Is it okay to write about trauma in a college essay?

Traumatic or otherwise difficult experiences do NOT have to be off the table for your college application essays. They are legitimate subjects (depending on the essay prompt, of course; it has to make sense as a response to the particular question).

What shouldn’t you write in your college essay?

What should you not write in a college essay?

1. Never rehash your academic and extracurricular accomplishments.
2. Never write about a “topic”
3. Never start with a preamble.
4. Never end with a “happily ever after” conclusion.
5. Never pontificate.
6. Never retreat into your thoughts.
7. Never hold back.
8. Never give TMI.

Can you write about assault in a college essay?

Writing can be excellent therapy for working through difficult and traumatic events in life—assault, rape, abuse, incest, attempted suicide, cutting, depression and so on. However, you don’t want your college admissions essay to be a self-analysis of your pain and suffering.

Can you talk about drugs in a college essay?

Writing about sex, drugs, or any other inappropriate topics in your college essay isn’t edgy, it’s disrespectful, and it shows that you’re someone who is thinking more about getting a reaction than about communicating something truthful and helpful to the admissions officer reading it. Sex: Seriously, avoid it.

Do colleges care if you cuss?

Colleges know that people swear sometimes, obviously, but excessive vulgarity will not reflect well upon you.

Should I write my college essay about depression?

Mental health is a huge part of life, and something that campus personnel should know about, but the essay is not necessarily the best place to disclose it. It can be done, but unless your story is how you overcame your depression, it’s going to send up red flags for admissions officers.

Are long college essays bad?

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It’s a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you’re wondering, that’s about a page and a half double-spaced.)

What topics to avoid in a college admission essay?

10 topics to avoid in a college admission essay. 1. Listing accomplishments. You might be the most amazing person on the planet, but nobody wants a recitation of the wonderful things you’ve done, the 2. Sports. Do you know how many millions of teens have written about scoring the winning goal,

Is it okay to be raised by an emotionally abusive parent?

It’s perfectly natural for you to experience negative consequences from being raised by emotionally abusive parents. If, by the time you’re removed from the situation, you haven’t developed any mental disorders, that’s great. If you have, that’s perfectly understandable and 100\% okay.

Do you deserve your parents’ abusive treatment?

Don’t let yourself believe that you “deserve” their abusive treatment. You don’t. As a child and teenager, it’s very easy to assume that your parents are treating you a certain way based on who you are and how you behave, and consequently that if they’re treating you poorly it must be because you’re a bad person.

Do you have a negative reaction to the admission essay?

Many students, particularly some of the brightest ones, have a negative reaction to the strictures of the admission essay. In response, Robinson says, “They want to write in stream-of-consciousness or be sarcastic, and I totally understand this reaction. However, you must remember your goal with these essays — to get accepted!