Starting in sophomore year, my parents began to have continuous fights and have been on/off on the subject of divorce (considered 5 times, withdrew-- sometimes I wish there was an ultimatum instead of all this swaying back-and-forth). It’s been pretty hellish and taxing on the soul/body, and because of it I became depressed-- not to the point of suicide, but just disinterested, unable to focus… like not “I want to kill myself” but like “If something were to happen to me, I wouldn’t particularly mind” or “If I could save someone else’s life while risking mine, I would totally go for it.” Nobody knows about my struggle, though, due to personal reasons.
I can honestly say that this has taken a toll on my grades: there’s been 2 semesters where my grades significantly dropped compared to the rest of my academic record as a whole. However, my grade trend is increasing, but if you look at my overall GPA before looking specifically into each semester, it is low.
Should I mention this when applying to colleges (and yes, I do know that they are more… careful when considering applications of those with depression, and that there are many various negative consequences such as more expensive health care)? Or should I just leave it behind (which is also believable as there are no formal records diagnosing me with depression)? Or should I mention the fact that my parents have been considering divorce which hit me hard but not mention the possibility of depression?
Is there even a part of college applications where you can let the AO know about any special circumstances (LOL, clearly my knowledge about college applications is not very high).
Thanks so much!
No. You would simply be calling attention to them. There isn’t really a way to explain away bad grades. They are on the record. You apparently were distracted by your circumstances. Some students in dysfunctional families bury themselves in their school work to avoid the conflicts at home. It does not help you any to inform the school about why you have poor grades. I’m sure they figure there is a reason. There is for everyone. So what are you trying to convey by explaining your reason. Instead, focus on the positives and continue to improve.
There is a page at the end of the common app where you can discuss anything you want. However I would not mention depression at all. As for the divorce, as a distraction, it may be TMI
No!
That would be like apologizing for your back acne on your first date with a hot guy/gal. Who wants to listen to that.
These answers make me sad. Nobody gets it. I’m so sorry you’re having a hard time. While I am not experienced in applying for colleges (I’m a sophomore), however, I WOULD mention it. Unlike the person who commented something about acne (clearly they’ve never struggled with depression), I think it’s something very serious that shows that while you may have had a decrease in GPA, you did your best to come back from it. If a college denies you acceptance because they expect you to keep a 4.0 while experiencing depression, then they clearly don’t have a good college environment (i.e. grades are more important than mental health) and you probably wouldn’t want to go to that college anyway. It’s not ‘complaining’ or ‘making excuses’. You are allowed to not be prefect all the time. Just my two cents.
That’s not the point. The point is that you have depression and they don’t want you to commit suicide or fail out at their school.
Hold on, now my circumstances have changed. I still haven’t come out about depression, but I just won a slightly major award combating depression- yet I’m still scared to acknowledge that I have it due to the possible repercussions. What should I do now?
@cpresson1 Unfortunately, yes, it is @bodangles 's point that is often true.
@SeekingPam So don’t mention anything?
@drakonus I get that the school doesn’t want to have unstable students, but I as an unstable student, I don’t want them.
@cpresson1
The issue here is not whether depression is a serious problem. The issue here is whether the OP should write an “apology” for spotty grades.
The general guidance is for applicants to not draw further attention to negatives.
Talk to your Guidance Counselor so they can be aware of the issues…they are the ones who should include info about family issues. Also see if you can get some therapy for yourself.
@bopper The problem is if that happens, they’ll definitely contact my parents, which isn’t okay in my case, logically speaking (I know it’s the right thing to do, but I just can’t).
Hey guys, so can you answer my question?
I know a lot of colleges have prompts like “explain a hardship.”
Do I mention my depression and mention how I fought against it by participating in suicide awareness programs? I’m scared though; this can be either bad or good.
We don’t know what colleges, what the admissions hurdle is.
You are asking colleges to admit you and trust you will succeed there, based on (at least) two things: your record and how your app shows your thinking and other attributes. It’s good to focus on the positives, not just the fact that things got tough, your work suffered and you’re still putting the pieces back together. They can have sympathy and empathy…and still wonder how you’ll handle challenges that could come up at their school. The tougher the school and your major, the more they can want to see resilience, growth, and how a kid overcame, despite.
I know this is hard. And it’s good you did a program. But adcoms can want to see how you came through the ring of fire, not just what the fire was. Even when schools ask about hardships, they want to know how you mastered them. Do you have a way to show this? Show, not just tell?
You might be able to explain to the GC, in confidence. Many times, the GC can say, hey, this kid had it tough, but let’s consider his strengths, give examples. Depending on the level of college, it also matters what classes where the grades dropped, related to your major or not. Think about your options.
You can mention the depression, of course. Here is the problem. A history of depression means that you are at higher risk of other episodes of depression. As has been mentioned, there has been a rise in the number of students with mental health issues. Colleges and universities are not large psychological care centers. They can’t handle the rise, something that is attributable to a mix of the fact that students who would not have been attending college in the past do to their difficulties are doing so now and many students are less equipped to handle stress than they would have been a generation ago. Schools want to admit a class of psychologically healthy students. Is that fair? I can’t answer that. But I know that I would rather one of my kids had a well adjusted happy roommate than one with depression.
If you did poorly and are now doing better, what does knowing the fact that you were depressed add that makes you more worthy of being accepted than someone who did poorly due to any of the other reasons students can get poor grades. Admissions counselor will figure that a drop in grades is do to something. But how does knowing the fact that it was do to depression and a parents divorce make it more likely that they will accept you? What are things that would cause a dip in grades that you don’t think is as worthy of understanding on the part of admissions counselor.
“Hey guys, so can you answer my question?”
Yes I can answer it. No you should not mention it. It does not improve the grades and it adds a problematic aspect to your application.
Equally important, maybe more, is to choose college targets when you can heal, grow and thrive. The right schools for you, at this time in your life. Make sure you’e looking for that, not just ranking or what you “think” they offer.
It’s not mentioning it that runs automatic risks. Adcoms know kids suffer ups and downs. But how you write, what you write, will reveal a lot about you. You need to understand what you want to communicate and what they need to read.