By Katelynn Luu
The “trauma dump” essay: a category of essay that high schoolers sometimes write in their college applications to evoke pity from the admissions officer reading their application and demonstrate their strength in overcoming that trauma.
An alternate definition of the “trauma dump” essay: a meme that high schoolers use to console themselves when facing a difficult situation. This definition is distinguished when in the presence of the phrase: “This really sucks, but at least it will make a good college application essay!”
But, is the “trauma dump” essay really an effective college application essay? Particularly, an essay about mental health struggles?
Mental health struggles are a common challenge that students face in high school. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “In 2021, more than 4 in 10 (42%) students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health.”
However, despite the widespread issue, mental health struggles are surrounded by stigma; the fear that people may view you as “weak” for having mental health struggles is still prevalent in current times. Following this fear, many high school students may be on the fence about whether they should write about their mental health struggles in a college application essay.
Student Support School Psychologist Cynthia Olaya offered advice on how students should approach writing an essay about challenges in their college application. Olaya is also a school psychology and counseling professor at Chapman University and California State University Long Beach, but she has no involvement in the admissions process.
“I think it’s a good idea to share when someone has had hardships,” Olaya said. “I feel like that gives a lot of insight into what your strengths are, how you pick yourself up from challenges and difficulties. It speaks a lot to hidden talents, skills and abilities that might not otherwise be noticed.”
To ensure that admissions officers can glean these admirable qualities through an essay, Olaya advised students to focus more on the journey of overcoming the challenge and how the challenge has shaped their identity and experiences.
“With job interviews or internship interviews, anytime you share what you believe is a perceived concern, issue or area to improve upon, you should always also share either your plan to improve or what you’ve already done to address it,” Olaya said.
Although sharing a challenge specifically surrounding mental health struggles can be daunting, Olaya shared the unique perspective that the journey of overcoming these struggles can provide in an essay.
“I feel like it provides an opportunity for a student to share what they’ve done to improve their situation, whether it’s getting counseling or recognizing the importance of asking for help, which is honestly the biggest thing as a college professor myself,” Olaya said. “I want to have that person in my class because they’re going to let me know when they’re confused and don’t understand something.”
If a particular challenge comes to mind when brainstorming college admissions essay topics, don’t let the fear of being perceived as weak stop you from writing an essay that could reveal your strengths. An essay about overcoming a challenge should not revolve around a “trauma dump,” but rather the journey to improvement and growth.
