Written by Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy), with input from Chris Loo (Director of College Counseling & DEI Educator), Sandy Longworth (Chief People Officer at College Essay Guy and trained Narrative Family Therapist), and Malissa Takacs (independent educational consultant and former school-based counselor).
Disclaimer: The content of this blog post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I (Ethan, the primary author) am not a mental health professional, and the insights shared here are based on personal experiences or general information. Reliance on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding mental health concerns.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(click to skip ahead)- Part 0: The short version of this guide + students’ struggles with mental health
- Main takeaways from this article:
- Students are struggling with mental health challenges (just ask the CDC)
- Part 1: Should a student disclose mental health challenges in their college application?
- What college admission officers have to say
- Situations where you may want to disclose mental health challenges:
- Situations where you might NOT need to disclose mental health challenges:
- Questions to ask yourself before you commit to writing about mental health challenges… and recommendations:
- Part 2: If you DO want to describe mental health challenges, where in the application should you — and how?
- Option 1: “Additional Information” or “Education” section.
- Option 2: Counselor Recommendation Letter
- Option 3: Personal statement
- Key Takeaways + Next Steps
- Appendix: Additional Resources
Part 0: The short version of this guide + students’ struggles with mental health
Main takeaways from this article:
If you’re trying to decide whether to disclose mental health challenges in your college application, ask yourself: Will disclosing this information help the reader understand the skills, qualities, values, and interests I’ll bring to a college campus?
The personal statement may not be the best place to disclose. You can instead use the “Additional Information” or “Education” section of your application—see below for examples—and in fact, some college admissions officers prefer when students use these sections for disclosures.
Another option is to ask your college counselor to mention your mental health challenges/what you’ve done/what you’ve learned in a paragraph of their recommendation letter to colleges, allowing you to use your personal statement to focus on sharing the skills/qualities/values/interests you’ll bring to a college community.
If you do decide to use your personal statement, consider devoting around ⅓ of your word budget to the challenges you experienced and their effects, ⅓ to what you did about it, and ⅓ to what you’ve learned about yourself.
Want the longer (audio) version of this guide?
Check out our three-part podcast, Mental Health and the College Essay, which features practical advice from admission officers, a college counselor, and a former student who chose to disclose.
Students are struggling with mental health challenges (just ask the CDC)
If you’re reading this, we probably don’t need to tell you that many high school students are facing mental health challenges. In fact, according to the CDC, in 2021:
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.
And it’s not just high school students.
Community college counselor and instructor Robin Eurgubian notes that “since COVID, close to 50% of my classroom nods along when a peer shares their experience with anxiety. While there appears to be an uptick in students identifying with anxiety and depression, I also wonder if students are simply more open about these challenges.”
So it’s probably no surprise that, at a time when students are being asked to write a “personal” statement, many college-bound students struggle with how, well, “personal” to actually get, and whether or not it makes sense to disclose their mental health challenges in their college application.
In this guide, which includes practical advice and examples from real students and counselors, we’ll share:
what college admission officers have to say
how to decide whether you (as a student) actually need to disclose, and
where—if you do decide to disclose—you can do so in your college application.
Want to learn more about the mental health challenges young adults are facing? Check out On Edge: Understanding and Preventing Young Adults’ Mental Health Challenges, a report released by our friends at Harvard’s Making Caring Common Project (see my podcast here with MCC’s Trisha Ross Anderson).
All right, let’s get into it.
Part 1: Should a student disclose mental health challenges in their college application?
The short answer: Maybe.
Remember, college admission officers want to know what skills/qualities/values/interests you’ll bring to a college community. Those are what you’re demonstrating through your writing and application.
Veteran college counselor Kim Ekstrom notes:
“Students who are thinking about communicating mental health concerns are often still struggling and often can’t clearly explain how these struggles have changed them in a positive way, or how it has led them to create positive change at their school or in a wider context. Just explaining their mental health concern doesn’t usually help them explain how they are unique.
Mental health conditions often sound very similar. One student’s explanation of what they went through during an eating disorder, for example, may sound very similar to another student’s challenge: counting calories, losing weight, isolating themselves, feelings of guilt and shame, denial, etc.
It is also true that the mental health challenge doesn’t define the student. They are so much more than that, and focusing on their strengths, values, and passions simply makes essays that represent them better.”
