<p>First on the “credit received” I can tell you that’s not the case. I transferred schools after 10th grade and it showed the same “CR” on my transcript. Private schools often do take into account ability to pay, for the same reason they favor legacies. Adcoms have said so in books. I mean this is not debatable. They do favor legacies because alums donate and they even acknowledge that. Ivys like to brag about no loans policy, but they can only sustain it by admitting few like yourself. Elite schools are again becoming for the 2% and some remnant of lower-middle class. </p>
<p>What I find interesting is when I went to look on my school’s site for some kind of free counseling or whatever for when I get to campus, they had some line about how they value students with mental illness and that’s part of their commitment to diversity. It made me wonder if that extends to before they’re admitted…Same person after all. Only diff is they were hiding it until getting to campus. </p>
<p>I think it sends a mixed signal about integrity and it’s kind of shameful of these colleges IF they do reject for that. People with depression have the right to seek the same things in life, and some do get better. It could be that most essays along those lines just suck. Same with death in the family. I mean a 14 year old is gonna struggle with that, so I don’t understand why it’s wrong to mention it as a possible reason for taking a year off.</p>