Midway through my freshman year, I transferred high schools because of a family situation. I ended up transferring back to my original high school midway through my sophomore year. Does this hurt my chances at good colleges like Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, etc. I maintained my 4.0 GPA through the whole process by the way.
It won’t hurt you. I would ask your guidance counselor to address it in his/her letter of recommendation.
I think I might write about it in my common app essay. Is that a good idea?
You have a separate post asking that question. As I noted above it seems like something your guidance counselor can adequately address.
I wouldn’t write about it as the main topic of your essay. Lots of kids transfer.
No. Lots of people transfer high schools for a variety of reasons. It is far from uncommon. And no, it is not worth making a subject of an essay unless it is the most significant (or one of the most) aspect of yourself that you want to get across.
Moving high schools can be very significant. Did we even have to write essays in 1969? I actually do not remember, but I probably would have written about moving in 1968 from “summer of love” northern California to North Shore Chicago [Winnetka/Wilmette], where they were still stuck in the 50s, because the culture shock was stunning, It really depends on what it meant to you.
Since it isn’t something that is in your control, I don’t see why it would hurt you.