Given the above, if you’re trying to decide whether or not to disclose, here’s a good guiding question:
What college admission officers have to say
“Disclosing mental health shouldn’t be a negative and 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. The worst is getting accepted into a school that is not prepared to support your needs because you chose not to disclose. Remember, your application is as much of an interview for considering you as it is for them.”
- Lorenzo Gamboa, Director of Admission for Diversity, Inclusion, & Outreach at Santa Clara University
Having said that…
“Mental health challenges have become a somewhat common topic for personal statements, and it’s fine to reference them in your personal statement or in the additional information section. But for the personal statement, consider whether you’re presenting the fullest picture of yourself. Is it possible that you might be better served by showing us other skills and qualities you’ll bring to our campus community?”
- Hillary Dickman, Senior Assistant Director of Admission, Admission Marketing & Communications at Colorado College
Keep in mind:
“Your goal here isn’t simply to write about the difficulties you’ve overcome. It’s important to give the admission committee a good perspective on who you are and what you’re bringing to our community.”
- Christina Lopez, Dean of Enrollment Management at Barnard College
Situations where you may want to disclose mental health challenges:
If your grades were significantly disrupted. (Example: You failed two classes in grade 10 due to mental health struggles.)
If your transcript or application shows issues related to mental health challenges that need explaining. (Example: You took a semester away from school to attend an in-patient facility, or you switched high schools numerous times due to mental health challenges.)
If you feel your challenges are central to who you are and your story would not be complete without their mention somewhere in your application.
Situations where you might NOT need to disclose mental health challenges:
Your grades were not significantly disrupted or your transcript or application doesn’t show any issues caused by mental health challenges that need explaining.
Your diagnosis is relatively recent, and you may not have time to process the experiences in terms that will demonstrate the “what I’ve done” and “what I’ve learned” to a college.
The additional information description of the challenge, as written, raises more questions than it answers.
Questions to ask yourself before you commit to writing about mental health challenges… and recommendations:
| Questions to ask yourself | If so… |
|---|---|
| Am I writing about mental health challenges mostly because, right now, I’m not sure what else I’d write about for my personal statement? | Consider watching this video. and spending 20 minutes brainstorming 7 alternate personal statement ideas. |
| Am I writing about mental health challenges because I feel like it’s important work I need to do personally in order to understand who I am, and how I think? | Could writing about mental health challenges as a project separate from college applications (i.e., in a journal / just for myself) help me meet those needs? |
| Am I considering writing about a challenge because I believe it will make my application more compelling? | It’s not true that writing about a mental health challenge is “better” in a general sense, or will necessarily help your college acceptance chances. To prove it, here are examples. of essays not about mental health challenges written by students accepted at highly selective colleges. And a few of the authors struggled with mental health challenges, but chose not to mention them. |
| Can I summarize the challenge(s), effects, what I did, and what I learned in my additional information section? | See example in the additional information section below. |
| Could my mentions become a sentence or paragraph in my application as opposed to an entire essay? | See example below in the essay that begins “The clock slowly ticks on…”. |
| Can I write about my challenges in a way that demonstrates the skills, qualities, and values that I’ll bring to a college campus? | See example below in the essay that begins “Sara, smack her for me!” |
As Christina Lopez, Dean of Enrollment Management at Barnard College notes, “This is not a tell-all book, it is not a journal entry, it is not a diary entry, it is not an IG Live. It is a short snippet of who you are and an experience that has shaped you.”
Part 2: If you DO want to describe mental health challenges, where in the application should you — and how?
Option 1: “Additional Information” or “Education” section.
These two sections are, in my (Ethan’s) opinion, underutilized sections of the application, but each can be a great place to disclose mental health challenges in a brief and factual way.
What these sections are:
Additional Information section (typically ~650 words):
Many applications offer an Additional Information section, including the Common App, Coalition Application, and UC Application, where students are invited to share anything that hasn’t yet been shared in the application. Note that different applications will call this something slightly different.
Education section (typically ~250 words):
This is a similar section of the application, but asks about details relating specifically to your academics and possible disruptions or impacts to your schooling.
Pros of using either of these sections:
You can keep this short and informational, include a few bullet points on what you’ve done to overcome your challenges and what you’ve learned (see examples below)
And then use your personal statement to focus on all the other amazing skills/qualities/values/interests you’ll bring to a college campus
In other words, by using this section you’re less likely to be defined by the single story of your mental health challenges.
