<p>So pretty much I failed out of HS and dropped out. then went back 6 years later and got a 2 year AS. Now applying to school department to declare a major, already got in the school as pre major.</p>
<p>They ask how I discovered engineering and I wanted to talk about my education career beginning atHS but I am not sure if that’s a red flag.</p>
<p>If I say after HS I feel like im lying or trying to cover it up. what do u think?</p>
<p>Well, I think that if they already have access to your academic profile – notably the bit that would say you dropped out of HS – then you probably should include it somewhere in your essay – if you can write powerfully about it, of course. College admissions officers will prefer an honest and stirring essay to a phony one every time. (But, don’t overshare: you’re applying to a place of higher education, not going on Jerry Springer. Keep it tasteful.)</p>
<p>okay thank you! I briefly described the circumstances.</p>
<p>I have another question. I failed a whole quarter due to hurting my back. missed a month then tried to play catch up and failed. should I include that? I heard that they don’t like excuses.</p>
<p>It really depends on how you talk about it. If you say, I failed this quarter because I hurt my back-it’s be better not to mention it at all. But they do want explanations of slumps in performance and if you are going to talk about it, do it right. Talk about how you were injured but still tried to continue in classes rather than withdrawing. Discuss what motivated you to try and make a comeback. Tell them what you learned from your letter grade failure and if you perceived that semester to be an actual failure. Or discuss the impact of the injury on all facets of your life and how it has changed you. Are you more wiling to accept help from others? Do you view success/failure differently than before? What did you do with time while you were laid up/disabled? Did you learn or grow from the experience, or gain perspective? They don’t want excuses. They do want stories and insight into the challenges you’ve faced. They use that to determine what you’ll do if university becomes too challenging, or if you have a personal struggle while enrolled. How you overcome difficulties and how they change you are a great insight into who you are, and that’s what they want to know from your essay. </p>