Is it a good idea to write my college essay about anxiety?

First, I want to validate exactly where you are coming from. The anxiety you dealt with was real, and the work you put in to overcome it during your freshman and sophomore years is a massive personal victory. That resilience is part of your character now, and that matters.

However, from a strategic admissions perspective, writing your main Personal Statement about this is almost always a tactical error.

This isn't because your experience is "common" or "cliché," your struggle is unique to you. The reason you shouldn't write about it is because you are using your most valuable asset (the essay) to explain a data point that speaks for itself.

Here is why you should pivot to a different topic.

1. The "Explanation" vs. "Elevation" Trap

Admissions officers will look at your transcript. They will see the lower grades in 9th/10th grade, and they will see the upward trend in 11th/12th grade. They already know you matured. They already know you figured it out.

If you write your essay about it: You are spending 650 words confirming what they can already see. You are "explaining" the past.

What you should do: You need to "elevate" the present. Use the essay to show them the brilliant, curious, dynamic student you are today, the student who resulted from that growth.

The essay is your only chance to show Intellectual Vitality. If you spend it talking about your struggle with school, you aren't talking about your passion for robotics, your love of history, or your specific leadership style.

2. The "Universal Curve" of High School

While your specific battle with anxiety was personal, the outcome (struggling early → maturing → succeeding later) is a trajectory shared by a vast number of applicants. Many students take time to find their footing in high school, whether due to anxiety, family issues, or simply needing time to grow up.

The Strategic Reality: Because this "upward curve" is a standard success story, treating it as the main event of your application doesn't differentiate you. It proves you are competent and resilient (which is good!), but it doesn't prove you are unique (which is necessary for top-tier schools).

3. The "Additional Info" Section is Your Best Friend

You absolutely should tell them about the anxiety, because it provides crucial context for your grades. But the Personal Statement is the wrong vehicle.

Put it in the "Additional Information" section.

This section allows you to be direct and factual without needing a narrative arc.


You have already done the hard work of overcoming the anxiety. Do not feel like you have to "perform" that struggle again for the admissions committee to prove your worth.

My recommendation: Let your transcript prove your resilience. Let your Additional Info section explain the context. And let your Personal Statement be about something that makes you light up, a hobby, an intellectual obsession, or a creative passion. Show them the exciting side of your brain, not just the repairing side.