Potential cons:
None, as long as your explanation focuses primarily on what you did, what you learned, and how you have recovered and are ready for college.
Here’s a simple bullet-point structure you can use for disclosing in these sections:
Challenges
“Negative” effects
Turning point (optional, if you had one, but don’t necessarily need one)
Positive things I’ve done to get healthy
What I learned/Skills I gained/Positive effects
Important: Keep each part brief—one sentence if you can, maybe two sentences max.
If you go with this approach, here’s a template to get you started writing…
When I was X years old, I was diagnosed with Y—this is the challenges section
As a result [these were the impacts]—this is the “negative” effects section
After [this turning point moment—this is optional], I made the decision to [do X] and [here name the positive things you’ve done to work on yourself/get healthy: e.g., started therapy, began exercising, got more rest, changed my diet, practiced gratitude/mindfulness, began limiting screen time, etc.]
Thanks to these changes, I [here you name briefly what you’ve learned, or the positive impacts you’ve seen]
In terms of format, we recommend bullet points, as in the examples below.
Example disclosure in an “Education” section:
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 of What’s Working Well Here:
The bullet points make this very easy to read and the structure basically follows the template above, with emphasis on what the author has done and learned.
This isn’t the space for including a beautifully crafted personal statement #2. The tone here is (and should be) straightforward, informational.
This inclusion could have worked just as well in the “Additional Information” section. How do you decide? If your description relates to academics, and it’s short enough, put it in the Education section. Otherwise, the Additional Information section is fine. (Don’t stress over where to put it; you won’t “lose points” in an application for putting it in the “wrong” section.)
Notes for Potential Revision:
One potential critique of the example above is that the student could have perhaps focused less on the “challenges/effects” and “turning point” and a bit more on the “what I did” and “what I learned.”
Another minor note might be to briefly clarify a feeling and a need in the “effects” bullet point. (See this video + worksheet on the Feelings and Needs Exercise for more.)
Another suggestion might be to include a short subheading to let the reader know what’s being described here—this can help a reader who is skimming. Given these notes, here is…
A Revised Version (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. I feel excited and ready for college..
In case you’re wondering where an “Education” description goes in the Common App, it will pop up as a new prompt box when you click that you’ve attended more than one high school and look like this:
You’ll also get a similar question if you note you’ve had any disruptions or taken a gap year.
In the next example, the student doesn’t mention their mental health challenges explicitly. Instead, the focus is simply on what they’ve done and learned. Take a look:
Example disclosure in an “Additional Information” section:
Southwest High School Peer-Counseling Program
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:
Because the author chose not to mention their struggles here, the reader won’t know if they themselves struggled. Would knowing the student’s struggles improve their chances of being accepted at a particular college? It’s difficult to say. The choice to disclose is up to the individual; there’s no clear right or wrong answer.
Again, bullet points are great here. Notice how this is super short and to-the-point.
Don’t want to use either of these sections? If you have a college counselor writing a recommendation letter to include with your application, you might alternatively consider…
Option 2: Counselor Recommendation Letter
Pros of choosing this option:
You don’t have to worry about writing it yourself; you can let your counselor handle it.
Potential cons:
You may not have a counselor
Or your counselor may not have all the details of your situation
And you may not see what your counselor has to say, so you have a bit less control.
What you can do about this:
Send your counselor an email with the bullet points you’d like to emphasize using the five-point template above (Challenges, Effects, etc.) and they can write a paragraph to be included, in addition to all the OTHER awesome things they have to say about you.
Here are some actual examples of disclosures in counselor letters:
Example 1:
And so while many here would identify Alan as a scholar and athlete, there are an equal number of people who would say that he has had a huge impact on the mental health of our community. 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.
Note that in this paragraph there is no mention of the student’s own mental health challenges (Do we know? Does it matter for the college application/improve the student’s chance of acceptance?) — the focus is on all the wonderful things the student and his peers have done.
And I love the specifics here: host yoga sessions, pass out acai bowls, hang up hammocks, etc.
Having said that, here’s a second paragraph the counselor chose to include, detailing the student’s challenges:
Example 2 (same letter continued, next paragraph):
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. Is it “better” to include it, or not? There’s no perfect answer here—this is up to the discretion of the student and their college counselor.
