seriouslywow

Is it possible to write an essay that is too personal? I just recently watched "Acceptance" on lifetime, and I started to worry that I am being too personal. Yes, I've had some issues with money, credit cards, and depression that have shaped who I am today, but will college look at my essay and deem me unfit? Will they see my unusual psychosis and send me the dreaded "small envelope?"

P.S. If you've had any personal experiences with acceptance and personal essays please share!

Thanks everyone!

seriouslywow

Another quick note. What is your stance on informal language being used?

lbpontel

I just finished reading The Gatekeepers which is a book about admissions and one of the stories was about a young woman who had been involved in a somewhat innocuous marijuana incident at school. But she was the only person who turned herself in and had become a very vocal and involved person on campus around honesty and integrity issues. She used this experience in her essay and several schools ruled her out due to the drugs. Just one example, but I think it demonstrates that you don't want to create doubt in the mind of the schools that you are applying to. They do worry about the integrity of the people they bring to their school.

limabeans

You don't want to create a false person, but you also shouldn't write about stuff that isn't fit for an admissions person to read it. That is, if it should be a part of a dialogue between you and a psychiatrist, don't send it. See your psychiatrist instead. If this is a story about how you and your mother don't communicate, talk to your mother instead. Just think through who will be reading it. It's always good to think about your audience anyway. Good luck!

transferstudent2

Is depression really that bad of a topic? I wrote about it in my commonapp essay (haven't submitted yet so I could possibly change it) because where I am today is a direct result of it and it explains the massive discrepancy in my high school performance and current college performance (transfer application). I also portrayed it in a way that shows how I overcame it and how I learned and grew from the situation.

Will they really look at it like "Oh **** this kid is crazy?"

emachined

If you can word it right, use the right introduction and show the admissions person reading your essay that you were a better person for it then I guess involving some life mistakes wouldn't be a bad thing.

I personally wouldn't mention anything too awful. "I killed a man, but I learned from it" that sort of thing