Unlike most prospective college students, I had quite a few problems during my sophomore year with drugs and other nefarious behavior. This resulted in poor grades, which continue to affect my otherwise relatively decent GPA. However, I still feel like it's worth applying, as I am an excellent test-taker and writer.

The problem is, I can't come up with a good topic for my admissions essay. This got me thinking -- maybe I can write about the mistakes I have made and what I've learned from them. Would an essay on such a subject hurt my chances, or would the admissions officers see it as a good measure of personal growth?

By the way, I plan on applying to CSU: Hayward and Humboldt State, if that make any difference. It's not like I'm trying to get into Berkeley or anything.

- Tom

Pick something good or monumental in your life. Write.

Write something that you people want to read. Analyze your audience; google PAIBOC and go through it before you write your admission's essay.

I understand that part. I was just wondering if admissions officers would be turned off by the fact that I've done such things in my life.

I'm pretty sure you didn't read my post at all...

- Tom

Do you have a good story that centers around drug use and "nefarious" activities? What drugs and "nefarious" activities are we talking about?

It's your choice, but I wouldn't suggest it; unless it's inspiring and there's a strong community involvement. If you do choose to write it, then I'd suggest including letters of recommendation that illustrate this fact.

This got me thinking -- maybe I can write about the mistakes I have made and what I've learned from them. Would an essay on such a subject hurt my chances, or would the admissions officers see it as a good measure of personal growth?

By the way, I plan on applying to CSU: Hayward and Humboldt State, if that make any difference. It's not like I'm trying to get into Berkeley or anything.

- Tom

Here's what I'm thinking.

1) Those schools aren't terribly selective. Therefore an essay is far down on the list of things they look at.

2) Have your high school grades and other activities improved since your "mistakes" as you've got older? That will look good. It will back up your essay claims of learning from these mistakes and gaining maturity.

I think as long as you write a grammatically and structurally good essay, the subject you're proposing here isn't going to matter. Are your "mistakes" visible to the admissions office, as in, have you had to provide a criminal record or school disciplinary record or something? Because if they know about your past behavior already, it might look better for you to try and explain it and show you are no longer like that, rather than try to hide it.

I think if you write it well and conclude in such a way that shows you've really learned something and plan to do something with your life now, it'll look really good.

If it was me, I'd run it by my high school counselor and a couple of my English teachers to proof read and get an idea of it. Just saying the topic is pretty vague. It's easier to have an opinion on it once it's actually written.

edit: My senior year English teacher told me I should look up a particular school's mission statement online and write an essay about something in their statement. That sounded terribly boring to me so I didn't. But I didn't get in to that particular school either (Boston University...psh, wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway) but that might've been for a number of reasons.

edit 2: Tom, no matter what you end up writing on, get your damn application in as early as possible. Don't wait around on this.

Thanks for the advice guys, but I think I'll find something else to write about. I don't want to take my chances.

- Tom

Thanks for the advice guys, but I think I'll find something else to write about. I don't want to take my chances.

- Tom

Hey that's always a good idea, playing it safe. Maybe I would've got into BU had I not written a satirical essay on how we can defeat terrorism in the US (the "solution" I offered up was to allow concealed carry on airplanes).

Good luck.

If the only thing that was affected were your grades in sophomore year then you should be fine unless you terribly fuck up on your essay. If your grades are fine in junior and senior year the topic doesn't really matter (at least for the schools you're going to).

Hey that's always a good idea, playing it safe. Maybe I would've got into BU had I not written a satirical essay on how we can defeat terrorism in the US (the "solution" I offered up was to allow concealed carry on airplanes).

Maybe they mistook you for a gun nut with poor rhetorical skills?