Would including these be appropriate?

College Essays
1

<p>So I'm in the process of writing my responses to the UC prompts (I'm a freshman applicant). One of the prompts is as follows:
"Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations."</p>

<p>I'm interested in the biochemistry/neuroscience/psychology fields. I was going to write a lot about my brother and sister, whom have schizophrenia and are developmentally disabled, respectively, and how their disabilities have sparked my interest and made me want to work in a field related to brain chemistry and different mental disorders. </p>

<p>Would it be appropriate to reference my brother's schizophrenia and sister's developmental disability? (assuming I ask their permission to talk about them). Thanks!</p>

2

<p>It seems like a great topic if it has meaning to you. It is very common for people to write about siblings’ illnesses. That being said, admissions officers do not release essays or your file out to anyone (unless with strict permission). And the only time a topic is inappropriate is when it is deemed offensive to anyone in any way or when it blatantly violates someone’s privacy (but of course you could make an endless list of inappropriate stuff).</p>

<p>Nonetheless, you seem like a good student. Best of luck.</p>

3

<p>I like the idea.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input, both of you. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t violating some secret guideline or something. :P</p>