Is this an iffy topic to write about for my common app personal statement?

techmom99
Tue, 09 Aug 2016 04:49:49 +0000

I am sorry that you grew up with an abusive, mentally ill sibling. I think that you could write a very good essay about learning to be empathetic and how to handle difficult situations with grace. I wouldn’t talk about being abused or traumatized because your brother is a victim here, too, of mental illness. I am certain that he did not choose to develop schizophrenia. On a lesser scale, my daughter wrote about how growing up with a dyslexic father, one brother with Asperger’s, one with ODD/anxiety and 2 with dyslexia led her to want to become a special ed teacher. The subject is slightly different but the context is the same - how did the situation in which you found yourself help you grow and give you focus.