Thoughts on including overcoming panic attacks in a personal statement?Answered
I used to get them, but after four years of therapy, I have not had one in three. The main reason for that is that I found a passion: anthropology. Naturally, I made all that the central topic of my personal statement.
I am scared of being rejected by my only safety school (University of Massachusetts Amherst) due to the stigmatization of the topic. I am an international, so I have a very limited pool of universities I can apply to. Being rejected by this one, in particular, would be catastrophic.
The only factor that could possibly dissuade an admission officer at this faculty, considering my application, would be my delicate personal essay. Is it worth it to write a new one just for this university? Does anyone know if they are specifically understanding of this kind of ordeal?
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1 answer
The admissions officer reviewing your application knows that all students face tough circumstances in their lives. What really matters is not how "stigmatized" your problem is, but how you choose to deal with it.
If UMass Amherst is a safety for you, it is obvious that your academic stats and extracurriculars are much better than those of typical applicants. If you're leading in the more important criteria, they probably won't even feel the need to read your essay to admit you. Even if they do, it'll work in your favor as you've managed to build a better applicant profile than others despite your condition.
Hope this helps!
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