it. Definitely don’t try and go over the top on your disabilities or depression. Sometimes people go too far in trying to get sympathy and forget that these admission officers want a functional and reliable student. Talk about how you may still struggle with these issues but are learning to be successful and strong despite everything</p>