Navigating Illness in College Application Essays: A Comprehensive Guide

Applying to college is a stressful process, and deciding what to share in your application essays can be particularly challenging. Many students grapple with the question of whether to disclose mental health challenges or other illnesses. This article provides guidance on how to approach this sensitive topic, drawing on advice from college admissions officers, counselors, and real student experiences.

Understanding the Context: Mental Health Among Students

It's crucial to acknowledge the prevalence of mental health challenges among high school and college students. According to the CDC, in 2021, a significant percentage of high school students reported experiencing poor mental health and even suicidal ideation. Community college counselor Robin Eurgubian observes that anxiety and depression are increasingly common and openly discussed among students. This context highlights the importance of addressing mental health with sensitivity and awareness in the college application process.

29% of high school students experienced poor mental health during the past 30 days.
22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide during the past year.
18% of high school students made a suicide plan during the past year.

The Core Question: Will Disclosure Enhance Your Application?

The primary consideration when deciding whether to disclose an illness in your college application is whether it will help the reader understand the skills, qualities, values, and interests you'll bring to campus. College admission officers are looking for students who will contribute positively to their community. Veteran college counselor Kim Ekstrom emphasizes that students should be able to explain how their struggles have led to positive change or demonstrate their unique qualities. Mental health conditions often sound very similar, so you need to show how you have grown. Disclosing mental health challenges can help the selection committee understand the needs you might have and to ensure they have the necessary resources to make you a successful student on that campus.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Disclosure

While transparency can be beneficial, it's essential to consider the potential drawbacks. Hillary Dickman, Senior Assistant Director of Admission at Colorado College, advises students to consider whether focusing on mental health challenges in the personal statement presents the fullest picture of themselves or if other skills and qualities might be more compelling.

Lorenzo Gamboa, Director of Admission for Diversity, Inclusion, & Outreach at Santa Clara University notes, disclosing mental health shouldn’t be a negative. Remember, your application is as much of an interview for considering you as it is for them. The worst is getting accepted into a school that is not prepared to support your needs because you chose not to disclose.

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Strategic Disclosure: Where and How to Share

If you decide to disclose, consider the most appropriate sections of the application:

Additional Information Section

Many applications offer an Additional Information section where students can share anything not covered elsewhere. This section is ideal for providing context for academic disruptions or elaborating on personal circumstances.

Education Section

This section is specifically for details related to your academics and any disruptions or impacts to your schooling. If your illness significantly affected your grades or academic performance, this is a suitable place to explain the situation.

Advantages of Using These Sections

Brevity and Clarity: These sections allow you to be concise and informational, focusing on what you've done to overcome challenges and what you've learned.
Focus on Growth: By using these sections, you can avoid being solely defined by your illness and instead highlight your resilience and growth.
Positive Framing: Ensure that your explanation focuses primarily on what you did, what you learned, and how you have recovered and are ready for college.

Structuring Your Disclosure

A simple bullet-point structure can be effective for disclosing in these sections:

Challenges: Briefly describe the illness or challenge you faced.
"Negative" Effects: Explain the impact of the illness on your life, academics, or activities.
Turning Point (Optional): If applicable, describe a specific moment or event that led to positive change.
Positive Actions: Detail the steps you took to get healthy and manage your illness (e.g., therapy, exercise, lifestyle changes).
Lessons Learned/Skills Gained: Highlight the skills, insights, and positive effects that resulted from your experience.

Template Example:

"When I was X years old, I was diagnosed with Y."
"As a result, [these were the impacts]."
"After [this turning point moment], I made the decision to [do X] and [here name the positive things you’ve done to work on yourself/get healthy]."
"Thanks to these changes, I [here you name briefly what you’ve learned, or the positive impacts you’ve seen]."

Real-Life Examples and Analysis

Let's examine some examples of how students have successfully disclosed illnesses in their college applications:

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Example 1: Education Section - Overcoming Stress and Anxiety

