We're often asked whether or not it's a good idea for a student to discuss a sensitive issue like depression, drug dependency or an eating disorder in a college essay. Our first response is always to remind students that this is their college essay and if they feel strongly about sharing something, they should probably do it. But our admissions advice is a little different.
When a college reads your application, they're not just evaluating whether or not you can do the academic work. They're also evaluating whether or not you're likely to be a happy, engaged, and contributing member of their campus community. Adjusting to college can be a stressful and difficult process for some students. And if you've had health problems that could raise concerns about safety (for you or for people you will interact with), a college may not want to take on that responsibility. Unless the student feels strongly about sharing it, we'll usually advise that they leave the subject alone in their college essays.
But the one situation where we'll encourage a student to share a sensitive story like this is when he or she has come through the challenge and is now actively helping other people do the same. We once worked with a student who was in recovery for a drug addiction. But she had progressed so far that her treatment center invited her to lead group meetings for other addicts. She hadn't just gotten well. She'd learned how to help other people do the same and was now putting that skill to use. What would have previously been potentially viewed as a liability became a strength in her college application. A dorm could use somebody with her skills who could spot a person who was in trouble and maybe even find a way to help.
When in doubt, discuss your topic choice with your high school counselor. He or she will be able to give you more specific guidance on whether your essay is the right place to mention these kinds of experiences.
Janet says
Tread carefully here. College essays are not as confidential as some people assume, and the adcom reader may not be any more mature than a typical high school kid. This entire blog is telling, but this post is a must read before submitting a possibly sensitive essay:
http://admissionsproblems.tumblr.com/post/44266805918
A couple of quotes to keep in mind:
We personally never signed anything that says (a) we can’t share excerpts from essays and (b) we can’t talk about essays. Ethics, schmethics
The essay doesn’t stay sealed in an airtight envelope all the way to your dear admission counselor’s desk, kids. It’s more than likely touched by at least a dozen or so people in this process. And if the office you applied to scans all their applications electronically, your application just became amusement for generations of student workers and admission counselors to come.