If you’re a student reading this: Be sure to discuss whether you’d like your counselor to share the details of your challenges, or not.
Counselors: Ask your student if they’d prefer that you mention the challenges, or not.
Example 2 (shorter):
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.
Note the simple structure: challenges, turning point, what she did, how her community supported her.
And check out all the positive language, from the first sentence to the last.
Example 3 (even shorter):
But the tragic death of a friend by suicide became the trigger for David’s own struggle with depression. He was in a dark place and it took most of 11th grade for him to recover and get his life back on track. Many students would have given up, but the fact that he was able to finish up his junior year is a testimony to his determination, endurance and resilience. I want to provide this information so that his academic record can be put in the appropriate context.
— — —
Brief Notes + Analysis:
Here’s another example of a mention that helps contextualize grades.
Again, note how brief this can be (just 88 words here).
Students: You can check out this podcast episode. or this blog guide for students on how to get a great recommendation letter.
Option 3: Personal statement
Potential pros of using the personal statement to disclose:
You’re able to use this as an opportunity to show a college admission reader the skills, qualities, values, and interests you’ll bring with you to a college campus.
Potential cons of focusing on mental health challenges at length in your personal statement:
You may risk being defined by a single story (see this TED talk for more) and there’s a chance a student's application might feel like it's ALL about mental health if it's mentioned in the personal statement, counselor letter, additional information section, and teacher recommendation (as sometimes teachers will mention something).
You may miss out on an opportunity to write about something else that can more effectively demonstrate your skills, qualities, values, and interests.
The admission officer may be concerned that their campus doesn’t have adequate resources to support you.
If you do decide to use the personal statement, here’s how one student chose to do it (with section-by-section structural analysis):
Example 1: Describing Challenges + Effects, What I did, What I learned (using approximately ⅓ of word count for each section)
“Sara, smack her for me! She deserves it!”
Shock and confusion colored my face. Milliseconds later, anger consumed me.
How could my own Grammy want me to commit such a violent act… to my mother. To her own daughter…
My mother had finally stood up for me against my Grammy, had finally decided to protect my mental health, and because of that, we were in this situation. Because my mother valued me for once. With tears running down my face, hyperventilating, I found myself petrified and spiteful.
My Grammy wasn’t always a “bad” person. As her life progressed, so did her memory loss, along with its complications. Unfortunately, she became verbally abusive and outright offensive with time. Even though I loved my Grammy, I used to envy her. My mother, who spent hours each day caring for Grammy so that she didn’t have to live in a nursing home, was treated poorly by Grammy, and yet, my mother prioritized my Grammy’s health over my mental health.
As my mother’s daughter, I couldn’t help feeling like I wasn’t valued in my own family. To make matters worse, I had to fight depression, ADHD, anxiety, and severe sleep apnea in a household that insisted children don’t experience these things. Each instance exacerbated the next, causing a big clump of problems.
— — —
Section Analysis: Thus far, the essay has described the challenges and effects (217 words so far), which is less than ⅓, and works well. Up next is the “turning point” moment.
During my lowest point, I was admitted to the hospital, but this was where my story truly metamorphosed. I grasped that my life had meaning and purpose. I realized how much I missed my parents, my old life, and just being happy. After my parents drove an entire six hours one way just to see me in person for fifteen minutes, I also realized my parents felt the same way about me. Their effort meant the world to me, which was why when I left the hospital I was determined to complete my studies, mend the bonds I have with my parents, and try my best to better myself.
This was my first step towards happiness and I can honestly say that I didn’t let it fade away.
— — —
Section Analysis: Here the author sets up the transition from the “turning point” to the “what I did about it” section below, which works well.
For starters, my psychiatrist and I, after four tireless years, perfected the medication formula I take each day. Alongside medication, I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with three therapists who have all heard my story and discussed with me ways to regulate my emotions and understand myself more! While breathing techniques and other meditation-esque things don’t work for me because they make me lose sight of the bigger picture at play, I’ve been able to develop my own techniques to help me calm down during distressing situations.
— — —
Section Analysis: Here the author transitions from the “what I did about it” to next sharing “what I learned from these experiences” in the paragraphs below. But you’ll notice the author mentioning a few more things they’ve learned to do, so it’s kind of both “what I did” and “what I’ve learned,” which also works.