Original: "Throughout my junior year at Northwest High School, I struggled with severe stress and chronic anxiety as a result of my course load - 6 AP classes, music, sports and other extracurricular activities. By the spring, I was burned out, unable to sustain the pressure. Ultimately, it was decided that I would be more successful with completing high school away from home at a small residential school in Vermont where I would be able to focus on my mental health and well-being. This shift in normalcy was initially extremely difficult. I struggled with missing the friends, family, and my lifelong school community I had left behind. However, with the support of my new teachers and peers, I slowly settled into the routine of my classes, easing into the new school and social environment. In the process of the personally tumultuous past year, I've learned how to prioritize my personal needs, balanced alongside academic expectations. As I progress into my future, I am ready to carry the many insights I have gained with newfound internal support and stability."
Analysis: This example demonstrates how to explain a significant academic disruption due to mental health challenges. The student clearly outlines the challenges, the impact, and the steps taken to address the issue.
Revised (with new language in bold): Challenges Overcome & Strengths Gained. Throughout my junior year at Northwest High School, I struggled with severe stress and chronic anxiety as a result of my course load (6 AP classes), music, sports and other extracurricular activities. By the spring, I felt overwhelmed and realized I needed more rest and support. I moved to a small residential school in Vermont, where I’ve learned how to prioritize my personal needs, how to do less, and how to ask for help. I’ve also been meeting with a therapist, exercising more regularly, and making sure I get 8 hours of sleep each night. As a result, I’ve made some amazing new friends, begun regularly experiencing more joy, gotten better at prioritizing, and have learned the value in doing less, but better.

Example 2: Additional Information Section - Peer Counseling

Original:
Southwest High School Peer-Counseling Program

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We offer a safe and confidential resource for students who need a non-judgmental listener, advice, or professional resources.What I did and learned:
- Counseled 25 students, totaling 50 one-on-one meetings
- Advised students with stress, peer pressure, academic stress, family deaths, suicide, and other anxiety provoking issues
- Trained peer-counselor
- Supervised by certified school counselors and professionals through group seminars and courses earning a certificate
- Improved my listening and communication skills
- Journaled my experiences
Brief Analysis: This example showcases a student's involvement in a peer counseling program. While the student doesn't explicitly mention their own struggles, the reader can infer their passion for mental health advocacy.

Example 3: Counselor Recommendation - Highlighting Positive Impact

Original: This year, Alan is part of Mental Health Matters, a group of students who work with our school counselors to support others who struggle with mental health issues and find ways to be proactive and bolster the mental health of our students. This group of students do more than almost any other student group on campus. They host yoga sessions, pass out acai bowls, hang up hammocks on campus in random places, host journaling sessions and bring in therapy dogs during especially stressful seasons of the year. In addition, these students are the “feet on the ground” in helping our administration identify students who are struggling.
Brief Notes + Analysis: This inclusion focuses on the student’s positive impact first.

Example 4: Counselor Recommendation - Providing Context

Original: It is no accident that he has given so much leadership to this team. He’s passionate about speaking up about mental health because he has had his own struggles with it. The pandemic was really challenging for Alan. Deeply social by nature, remote learning was terrible for him. In addition, the death of a friend last year by suicide greatly impacted him, on top of the stress of varsity basketball practices. He suffered from insomnia and there were days when he just couldn't get up for class. But with counseling and support, his light has returned. What he’s learned from life’s hard lessons has enabled him to be the support others need.
Brief Notes + Analysis: This paragraph gives more context to the student’s journey.

Example 5: Counselor Recommendation - Explaining Grade Impact

Original: Sarah’s transcript does not adequately reflect her intelligence, engagement and curiosity. In fact, if there was any student whose GPA didn’t match their capability as a student in this year’s senior class, it would be Sarah Jones. She faced many personal challenges in her sophomore and junior year. Her uncle, who she was very close to, passed away from brain cancer. The grief of losing her uncle brought on symptoms of depression, which Sarah wasn’t even aware of. This summer, she was finally able to get the help that she needed. She found strength, support and motivation. She also found helpful ways to deal with her grief and stress. Her senior grades now reflect not only her ability, but her potential. Sarah never gave up on herself. And those closest to her in our community were always right there, cheering her on.
Brief Notes + Analysis: Here’s a situation where the student’s grades were negatively impacted, warranting an explanation.

The Personal Essay: A Case Study

The essay "What are you ‘dying’ of this time, Lauren?" provides a compelling example of how to address illness in a personal essay. The author uses humor and self-deprecation to introduce her hypochondria, a characteristic that could be viewed as a flaw. However, she skillfully redirects the reader's attention to the major obstacle she has overcome: her fear of the medical field.

By describing her experiences working in a hospital, the author demonstrates her transformation and growth. She shows, rather than tells, her reader that she is persistent, hardworking, and open to new experiences. The essay's strength lies in its descriptive language and the author's ability to showcase her positive characteristics.

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