My parents and I now value and listen to each other’s experiences, which reiterates that we want what’s best for one another. I no longer sugarcoat things and place the blame on myself for things that were out of my control, and my parents do the same. Through this shared vulnerability, I feel as though it is safe to talk to them about everything that happened, validating our experiences and learning more about each other in the process.
Working with and learning from therapists, I’ve been able to significantly change the relationship dynamic between not only my parents and me, but between my friends and me, finding two communities to call home. I use my voice to check-in with my support group before starting conversations with them to make sure they have the mental capacity to listen.
— — —
Section Analysis: One thing I really like about the final paragraph below is that she offers a “before” and “after” from how she used to feel… to how she feels now. Take a look:
Now, when thinking about Grammy's final months, I’m not filled with bitterness, but rather empathy and understanding. I choose to remember the good times I had with her. I’m thankful for these experiences because they’ve pushed me to accept both life’s beauty and cruelty. One day, I hope to use various types of animation to raise awareness about others’ mental health struggles and what can be done to best support them.
— — —
Brief Notes + Analysis:
Note how the essay approximately follows this structure:
Challenges + Effects (⅓ of word count)
What I did about it (⅓ of word count)
What I learned (⅓ of word count)
The “before” and “after” in the final paragraph shows us how the author has changed.
Two common mistakes students make when using the personal statement to disclose a mental health challenge:
Focusing more on the “challenge” part of their story than the “what I did” and “what I learned.” This can result in an essay that feels, to quote a past student, “like a sob story.” This is often because more than ⅓ of the essay is devoted to describing the challenge and effects. The author of the essay above avoids this by devoting a significant portion of her word budget to the “what I did” and “what I learned.”
Sometimes students move to “helping others” too soon (before working on their own healing). What this sounds like:
the author realizes “I needed help” and then in the next paragraph they say
“so I started to help others…”
The problem with this is that often we miss the details of what they did to help themselves, which can leave the reader wondering, “Did the author heal first—or not?” The author above avoids this by not describing what they did to help others at all, instead focusing on their own healing.
But there’s another way you can use the personal statement to write about mental health challenges.
Christina Lopez, Dean of Enrollment Management at Barnard College notes “Your disclosure does not need to be in your [personal statement] essay. I think your essay can be a wonderful place for you to talk about who you are and the lens that you use to view the world…but your struggles with mental health may not be the right kind of story that you want to tell, or it could be a portion of it. Maybe it’s a line in that story but it’s not the whole story.”
In light of this, here’s an example of a student I worked with a few years ago who experienced anxiety, but who reframed it in an interesting way in his personal statement, and focuses primarily on what he did and learned.
Example personal statement that reframes his mental health challenge, focusing on it just briefly:
The clock slowly ticks on…
Tic, toc, tic, toc….
It’s 3:30 am and everything seems to be asleep. Normally, I’m coding at my desk with a glass of orange juice listening to movie theme tracks like “Time” by Hans Zimmer from Inception while the dark of a Seattle Night rests against my windows. I’m at peace as I chisel away at my code.
What am I coding? Depends on the night, but you can tell from my whiteboard, as each night there is something new on it. This week it was modeling the flow of a rules engine for validating bank wires, one part of my work for Microsoft. The week before it was filled with data-flow models from my React UI to a SQL database for an app my school asked me to build.
Tic, toc, tic, toc….
But why am I doing all of this so late into the night?
Tic, toc, tic, toc….
I’m battling time. Seeing how much territory I can claim before my moments are up.
Tic, toc, tic, toc….
— — —
Analysis from Ethan: This student struggled with anxiety, particularly surrounding time, but he found a clever way to include it as a motif in the essay (tic toc), and also begins with something “positive”—how he uses his work on software projects to battle his anxiety.
I didn’t know how to handle the idea of time as a kid and, when it became too much, I’d hide with my two stuffed dogs, my white blanket, warm vanilla milk, and the Calvin and Hobbes book The Days Are Just Packed. Under that blanket I would curl up and lose myself in Calvin’s antics as Spaceman Spiff.
Tic, toc, tic, toc….
Eventually, I found a much better way to deal with time: through soccer. Each day I would come home and rush through homework so I could go outside and practice until it got so dark I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. But after suffering twelve major injuries in between 6th and 11th grade I could feel all the time that I’d lost while recovering. This led to a burnout and caused me to transition away from soccer. So I did. During my recovery time I’d been learning to code through my own projects and CodeAcademy. As I entered high school, coding started to take over, and all the time I’d poured into soccer instead went to coding and the time I invested into coding led to some exciting personal projects such as a physics equation solver, a chip8 emulator and a compiler for my own language.
Tic, toc, tic, toc….
Recently, I’ve found another way to fight time: cooking. Last weekend I spent ten hours in the kitchen cooking a rosemary shrimp pan-seared in olive oil, a celery and green apple salad and a homemade pasta and ragu for my girlfriend’s family. I cook because it allows me to meditate, which allows me to reflect upon the past week. Without this time to reflect I wouldn’t change and if I can’t change, then I can’t learn. If I can not learn then I will not be prepared for my next battle with time.
— — —
Analysis from Ethan: Here he shares more healthy coping strategies he’s developed: reading, athletics, cooking, and time with family/friends.
Tic, toc, tic, toc….
In the future, I plan to fight time through projects such as a city infrastructure software, robotic construction, and a physics education platform. These projects are important to me because they give back to others, whether that be through education or repairing our country's aging roads. I want to give back using my skills to increase the quality of life for others around me.
Tic, toc, tic, toc….
Time never stops, so why should I? Why should I stop learning? Why should I stop asking why? The answer is, I shouldn’t. Just like time, I never should stop. I plan to continue to wage my battle against time by learning everything that I can. And I will. But I also won’t forget things I love: Calvin’s sled, homemade pastas, lacing up cleats before a game, and tinkering away late into the night on my computer.
— — —
Analysis from Ethan: This student realized that anxiety need not dominate his life… or his college essay. And while he implies the anxiety hasn’t left him permanently (see the repetition of “tic toc”), his essay primarily focuses on the positive adaptations he’s made, and demonstrates skills, qualities, values, and interests that he’ll bring to a college community and beyond.
Key Takeaways + Next Steps
Ask: Will disclosing help me demonstrate skills/qualities/values/interests I’ll bring to a college campus? If so…
Could it go in the “Education” or “Additional Information” sections? If so, explain it briefly and factually.
Or my counselor recommendation letter? If so, talk to your counselor.
If using the personal statement, consider using this structure:
Challenges + Effects
What I did
What I learned
Appendix: Additional Resources
Additional Resource 1: Using a Supplemental Essay to Disclose a Mental Health Challenge, Mental Health-Related Activity or Community, or a Learning Difference
Some colleges may ask you to describe a challenge you’ve overcome. If so, you can use the structure suggested above, splitting the ⅓ according to the word budget you’re given. (Example: If the essay has a 300 word limit, you might use 100(ish) words for the challenges + effects, 100(ish) words for “what I’ve done” and 100(ish) words for “what I’ve learned.”
Other colleges may offer an opportunity for you to describe an extracurricular activity (see link for full essay guide) you’ve been a part of, or describe a community (see link for full essay guide) that’s been meaningful to you. If so, you might discuss a relevant activity or community. And note that you may choose to describe your specific, personal mental health challenges, or not.
Supplemental Essay Example 1: Focusing on “what I’ve done about it” through an extracurricular activity
Prompt: What have you done to make your school or community a better place?
According to US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, there is an “ epidemic of loneliness and isolation, which is a public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. "And we must prioritize building social connections... [to] build a country that’s healthier, more resilient, less lonely, and more connected.” He put into words what I see in my life and in my peers. Everyone struggles with their mental health from time to time. I decided I wanted to do something in my community to combat the lack of resources available to deal with mental health at my school. I joined the Mindful Club and became co-leader. Our goal at the Support Squad is to provide students at our school with a protected environment in which to discuss mental health issues. One of my roles is to create infographics on prevalent problems in the community, such as the Washington fires or the teen homelessness crisis in Seattle. I host a podcast about the ways students can deal with the stress of life, from ways they can cope with the pressures of school to ways they can address current events such as the war in Gaza. The Support Squad provides a safe space in the counselors’ rooms to address any issues anyone may be facing. More students, especially those from younger grades, are beginning to talk to our counselors. Many students have complained about the lack of sleep they get due to the homework load. Forefront created a sleep room in the counselor’s office to allow students to sleep during the day during breaks. Since opening the rooms, they have been packed with students getting the rest they need. To combat the stress students experienced when peers compared grades, the Support Squad also hosted a panel to redirect the talk about grades. We shift the focus to self-improvement and personal accomplishment rather than comparison.
There is no easy fix for mental health issues. Through my experience at the Support Squad, I learned the importance of connecting with other students. I brought this to my role as the Spirit Leader. I plan team events like dodgeball that connect students from different grades. The hope is for students to experience and create a close-knit community at school. Through my experiences at the Support Squad and my role as Spirit Leader, I've learned the importance of fostering connections and creating a stronger sense of community within our school. Community provides a foundation for improved mental health.
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Brief Notes + Analysis:
Again, note that the student doesn’t mention their own struggles directly. This is fine.
Note that this essay could have worked for any number of prompts, including those asking about an extracurricular activity, contribution to their community, and more.
This essay could also have been adapted to answer prompts asking about how that student hoped to contribute to a particular college/university; if so, they would simply need to include specific opportunities/clubs available on the campus they imagine attending.
While we haven’t discussed learning differences in this blog, sometimes students who experience mental health challenges also have learning differences. If that describes you, you could use this as a chance to describe your learning difference, as the student does below.
Supplemental Essay Example 2: Describing a learning difference
Prompt: In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant's ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result. (150 words)
ADHD entangled me in thought-spirals; impeded task transitions; rendered me too unproductive, too disorganized, too incapable.
The more I tried to fix myself, the more I felt that I had no control over my mind and body.
But through support from friends, family, and science, I realized that ADHD is like having higher-than-average inertia (it takes significant force for my motion to change direction); my tangential thoughts are quantum jitters that provoke spontaneity.
With this reframing, I’ve devised methodologies that work with my ADHD. I channel high inertia into hyperfocusing on projects like GWC hackathons, and channel my tangential nature into my personal life, embracing what friends dub my “chaotic energy,” which turns every day into an adventure!
The lack of suffocating thoughts afforded me brainspace to appreciate existence. How lucky we are to exist in this tangible world!
And then I think: I don’t need to be fixed.
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Brief Notes + Analysis:
This isn’t a mental health challenge, such as anxiety or depression, as we’ve been discussing so far, but I’m including it here as some students wonder about disclosing learning differences. Also, some students who struggle with mental health challenges discover that they have learning differences.
You’ll notice the format here is similar to a mental health disclosure:
Challenges
Effects
Turning point
What I’ve done
What I’ve learned
You can use a similar format if you’re discussing a mental health challenge you’ve overcome.
Additional Resource 2: The Naming the Problem exercise
Michael White, the founder of Narrative Therapy, famously stated that the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.
If you’re considering writing about a mental health challenge, try using our Naming the Problem exercise. It can help develop material to write about yourself in a way that shows colleges who you are becoming and you who intend to be on their campus.
Additional Resource 3: Additional Resource 3: Questions Counselors Can Ask Students Who Are Struggling
If a student reveals something in the process, what’s your responsibility as a counselor?
According to Chris Loo, veteran college counselor and mental health specialist, “A good first step is to empathize. Listen. Help the student feel seen.” After that, it depends on the student.
But here are 3 simple questions you might ask (and that are easy to remember):
Is the student safe? Both from themselves, and others?
Do they have support? Do their parents know? Someone they trust whom they can talk to about personal issues? Are they seeing a counselor or therapist regularly? What this sounds like: “Are you talking to anyone else about this?”
What next step is the student comfortable with me taking?
It’s also good to ask: What policies does the school have in place?
Here are some additional questions you might ask:
How does the student describe their current emotional state? Have they experienced any significant changes in behavior or mood recently?
What coping strategies does the student currently use when feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Is the student engaging in any activities or hobbies that they enjoy?
Does the student feel comfortable seeking help when needed or accessing mental health resources?
How is the student managing their academic workload?
What are the student's sleep patterns like, and have there been any recent changes?
Has the student noticed any changes in their appetite or eating habits?
How does the student feel about their future and their goals?
You can hear more from Chris Loo in our podcast episode on this very topic:
College Essay Guy Podcast: Episode 512 Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective
