college essay about anxiety example

College Essay: Overcoming Social Anxiety

“William, you’re up first,” the teacher said excitedly. 

I was instantly anxious when my ninth-grade English teacher announced I would be the first person presenting. As I walked to the front of the classroom, I was fidgeting and could feel  my face turning red. My classmates’ eyes followed me, looking like they were planning something. I started by introducing the title of the poem I was going to recite. I included some hand gestures and facial expressions while reciting the poem to make it better and less awkward, but I was still stiff. I felt like I did a solid job of engaging the audience and helping them understand the poem. People started applauding for me because they didn’t expect me to be that good because I was a shy dude. I finished by making some personal connections to the poem I chose. I went back to my seat, my face feeling hot because of how red I was. A classmate who sat next to me told me I did an outstanding job. This compliment really made my day because I thought I did OK.  This experience was the moment I realized I had some hope of overcoming my social anxiety. At the end of the presentation I felt like it wasn’t that bad, and I overcame something that was always with me throughout middle school. Now, it could change.

Social anxiety has especially affected me during middle school. I probably first realized I had social anxiety when I had to present in front of the class in seventh grade; I felt a little weird as soon as my classmates’  eyes were on me. In the middle of my presentation, I started crying because my teacher insisted I continue after pausing multiple times because of my nervousness. Since I refused to present in front of the class again, my grade was an automatic zero. 

I finally overcame my social anxiety after joining a program called Minnesota Business Venture, which was recommended by the college counselors. I signed up for it because it was going to help me feel and live a little bit of that college experience at St. Thomas by staying in dorms and learning on campus for a whole week. This program helped with my social anxiety significantly because I was able to see new faces and meet really kind people. Being in an inclusive environment allowed me to express myself better, without being judged or teased. I realized I have had some friends in the past who made me feel like I was kinda worthless. But since my peers from the St.Thomas program helped me and complimented me on my work. I felt like I had worth and confidence in expressing myself.

I noticed how having this social anxiety and awkwardness had really taken a toll on me and prevented me from making friends and feeling comfortable talking. I feel confident now that I’m opening up more. When it’s time to start college, I will be facing many obstacles, but I feel like I just took my biggest obstacle away. Joining a new university will help me start fresh. As I’m becoming  friends with the right people, I will be able to feel more comfortable because I know I am able to socialize with strangers. 

Through this program, an experience of meeting new people, I felt relieved and free. I interacted with random people and made new friends. Now, when I am connecting and collaborating with my classmates, teachers and relatives I am confident, feeling like I’m a new and improved person. What I learned is how putting yourself out there not only reduces your shyness; everyone can go far if they push themselves out of their comfort zone.

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Talking about Mental Health in Your College Admissions Essay

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• Last Updated on August 29, 2024

Table of Contents

When applying to colleges, you may wonder whether discussing mental health in your essays is appropriate. While there is no firm rule about this, the following can help you make an informed decision. At the end of the day, though, it is up to you and your parents or guardians.

How common are mental health issues among high school students?

According to a 2022 study by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among adolescents aged 12-17 in the United States during 2018-2019, 15.1% experienced major depressive episodes, 36.7% had persistent feelings of sadness, and 8.9% attempted suicide. 

Mental health difficulties have become the leading cause of disability for high schoolers and the most frequent cause of poor outcomes among young adults. Clearly, mental health disorders are extremely common in today’s youth. 

When mental health gets in the way of success

The pandemic has worsened the preexisting mental health crisis among high school students. According to a 2020 study conducted by UNICEF, 46% of adolescents have become less motivated to engage in activities they previously enjoyed. This loss of motivation led to less involvement in school activities and poorer school performance. 

Mental health disorders, in particular, can impact high school performance. For example, students with social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, are twice as likely to receive a failing grade than students without it. Social phobia can also prevent students from engaging in extracurricular activities. 

Similarly, clinical depression can be disastrous to students’ well-being, making it hard for students to get out of bed, much less keep their grades up. When their mental health struggles are severe, some students find that time off from school can be needed for mental health treatment. 

Missing school for mental health 

One of the most obvious ways that mental health affects student outcomes is increased absenteeism. According to a 2016 study by the U.S. Department of Education, in 2015-2016 over 7 million (about 16% of all) American high school students missed 15 or more days of school. Such absences are often tied to mental health troubles, which account for 13.4% of total absences (Fornander & Kearney, 2020). 

Absence due to mental health can be an important and healthy way for students to improve their mental well-being.  According to a survey by Mental Health America, over half of students believe that taking a mental health break from school or work would be helpful to them. The importance of mental health breaks is even recognized by some state legal codes. Minnesota has recognized the legitimacy of leaves of absence for mental health since 2009, a policy that other states have also adopted in the years following (Gewertz, 2021). 

For some students—especially those suffering from severe conditions such as suicidality, substance abuse problems, and eating disorders—taking long-term time off to get mental health treatment can be the only way to effectively treat their issues. Unfortunately, this can leave gaps in students’ academic records that might concern college admissions committees. 

Do you have to disclose a mental health diagnosis in a college application?

No, you do not. To prevent discrimination against students with mental health difficulties, it is illegal for U.S. colleges to request this information from you. It’s therefore completely up to the individual to decide whether to disclose a mental health disorder or mental health leave of absence in a college application or essay. 

So, should you talk about mental health absences in a college essay? 

The short answer is, no, generally not. Because college essays are so brief—the Common App personal statement is only 650 words, about a page and a quarter—students should use the limited space in their college essays to highlight 

their strengths. Given how prevalent mental health issues are, having a mental health disorder is unlikely to make a student stand out—and it may be viewed as a weakness.

Unfortunately, stigmas about mental health still exist, and, while colleges can’t legally discriminate against applicants for having mental health disorders, they still do so, as demonstrated by a 2019 investigation into the University of Florida’s admissions practices that found admissions officers to be flagging applications that acknowledge mental disorders to be flagged for additional review (Jaschik, 2019).

Exceptions for discussing mental health in a college essay:

If your high school transcript reflects absences from school that would raise even greater concerns if left unexplained..

Extended or frequent absences can themselves be reasons for a school not to admit an applicant. In many cases, it is better to disclose that the reason for such absences was mental health-related than to let it seem like a student was simply lazy or indifferent.     

If you are applying to become a mental health counselor or social worker.

When a student’s mental health diagnosis leads them to discover an academic or pre-professional interest, it can make sense to mention that diagnosis in a college admissions essay. Still, students should make sure to highlight how these issues motivated them to become better students and how it inspires them to pursue careers as a mental health professional. It may even make sense to discuss the topic as part of a personal statement or “Why Major?” essay. 

If you want to write about the strength mental illness has given you.

This is perhaps the trickiest exception to the general rule of avoiding discussion of mental health. But, if having a mental health disorder is central to a student’s life story and they feel that their personal statement would be unreflective or incoherent without it, they should reframe their diagnosis as a strength. Rather than focusing on how their condition reflected them negatively, students writing about mental health, for this reason, should focus for the overwhelming majority of their essay on how they overcame their struggles.  

Where to disclose mental health absences on a college application

If a student feels that they must discuss their mental health,  they should do so in the “Additional Information” section of the college application, not the Personal Statement. Depending on the application, students may also want to attach a note from a psychiatrist or therapist. 

However, before disclosing their mental health diagnosis on a college application, students should get advice from a college counselor on whether or not to make the disclosure. 

The bottom line:

Despite social progress, stigmas around mental health disorders still exist. If a student decides to disclose mental health information on the Common Application or another college application, they should proceed with caution and make sure to seek guidance from a trusted counselor. Remember, Personal Statement’s purpose is to highlight a student’s achievements, strengths, and uniqueness, and it is ultimately up to the student whether to discuss their mental health. 

For more guidance, check out: https://sayhellocollege.com/blog/

• Active minds (n.d). Recommendations for leave of absence and return from absence policies for mental health concerns at higher education institutions. https://www.activeminds.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ActiveMinds_PositionStatement_LeaveofAbsence_May2017.pdf .
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Children’s mental health. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html
• Fornander, M. J., & Kearney, C. A. (2020). Internalizing Symptoms as Predictors of School Absenteeism Severity at Multiple Levels: Ensemble and Classification and Regression Tree Analysis.  Frontiers in psychology ,  10 , 3079. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03079
• Gewertz, C. (2021, June 24). Why more schools are excusing student absences for mental health. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/why-more-schools-are-excusing-student-absences-for-mental-health/2021/06
• How to discuss mental health in a college essay. (2018, December 4). TKG. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.koppelmangroup.com/blog/2018/12/4/how-to-discuss-mental-health-in-a-college-essay
• Jaschik, S. (2019, August 27). College Found to Discriminate on Mental Health. Inside Higher Ed . Retrieved April 6, 2022 from https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2019/08/27/new-college-florida-found-discriminate-against-applicants-mental.  
• Ryan, J. L., & Warner, C. M. (2012). Treating adolescents with social anxiety disorder in schools.  Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America ,  21 (1), 105–ix. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2011.08.011
• US Department of Education. Chronic absenteeism in the nation’s schools. From:  https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, December 7). U.S. Surgeon General Issues advisory on youth mental health crisis further exposed by the covid-19 pandemic . https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/12/07/us-surgeon-general-issues-advisory-on-youth-mental-health-crisis-further-exposed-by-covid-19-pandemic.html
• UNICEF. (n.d.) The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of adolescents and youth. https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/impact-covid-19-mental-health-adolescents-and-youth

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Anxiety Essay: Simple Writing Guide for an A+ Result

Table of Contents

If you’re a Psychology department student, you’re sure to get an anxiety essay assignment one day. The reason for the popularity of this topic today is that people live in chronic stress conditions today, with numerous challenges and pressures surrounding them in daily routines.

In this article, we’ve tried to present a comprehensive guide on composing this type of assignment so that your work on it gets simpler and quicker.

Here you can find:

• Step-by-step instructions on writing essays about anxiety.
• The summary of challenges students face in the preparation of anxiety essay works and ways to deal with them.
• Types of assignments you may face on this topic.
• A list of bulletproof topics to pick when composing an anxiety essay.

How to Write a Thesis for an Essay on Anxiety

Composing a thesis statement is typically the most challenging task for students who are just starting. Your primary goal is to encapsulate your key message in that sentence and to clarify the major arguments you’ll use in the text.

So, here are some tips to make your thesis effective:

• Try to make it not too long and not too short. One-two sentences are enough to communicate the key idea of your paper.
• Focus on the arguments you’ve selected for the paper, and don’t go off-topic. Your readers will expect to read about what they learned from the thesis in the body of your assignment.
• Don’t sound opinionated, but make sure to voice your standpoint. The thesis is your guidance on the point you’ll argue; it’s also the readers’ roadmap through the website content.

With these tips, you’ll surely be much better positioned to complete an anxiety essay with ease. Still, there are some intricacies of the process to keep in mind. Here are our experts’ observations about the challenges you can come across in the process of its composition.

Essay on Anxiety Disorder: Key Difficulties & Differences

Anxiety disorder (AD) is a psychological condition that many people experience in different ways. It differs in manifestations, regularity of symptoms, and intensity. Living with AD is fine for some people as they constantly feel a bit overwhelmed with what’s around them. In contrast, others suffer a permanent disability because of intense worrying symptoms and the inability to concentrate on their work and social responsibilities.

Thus, when composing your anxiety essay, you should be delicate to this sensitive theme, knowing that AD causes real trouble to many people worldwide.

Second, you should be concrete about your selected population. Children, teens, and adults experience AD differently, so your analysis may be incorrect if you talk about children but select scholarly sources talking about adults.

Third, it’s vital to rely on viable clinical evidence when discussing AD. There are differing views on whether it is a severe clinical condition or not. Still, suppose you’re discussing people’s experiences with AD. In that case, it’s better to inform your argument, not by anecdotal evidence from blogs or social media, but to focus on the scholarly articles instead.

What Is a Panic Disorder Essay

A panic disorder essay is a piece of writing you dedicate to the analysis of this disorder. A panic disorder is a specific condition that manifests itself much more intensely than the typical worrying does. Overall, psychiatrists consider it a variety of AD, but this condition is characterized by sudden, intense attacks of panic or fear people experience because of specific triggers.

As a rule, you can diagnose a panic attack by the following symptoms:

• Hot flushes
• A feeling of choking
• Trembling extremities
• Sweating and nausea
• A sudden rise in the heartbeat rate
• Dryness in your mouth
• Ringing in your ears
• A sudden attack of fear of dying; a feeling that you are dying
• A feeling of psychological disconnection with your body (the body parts don’t obey you)

Panic attacks as such as not considered a severe clinical condition. Yet, if people experience them too often and are too concerned about repeated attacks, they should see a psychotherapist and get treatment. Treatment modalities typically include psychotherapy (e.g., talking therapies, CBT) or medications (e.g., antidepressants or SSRI).

Main Steps to Writing a Panic Disorder Essay

When you’re tasked with a panic disorder assignment, the main steps to take in its preparation are essentially similar to those you’ll take with any other anxiety essay:

• You formulate a debatable topic and a clear, informative thesis statement
• You find relevant evidence to support each of your arguments
• You organize your arguments and content into a coherent outline
• You draft the paper and edit it
• You compose a reference list to indicate all external sources and complete the final proofreading of the final draft.

What Is a Social Anxiety Disorder Essay

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is another form of worrying disorder that people are increasingly diagnosed with today. Clinicians have started taking this condition seriously only a couple of years ago after recognizing that much deeper psychological issues can stand behind what we are used to labeling as shyness. In its severe manifestations, SAD can take the form of a social phobia, which can significantly limit people’s functionality in society, causing problems with schooling, employment, and relationship building.

Still, after recognizing the real problem behind SAD, the psychological community has developed numerous therapeutic and pharmacological ways of dealing with it. So, at present, you can approach the SAD in your essay from numerous perspectives: analyze its symptomatology, the causes underlying SAD development, types of SAD experienced at different ages, and therapeutic approaches to its lifelong management.

Main Steps to Writing a Social Anxiety Disorder Essay

When approaching this type of academic task, you should answer a couple of crucial questions first. What do you know about this topic? Why is it significant? What needs to be clarified on this topic to help people suffering from this condition live better lives? Once you get clear on your writing goals on SAD, it will be much easier to formulate a workable, exciting thesis statement and elicit strong arguments.

Next, you need to research the subject. You’re sure to find much valuable information about SAD in academic sources. Sort the relevant sources out and categorize them by arguments to cite appropriate evidence in each paragraph.

Once you have all the needed sources collected and sorted by argument, you can proceed to the outline of your project. Set the general context in the introduction, define SAD, and clarify why researching this topic is significant. Next, shape all key arguments and develop topic sentences. After that, you can add the relevant evidence in the outline by indicating which source supports which argument.

The next step involves writing the paper’s draft. You should add “meat” to the “bones” of your outline by presenting the data coherently and systematically. Add transitions between paragraphs to enhance the overall flow of the content.

The final step is to edit and proofread the draft to make it look polished and fine-tuned.

20+ Anxiety Essay Topics for Engaging Writing

If you’re still unsure what to include in your essay and what subject to pick, here is a list of attention-grabbing, exciting anxiety essay topics for your use.

• Is anxiety a genetically inherited disorder?
• What environmental factors can cause the development of worries and panic?
• GAD symptoms you can detect in a child.
• What are the symptoms of excessive worrying that require medical assistance?
• Gender differences in the exposure to anxiety disorders.
• Types of clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders.
• Is excessive worrying a personality trait or a clinical condition?
• Are students more anxious and stressed than other population groups because of frequent testing?
• Diagnosis and treatment of AD.
• Does the manifestation of ADs different in children and adults?
• CBT therapy for overly anxious children.
• What is a social anxiety disorder, and how is it manifested in people’s behavior?
• Is feeling permanently anxious cause sleep disorders?
• Correlations between autism and social anxiety disorder.
• Is public speaking a good method to overcome anxiety?
• The therapeutic effects of positive self-talk.
• The social media body image and female teenager anxiety.
• How does low self-esteem reinforce the feeling of anxiety in teenagers?
• The phenomenon of language anxiety among immigrant students.
• The impact of child anxiety on academic attainment, dyslexia, and antisocial behavior.

We Are Here to Help You 24/7

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Surprise your tutor with an ideally composed paper without investing a single extra minute into its writing! Contact our managers today to find out the terms, and you’ll soon receive an impeccably written document with credible sources and compelling arguments. Studying without hardships and challenges is a reality with our help.

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Anxiety and Depression Among College Students Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Methods section.

Education is expected to have appositive importance on the student’s life by enhancing their capability to think and improving their competency. However, it often acts as a source of stress that affects students’ mental health adversely. This causation of academic stress often emanates from the need to have high grades, the requirement to change attitude for success, and even pressures put by various school assignments.

These pressures introduced by education can make the student undergo a series of anxiety, depression, and stress trying to conform to the forces. The causes of academic stress are well-researched but there is still no explanation why the rate of strain increases despite some measures being implemented to curb student stress. This research explores this niche by using 100 participants who study at my college.

Nowadays there are many reasons that cause stress among growing number of students who might not know they are going through the condition most of the time. Hence, undiscovered discouragement or uneasiness can cause understudies to feel that they are continually passing up unique open doors. It prompts substance misuse; self-destruction is the second most typical reason for death among undergrads. The main hypothesis of this article is that college and university students have higher depression rates.

Problem Statement

This proposal undercovers how the problem of anxiety and depression is progressing if not addressed. With such countless youngsters experiencing undiscovered tension, it may be challenging for them to appreciate school. Understudies’ emotional well-being is risked when pressure and trouble go unnoticed, which can prompt social and educational issues (Nelson & Liebel, 2018). Educators might battle to perceive uneasiness since these circumstances manifest themselves contrastingly in different people.

Anxiety and depression are complicated disorders with numerous elements that impact people differently. Teachers and staff must be well trained to deal with these unforeseen events. Understudies coming to college come from various financial foundations, which can prompt an assortment of psychological wellness chances (Li et al., 2021). Additionally, current works will be evaluated to differentiate the risk factors associated with stress among university undergraduates worldwide.

There are various reasons which might cause the onset of anxiety and depression. It can be absence of rest, terrible dietary patterns, and lack of activity add to the gloom in undergrads (Ghrouz et al., 2019). Scholarly pressure, which incorporates monetary worries, strain to track down a decent profession after graduation, and bombed connections, is sufficient to drive a few understudies to exit school or more awful.

Numerous parts of school life add to despondency risk factors. For example, understudies today are owing debtors while having fewer work prospects than prior. Discouraged kids are bound to foster the problems like substance misuse (Lattie et al., 2019). For adaptation to close-to-home trouble, discouraged understudies are more inclined than their non-discouraged companions to knock back the firewater, drink pot, and participate in unsafe sexual practices.

Hypothesis on the Topic

The central hypothesis for this study is that college students have a higher rate of anxiety and depression. The study will integrate various methodologies to prove the hypothesis of nullifying it. High rates of anxiety and depression can lead to substance misuse, behavioral challenges, and suicide (Lipson et al., 2018). Anxiety is one of the most critical indicators of academic success, it shows how students’ attitudes change, reflecting on their overall performance.

Participants

The study will use college students who are joining and those already in college. The research period is planned to last six months; college students are between the ages of 18 and 21 and life is changing rapidly at this age (Spillebout et al., 2019). This demography will come from the college where I study. The participants will be chosen randomly, the total number will be 100, both female and male, and from all races.

Apparatus/ Materials/ Instruments

Some of the materials to be used in the study will include pencils, papers, and tests. Paper and pencils are typical supplies that students are familiar with, so using them will not cause additional stress. It will be used during the interview with the students and throughout the study will be in effect (Huang et al., 2018). These have been applied in various studies before, and, hence, they will be instrumental in this study.

The study will follow a step-wise procedure to get the required results. First, the students’ pre-depression testing results would be researched and recorded. Second, the students would undergo standardized testing in the same groups. Scholarly accomplishment is impacted by past intellectual performance and standardized testing (Chang et al., 2020). Third, the students’ levels of depression and anxiety would be monitored along with their test results.

The study will use a descriptive, cross-sectional design with categorical and continuous data. The sample demographic characteristics were described using descriptive statistics. Pearson’s proportion of skewness values and common mistakes of skewness was utilized to test the ordinariness of the persistent factors. The distinctions in mean scores between sociodemographic variables and stress will be examined using Tests (Lipson et al., 2018). The independent variable will be essential because it will provide the basis of measurement.

The 100 participants had different anxiety levels, as seen from the Test taken and the various evaluations. Forty-five of the participants had high levels, 23 had medium levels, while the remaining 32 had low levels (Lipson et al., 2018). The correlation and ANOVA, which had a degree of era margin of 0.05, were allowed (Lipson et al., 2018). This finding aligns intending to have clear and comprehensive outcomes.

Significance of the Study

If the results would be not significant, it means that students are not subjected to more pressure on average. If the study results in significant outcomes, this would mean that there is much that needs to be done to reduce student’s anxiety. The idea that scholarly accomplishment is indispensable to progress is built up in higher instructive conditions (Nelson & Liebel, 2018). Many colleges devote money to tutoring, extra instruction, and other support services to help students succeed.

APA Ethical Guidelines

The study will have to follow the APA ethical guidelines because it involves experimenting with humans. Some of the policies include having consent from the participant, debriefing the participant on the study’s nature, and getting IRB permission (Nelson & Liebel, 2018). Ethical guidelines should comply with proficient, institutional, and government rules. They habitually administer understudies whom they likewise instruct to give some examples of obligations.

Limitations

The study also had some limitations, making it hard to get the desired outcomes. It was not easy to detect the population-level connections, but not causality. This case hardened the aspect of confounding and getting the relevant random assignment needed for the study had to access (Nelson & Liebel, 2018). For the right individuals for the investigation to be identified, the sampling was not easy.

This study would be essential as it will create a platform for future studies. The result that was gotten shows that many college students are undergoing the problem of anxiety and depression without knowing that it is happening. Educators will have an awareness on what aspects of academics they need to modify to ensure their students are not experiencing mental health challenges. Hence, it makes it possible for future researchers to conduct studies to provide possible solutions.

Chang, J., Yuan, Y., & Wang, D. (2020). Mental health status and its influencing factors among college students during the epidemic of COVID-19. Journal of Southern Medical University , 40(2), 171-176.

Ghrouz, A. K., Noohu, M. M., Manzar, D., Warren Spence, D., BaHammam, A. S., & Pandi-Perumal, S. R. (2019). Physical activity and sleep quality in relation to mental health among college students. Sleep and Breathing Journal , 23(2), 627-634.

Huang, J., Nigatu, Y. T., Smail-Crevier, R., Zhang, X., & Wang, J. (2018). Interventions for common mental health problems among university and college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychiatric Research , 107, 1-10.

Lattie, E. G., Adkins, E. C., Winquist, N., Stiles-Shields, C., Wafford, Q. E., & Graham, A. K. (2019). Digital mental health interventions for depression, anxiety, and enhancement of psychological well-being among college students: A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research , 21(7), e12869.

Li, Y., Zhao, J., Ma, Z., McReynolds, L. S., Lin, D., Chen, Z.,… & Liu, X. (2021). Mental health among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A 2-wave longitudinal survey. Journal of Affective Disorders , 281, 597-604.

Lipson, S. K., Kern, A., Eisenberg, D., & Breland-Noble, A. M. (2018). Mental health disparities among college students of color. Journal of Adolescent Health , 63(3), 348-356.

Nelson, J. M., & Liebel, S. W. (2018). Anxiety and depression among college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Cross-informant, sex, and subtype differences. Journal of American College Health , 66(2), 123-132.

Spillebout, A., Dechelotte, P., Ladner, J., & Tavolacci, M. P. (2019). Mental health among university students with eating disorders and irritable bowel syndrome in France. Journal of Affective Disorders , 67(5), 295-301.

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Anxiety - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

Anxiety is a common problem faced by many college students. This emotion of feeling worried can be triggered by a variety of factors, including stress from academic work, social pressures, chronic depression, or unease due to personal relationships. Writing a short college essay about anxiety can be challenging, but there are resources available to help you.

That’s why we’ve put together a collection of persuasive and argumentative anxiety essay examples on anxiety that can serve as inspiration for your own writing. Our experts have carefully selected titles and essay topics that cover a range of aspects of anxiety, from its symptoms and disorders to its impact on mental health and well-being.

When writing your own essay, provide a clear thesis statement that outlines your perspective on the topic. You can use the essay samples as a guide for crafting your own outline for your argument, dividing your ideas into coherent and logical paragraphs. Make sure to include a clear introduction that provides background information on the topic and poses thoughtful questions that spark interest in the reader. A conclusion for anxiety essays shall summarize your main points and offer insights into potential areas for future research.

Whether you’re writing a research paper on anxiety or a short essay, be mindful of the language you use. Make sure to avoid overusing terms like “attack” and “fear” to maintain a varied and engaging writing style. By using the essay samples as a starting point and putting your own unique spin on the topic, you can produce an informative and thought-provoking piece of writing that sheds light on this significant issue.

A Research on Struggle with Anxiety

A natural response to any danger or threat from environment is anxiety. Basically anxiety is derived from a latin word “anxietas” ( trouble, to choke). Anxiety is a normal human emotion but its presence in range of anxiety disorder, makes it an important clinical focus. People normally get anxious for there daily life routine work forexample for exam. Students likely to take stress about there exam but after they finish there exam they feel relax . but things are different […]

Nursing Care Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety is a broad term used to describe feelings of worry, discomfort, or fear. Feeling anxious during stressful periods is an ordinary emotion. Although this term is used as a general description of an emotional state, it is crucial that nurses and other health professionals distinguish those who are feeling anxious from those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Assessments are key when dealing with anxious patients in order to determine their level of functioning. GAD is often a comorbidity to […]

The Narrator of the Yellow Wallpaper

In the beginning of the story, the narrator explained the house as being a beautiful, silent, far away from the village, gated, and a haunted house. She already described the home as something devil-like possessed and wondered why else the house went on sale for so cheap and why it was abandoned for so long. Has strict rules by her husband to stay in the house all day with some exercise outside in the gated garden. While being indoors all […]

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The Affects of Anxiety on our Lives

Abstract Anxiety is a standout amongst the most widely recognized mental illnesses; nonetheless, there is no short clinical measure for evaluating it. The goal of this investigation was to build up a short self-report scale to distinguish plausible instances of anxiety and assess its legitimacy. Introduction Anxiety is a typical response to stress. Continuous anxiety, however might be an after effect of a disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or social anxiety. Anxiety is not unusual in the […]

Effect of Writing Anxiety on Students’ Performance

Writing is one of the important language proficiency for academic and occupational aim that almost all people use to accomplish their purposes in their daily activities.  A great number of researches have been done to investigate the effect of writing anxiety on students' performance in the target language in different parts of academic setting in different institution around the world. scovel (1978 as cited in Saghafi, Adel, & Zareian, 2017) defines anxiety as "apprehension, a vague fear that is only […]

Effects of Drug Abuse on Families

Abstract In the USA, the family units have emerged to much complicated. Families continue to evolve ranging from the extended, nuclear and up to the single parenting family setups. Others are the stepfamilies, multigenerational and the foster types of families. Thus, abuse by a member of the family of substances may result in differences based on the formation of the family itself. This paper presents a discussion on the issues of treatment that may emerge within the various structures of […]

How to Harness your Anxiety?

Anxiety is the most common mental disorder that there is. Anxiety has always been there; it's a big fear with emotions. The regulation of emotions look at the actions that alters the personality of someone or the intensity of the emotional experience. The emotion regulation is a thought of looking to your awareness and the aims made to actually change felt emotions. There are two different categories referred as "intentional" or "incidental" These two experience alike emotion-modulatory effect but research […]

A Case of Jake’s Anxiety

Starting from a cognitive psychologist, rather than looking deeply for the answer in Jake's environment, they would be focused more on his mind and how he views himself, and even how he speaks about himself on a day to day basis. With anxiety being the problem they are focused on, a cognitive therapist would look to how Jake speaks about himself, and the expectations he has for himself as well as if he believes he can meet those expectations. Changing […]

Children and Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence has effected and still continues to effect the lives of many individuals. Statics on domestic violence states Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten Domestic violence is not only found amongst adults but even children and teenagers are victims of domestic violence or are the abuser in an abusive violent relationship .To briefly define and understand Domestic violence, it is an abusive relationship between individuals who abuse one another, aggressively, physically and even […]

Main Reasons of Anxiety

 As you may know, anxiety is within us all.  At some point in our lives, we all have experienced this type of mental state.  No one can blame oneself for it; it just happens when a person is overwhelmed or experiencing high levels of stress.  If one experiences this emotional state, it is important to understand what the signs and symptoms are, as well as risk factors, and how age affects outlook on anxiety in order to help appropriately manage […]

Anxiety: a Widespread Psychological Disorder

One of the most common words used throughout society today is anxiety. With rising rates of anxiety in children, adolescents, and adults, being able to fully comprehend what anxiety is will aid people in being able to cope with, as well as support those who struggle with this. Because this word is so familiar among the community, people have begun to forget the true meaning of it. In addition, people have become desensitized to the seriousness of the battle that […]

In the Modern World

In the modern world many people suffer from mental disorders that are not physically apparent which in many cases are overlooked. Depression is a mental disorder that creates feelings of hopelessness and despair, and in severe cases, can even lead to suicide. More recent updated ethics have lead people to be more accepting, however, society has a long way to go to fully understand mental disorders. Many factors are contributed to this mental disorder that are uncontrollable. From a psychological […]

Measuring Clinical Anxiety

Over recent years, the connections among depression and anxiety have been continuously linked. Along with name of a prescription states the dosage. When receiving new medications, I generally google exactly what it is I am taking before ingesting it. While googling my anxiety medication when they were first prescribed it came up as anxiety medication and depression medication. Anxiety and depression medications compose extra serotonin in the brain, as well as allowing less absorption to take place. This results in […]

Spread of Anxiety in the U.S.

In the U.S. anxiety is an extremely common disorder affecting most people. It is extremely common in the adult population with the highest at risk group for emergence being young adults. Social media has taken over most users using at minimum two forms and pay a visit to them multiple times a day. While it can enhance ones physical well-being at times it can also be a form of stress and anxiety. There isn't much actually known concerning linkage of […]

A Problem of Anxiety Among Teens

Anxiety is the fear of the unknown or the future. We chose the article Anxiety In Teenagers because we both have experienced anxiety. We want to raise awareness, and we want to learn more about it. Anxiety isn't a fad. If you don’t treat it, it could lead to depression or suicide. Anxiety is interesting to us because we both have it and we wanted to learn more about how it can effect me and how to deal with it. […]

African-American Children and Anxiety

Social Issue/Problem: Anxiety Cultural Group: African American Introduction Anxiety is an issue many African American children face. According to the Compton et. Al (2000) African American children scored high on separation anxiety and low on social phobia; the opposite of white children (Gray, Carter and Silverman 2011). Anxiety sensitivity refers to the fear that symptoms of anxiety (e.g., racing heart) are beyond someone's control and have hazardous somatic, psychological, or social effects (Reiss 1991). Findings suggests that fear of anxiety, […]

A Discussion on the Effects of Cyberbullying Among the Youth in Namibia

Introduction Cyberbullying became a major concern issue among the youth. Statistics revealed that 44.6% of pupils in secondary school are bullied, with 66% being grade 8 pupils'' (Nekomba, 2015) . According to the oxford dictionary (2014), cyberbullying is defined as the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of intimidating or threatening nature''. Cyberbullying occur through text messages, and applications or social media. This threatening act involves scaring someone. Social media refers to applications such […]

What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder

 Generalized Anxiety Disorder Sarah is eighteen years old. She frequently has migraines, difficulty sleeping, and muscle pains that cannot be alleviated. Sarah experiences severe difficulty in social interactions, asking questions, and processing stress. Since she was ten years old, Sarah has not been able to control her overthinking, worry, or fear. This worry often interferes with her daily life and prevents her from functioning at a normal level. Sarah has Generalized Anxiety Disorder and is among the 18.1% of individuals […]

Anxiety Disorders in Elementary School Children

Anxiety is a generalized term that expresses the fear and worry of a person in addition to the effect on their ability to perform everyday activities (National Institute of Mental Health, 2018). Anxiety is seen as one of the most common disorders and can be prevalent within elementary school children. About 13% of children are affected by an anxiety disorder (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2018). When looking at the prevalence of anxiety, it is important for society to […]

How Anxiety Affects Individuals

Everyone has the ability to feel anxiety. The sympathetic nervous system reacts to perceived stressors, which could be something as basic as thoughts, by releasing stress hormones. This leads to what is referred to as the 'fight or flight' response and can lead to feelings of helplessness, uneasiness, dread, and foreboding (Trakalo, Horowitz & McCulloch, 2015). Some people have the ability to transform anxious energy into a positive factor that aids in getting things accomplished. On the other end of […]

Sex Differences in Anxiety Disorders

Fear and anxiety are a part of life. Whether it be due to an important exam, walking alone at night, or an upcoming job interview, anxiety has its place in life. For many, anxiety is a useful tool that can keep them alert and help them be prepared in stressful or even dangerous situations. However, anxiety can also be a debilitating issue for those with anxiety disorders. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (n.d), anxiety disorders are […]

Domestic Violence with Children

Even though domestic violence for adults is harmful enough to lead to suicide children play a tremendou role in this by affecting their development growth and high risk of depression, Exposure to domestic violence impact children in different types of ways because children exposed to domestic violence usually never recover from it and can follow up to affect their future family and this affects children's education, social, emotional, and behavioral growth though it's different with every kid. According to the […]

What is Anxiety?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2018), students pursuing higher education has increased over the years, from 35 percent in 2000 to 41 percent in 2016. Of those students we also see an increase of anxiety of 6.7 percent in 2000 to 12.9 percent in 2013 (Mahmoud, Staten, Lennie, & Hall, 2015). Anxiety is a normal state of fear, hyper-vigilance or tension a person feels when they are in a stressful or threatening situation, where one's senses, both […]

What do we Know about Anxiety?

Anxiety is composed of several mental health disorders. Anxiety can cause problems in daily living functions, and cause people not to function correctly. Anxiety can cause a person to fear, worry, or even become nervous when facing situations. Anxiety has the power to show how a different person under stress function. They tend to have a different train of thought, uncontrollable emotions, and when it comes to behavior they might hide in a shell. There are different levels of anxiety […]

Anxiety Case Study

Anxiety Case Study Ann's Diagnosis Ann, a 58-year-old breast cancer survivor, was referred to me by her outpatient oncology physician due to anxiety related to her upcoming annual MRI scan. After reading her oncologist's notes as well as conducting my own assessment, I can confidently diagnose Ann with 300.02 Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Ann has been cancer free for 15 years, however the anniversary of her diagnosis is approaching, and she is worried that her cancer has come back. She has […]

Depression and Anxiety in Teenagers

More than 1 in 20 US children and teens have anxiety or depression (Wolters Kluwer Health). Teenage depression and anxiety are one of America’s most prevalent issues that parents can’t seem to get a hold of. Students all over the nation are struggling day to day with this mental illness. Given how common this issue is, many students do not seek the help that they need out of fear of judgment or ridicule from fellow peers. However, many parents can […]

Participating in Physical Activity

Participating in physical activity results in an increase in happiness and brings more joy into your life. People have different reasons for participating, or choosing not to participate, in exercise. For some, the motivation comes from having health issues or being overweight. For others, the motivation may simply come from the fact that they participate in a sport. But, regardless of what the possible underlying causes may be, an increase in physical exercise will result in a directly proportional relationship […]

An Issue of Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety is the most common of all mental disorders- it affects 40 million Americans over the age of 18 (ADAA). Anxiety is not only occurring locally but also globally. It can affect anyone no matter the culture or environment- It is an international conflict. Around 10% of individuals in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand struggle with clinical anxiety: Another 8% are affected in the Middle East and 6% in Asia (Futurity). Although this is a growing conflict […]

Impact of Test Anxiety

Test Anxiety can have a negative impact on academic performance as well as mental and physical health among college students. According to Damer and Melendres (2011), the pressure to perform well is increasing for students because test performance has become a deciding factor in admittance to a specific class, major, program, or school. Studies show that a large portion of students develop some level of test anxiety (Dan et al., 2014). Those who are affected do not perform up to […]

Anxiety Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders

The DSM-IV and the DSM-V have been criticized for creating too many diagnostic categories between psychopathology and normal psychological phenomena. Both emphasize the difficulties of drawing a precise distinction between normality and psychopathology. The DSM-IV defines mental disorders as A) a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual, B) is associated with present distress or disability or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom, C) […]

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, writing about anxiety in my college essay.

Hey friends, I’ve faced quite a bit of anxiety throughout high school, and I'm wondering if that's something worth mentioning in my college essay. Could this make for a powerful topic, or might it be viewed negatively by admissions officers?

Deciding to share personal challenges like anxiety in your college essay is a brave step, and it can indeed become a powerful narrative if approached thoughtfully. Admissions officers look for authenticity and resilience in applicants. If you can reflect on your anxiety with insight and demonstrate personal growth, it could add depth to your application. However, it's important to focus on the positives that have come from your struggles, like coping strategies you've developed or how you've used your experience to help others. For example, if you started a mindfulness club at your high school to support peers with similar challenges, that would be a constructive spin showing leadership and initiative.

Just remember to keep the tone hopeful and forward-looking, ensuring your story underscores your strength and readiness for college challenges. Moreover, remember to balance this narrative with other aspects of your personality and achievements so that your anxiety is not the sole focus of your essay. You want to leave the admissions committee with a well-rounded impression of who you are as a whole, not just one aspect of your experience. The essay, after all, should ultimately answer the question of why you would be a great fit for the college and what unique perspectives you bring to the community.

If you can tie your experience with anxiety to these larger themes, then it could indeed make for a compelling essay.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

• Companies & Schools

Should you discuss mental health issues in your college essay?

by Erica L. Meltzer | Oct 20, 2018 | Blog , College Essays | 6 comments

Image ©Nickshot, Adobe Stock

Note, January 2022: This post was written in 2018, before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Obviously, many things have changed since then, not least the amount of psychological pressure that many high school students have experienced. Clearly, some of the boundaries and expectations surrounding acceptable/advisable topics for admissions essays have shifted, and applicants undoubtedly have more leeway in discussing mental-health issues than they did in the past. That said, I would still caution against making this subject the exclusive focus of your essay(s). If it happens to be relevant—and it very well might be, given the events of the last couple of years— then you should focus on discussing it in a mature way that conveys qualities such as empathy and resilience, and that demonstrates your ability to reflect insightfully on what may have been very difficult situations.  

As regular readers of my blog may know, I periodically trawl the forums over at College Confidential to see what’s trending. Recently, I’ve noticed a concerning uptick in the number of students asking whether it’s appropriate for them to write about mental health issues, most frequently ADD and/or anxiety, in their college applications.

So the short answer: don’t do it.

The slightly longer version:

If you’re concerned about a drop in grades or an inconsistent transcript, talk to your guidance counselor. If these types of issues are addressed, the GC’s letter is the most appropriate place for them. If, for any reason, the GC is unable/unwilling to discuss them and the issues had a significant impact on your performance in school that unequivocally requires explanation, you can put a brief, matter of fact note in the “is there any additional information you’d like us to know?” section, but think very carefully about how you present it. Do not write your main essay about the issue.

The full version:

To understand why these topics should generally be avoided, you need to understand what information colleges are actually seeking to gain from the personal statement. Although it is technically a personal narrative, it is, in a sense, also a persuasive essay: its purpose is to convey what sets you apart from the thousands of others with equally good grades and scores, and to suggest whether you have qualities that make you more likely to thrive at university x than the other 10 or 15 or even 20 applicants clamoring for that spot.

Now, whether such thing can actually be determined from 650 words (with which some students receive significant help) is of course questionable; however, the bottom line is that, adcoms are looking for students who will be successful in college. Discussing one’s inability to focus or intense aversion to social situations does not exactly inspire confidence, even if a student insists those problems have been overcome. Leaving home, dealing with professors and roommates and more challenging classes… Those are all major stressors. There is a tacit understanding that of course some students will flame out, have breakdowns, etc., but adcoms are understandably hesitant to admit anyone who is already at a higher risk for those issues. You want them to be excited about the prospect of admitting you, not debate whether you’ll really be able to handle college. (In fact, I had multiple students with various issues who were not truly ready for college and who did flame out — colleges have good reason to take these things seriously.)

This concern goes beyond any particular student’s well-being: graduation rates get factored into rankings, and every student who doesn’t make it through drags that statistic just a little bit lower. If a student does develop serious problems while on campus, there are also potential legal/liability issues involved, and no school wants to deliberately court those.

Besides, if your grades are iffy, it is extremely difficult not to sound as if you are making excuses. You are much better off talking about an experience or interest that will make them look past the transcript and think, “Hey, I really like this kid.” And the reality is that if your grades are that iffy, you’re probably not a competitive candidate at super-selective colleges anyway. These schools are looking for applicants who are on the way to fulfilling their potential, not for ones who need to explain away chronic underachievement.

In addition, one thing applicants — and sometimes their parents — have difficulty wrapping their heads around is the sheer number of applications the average admissions officer has encountered. Situations that may seem extreme and dramatic to adolescents who have recently confronted them may in fact have already been experienced — and written about — by thousands of other applicants. A 17-year old may believe that describing their anxiety in morbid detail will make them seem complex and introspective, but more likely it will only come off as overwrought and trite.

I know that might sound harsh, but please remember that admissions officers are coming at this process with no pre-existing knowledge of you as a person, only a few minutes to spend on your essay, and hundreds of other applications to get through. They are also under intense pressure to ensure that the appropriate demographics targets are being met and all the various institutional constituencies (coaches, development office, orchestra conductor) are being satisfied. They’re not ogres, and they’ll try to give you the benefit of the doubt, but if yours is the fifth essay about overcoming anxiety they’ve seen in the last 48 hours, they will look at it and reflexively think, “oh, another one of these.” That is not a first impression you want to make.

Now, are there exceptions? Yes, of course, but they are rare. In all the time I did college admissions work, I had exactly one student successfully discuss anxiety in an essay. It was, however, introduced in the context of a family tragedy that had profoundly shaped the student’s life; given that background, the discussion seemed natural and matter of fact rather than overdramatized. Even so, I made the student take a good week to think about whether that topic was truly the one they wanted to write about.

Ultimately, of course, the decision is yours, and the choice depends on the larger story you want to tell as well as your ability as a writer, but these topics are so difficult to pull off well that you are best off avoiding them if you can (particularly if you don’t have access to someone with a lot of admissions experience who can review your essay). Find another topic/ experience that you enjoy writing about (and that others are likely to enjoy reading about); that presents you as someone interesting and thoughtful; and that suggest you are ready to thrive in college.

If you really are concerned about your ability to function in college, most schools have plenty of resources for you to take advantage of (academic support, counseling center, etc.). But those are things to investigate after you get admitted. Before that, don’t go out of your way to fly red flags where none are warranted.

Why is Dyslexia ok to mention on an essay, but overcoming selective mutism is not?

Dyslexia is a learning disability that lends itself to proof that it has been overcome through excellent scores in reading and writing. It’s not easy to overcome or cope with dyslexia so an essay showing how a student did it demonstrates their tenacity and resourcefulness. Grades and scores are proof that the dyslexia will not be a problem in college, while the essay can highlight the characteristics that led to the student’s success and which will serve them well in college.

I wrote about how my dog helped me overcome me ending my life/depression and moving to another school is that too common

Thanks for the tips and perspective. It seems like common sense to me as a parent and tutor, but now I have an “established author” to cite!

I want to write about how depression had change me. But my grades and statistics are all great. Is this okay to write? My bad mental health somehow didn’t manage to get to the others parts of my life.

Is it okay to write about how despite psychosis I could manage to get good grades?

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Writing College Essays about Mental Health in the Context of the Pandemic

Written by Vanessa Garrido on July 7th, 2022

• writing college essays ,
• mental health ,
• Weigh your pros and cons, which may look something like:
• Pro: You are providing the admission office and student services with a fuller picture of your needs and circumstances as they relate to your mental health. If a college doesn’t feel it can support you, the school is not going to be a great fit for you.
• Con: Reducing your mental health challenges down to a 650-word essay is not likely to capture the full complexity of your experience. Your essay will only reveal a sliver of this facet of your life and may be misread or misinterpreted.
• Ask yourself these questions if you’re considering writing about your mental health:
• Are you currently in the midst of your mental health challenges? The personal statement is intended to give you an opportunity to shine light on your growth. If you’re managing something as complex as depression or an eating disorder, it can be challenging to focus on the growth. Your college essay might not be the ideal place to process the relevant feelings and issues. You may want to explore a different topic and address your mental health through journaling, talk therapy, etc.
• What positive personal qualities do you want to highlight, and is this topic the best way to let these traits shine? Remember, this is the one story about you most admission officers will have access to. Is this the one story you want to share?
• What is your perspective? How might you share a story that will be a vibrant, authentic take on something that is affecting a large swath of the population?
• How have you changed? How has this experienced helped you become the person you are today? What do you want your readers to take away?
• Identify ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
• Mental Health Resources for Adolescents and Young Adults from SAHM
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Helpline and Resources
• National Institute of Mental Health
• Mental Health First Aid training for teens

When is the right time to get started? How can you keep my child on track? Get all the answers to your most pressing questions.

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Home Essay Samples Health

Essay Samples on Anxiety

How social media is harmful for one's mental health.

The number of persons of using social media is rising consistently. Ospina stated that one-in-three of population are using the social media in the world. From the beginning as Facebook released, people start to use social media commonly and Facebook had become a leader among...

• Effects of Social Media

Social Media and Mental Health: Overview of the Negative Effects

Have you ever considered that your social media usage is negatively impacting your mental health? There are several reasons why using social media might be harmful to one's mental health (Naslund). One of the reasons why social media is bad for your mental health is...

Social Anxiety and the Impact of Stress in Singapore

Singapore knew as a more competitive country, and it makes many people grow to be more worrying in order to cope with their lifestyles. Stress can be caused by many sorts of emotional trouble and sickness. Social anxiety is a normal emotion that every people...

The Learning Skill of Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a serious problem that most people been facing, and other kids find it difficult to learn better in school. In this paper i will be talking more on people that have it, and thing that comes with this reading disorder called dyslexia. I...

Review the Different Hypnotherapy Techniques for Phobias 

This essay will look at what stress and anxiety are and how that can challenge diagnosis and impact treatment. before going on to other limitations of treatment. I will address phobias; the difference between fears and phobia and how that impacts on choices of treatment...

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The Experience Of Anxiety During College Freshman Year

I remember moving into my dorm room freshman year at Delta State Univerisity, it was a day I thought would never come. I was thrilled to be starting a new adventure, but also very scared and anxious. There were lots of new experiences to be...

Talking About The Social Anxiety Experience

According to a study from Harvard medical school in 2007 Social Anxiety Disorder Affects over 12% of the United States population, if we do the math that comes out to be about 40 million people. For every nine people we know one of them could...

• Mental Disorder
• Mental Illness

The Percentage Of People Experiencing Anxiety In America

Imagine being scared to go outside, or presenting in front of the class, expect Anxiety is much more than being scared. Anxiety is one of many mental illnesses that people live within our society and though it is different for everyone, but they all can...

The Emotional Contagion Of The Anxiety Experience

Mental illnesses are strikingly common and hardly discussed in American culture, despite having significant impacts every facet of our lives. Nearly 43.8 million, or 20% of the United States population, faces mental illness annually and these numbers have been steadily increasing over the last several...

The Experience Of Anxiety In The College Students

The topic of anxiety is very prevalent in current day society. The APA (American Psychiatric association) ran a survey on 1,000 U.S adults about their levels of anxiety and the root cauase of it with 18 percent of Americans being affected and almost 40 percent...

• College Students

The Causes and Factors Contributing to Major Psychological Disorders

Many people suffer from a psychological disorder, it is also called a mental disorder. A Psychological disorder is a composition of psychic and behavior feature that can affect someone's life in a certain section and causes pain for that person, it overblown the mind or...

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Psychological Disorders

Literacy Period of the Novel Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

What literacy period does the novel Catch 22 belong too? It is easy to be mislead into believing that Catch 22 is a modernist novel by its World War II settings, B25 bombers, and common hatred of the Germans. However, the computers, helicopters and McCarthyism...

Reasons of Dental Anxiety Development Among Women and Men

Introduction Good oral hygiene is an important aspect of good general well being throughout life. It can be accomplished by proper self as well as professional care amongst individuals. Regular dental visits and professional dental care gives a better oral health, opportunity of early diagnosis,...

• Dental Care

Postpartum Anxiety & Infant Attachment

Abstract The postpartum period after birth can come with a lot of unknowns for women across the globe. Many are hit with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even psychosis. However, there is a lack of research and awareness to Generalized Anxiety Disorder with postpartum onset. This...

• Parent-Child Relationship
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A Comparative Analysis of Anxiety in Traditional Parent and Single-Parent Families

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting almost 40 million people in the United States age 18 and older. Somebody with anxiety can have depression as well the symptoms are somewhat different but the same in some cases. Although you...

• Single Parenting

The Effects of Social Media on the Mental Health

I never really thought about social media, or if it was good or bad. To me, it was just like a thing that was there, and everyone used it. The first really big social media site was myspace, but I wasn’t even born when it...

Depiction of Anxiety Legal System Inflicts on People in The Trial

Franz Kafka wrote, “The Trial”, during the early stages of World War I, that illustrates a society during this time that uses their legal system as a weapon to inflict fear and isolation, destroying the spirit of individuals within the society. The novel beginnings with...

• Protagonist

Body Guilt and Shame as Predictors of Isolation and Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is the dread of social circumstances that include association with others. The uneasiness and nervousness of being contrarily judged and assessed by others is called social anxiety. The physical symptoms of social anxiety include Muscle tension, rapid heartbeat, Stomach trouble and inability to...

• Social Isolation

Coloring the Mandala as a Way to Relieve Anxiety

Introduction The research question focused on in this study is if color therapy decreases anxiety. The reason why the researchers chose this topic because anxiety is becoming more and more common, so it is practical to develop a way to effectively lessen the effects of...

A Brief Historical Perspective on Homesickness

Through history, homesickness has not only been of interest to poets and writers, scientists have also shown interest in this phenomenon. Nevertheless, as far back as the seventeenth century, the importance of a systematic study of homesickness was recognized, particularly by Swiss investigators. For instance,...

• Homesickness

Ways and Methods of Alleviating Homesickness

With the recent increase in globalization and international mobility, overseas settlements for work or study are now more common than ever. At the same time, the number of these population is still increasing. However, the process of adapting to the new environment is essential for...

Anxiety and Uncertainty Management Theory

Anxiety/ Uncertainty Management theory, was created by William B. Gudykunst to define how humans communicate successfully based on their anxiety and uncertainty in social situations. William B. Gudykunst believed that in order to have successful intercultural communication a reduction in anxiety/ uncertainty must occur. In...

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Treating Social Anxiety in Adolescents with Cognitive Behavioral Theory

Research Supporting Social Anxiety Groups Group therapy research has continuously suggested that it is an efficient form of treatment for various disorders (DeLucia-Waack, Kalodner, & Riva, 2014; Yalom, 2015). Group therapy has several benefits including the safe environment to develop social skills to work on...

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Psychotherapy

The Range of Effectivity of Phobia's Influence

Imagine being scared to go outside, to get on an elevator, or even to take a bite of food. For many people this fear consumes their everyday life. It is a psychological problem called a phobia. A phobia is a psychological condition that needs to...

Behavioural Approach as a Tool to Cure Phobias 

A phobia is defined in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Ed., 2013) as a type of anxiety disorder. When defining phobias, consideration must be taken to analyse the nature of anxiety, and how the intensity of the anxiety experienced by the individual surrounding...

Meditation as a Tool to Alleviate Anxiety

The objective of this study was to recognize the cerebrum components supporting care reflection (meditation) related to the alleviation of anxiety. They conjectured that care contemplation would be more successful at diminishing anxiousness than (ATB) because care reflection would enroll instruments related to the controlling...

Research on the Effects of Anxiety in College Students

Anxiety is characterized as being In the World Book _ edition (2005), the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Feud, stated “Anxiety is a basic emotion that influences everyone’s life from earliest childhood” (p. 562). Purpose Melissa Linquist and Cynthia Turk of Washburn University conducted this study...

Anxiety Disorder And Stigma Revolving Around It

An increase in anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and substance abuse disorder in young people has been noticed by many and this led to great concern as the situation is expected to become dire in the near future. Not only are the numbers increasing, but stigma...

• Anxiety Disorder

How Hiking Can Help Your Anxiety

If you’re like most people in the world, you experience anxiety. I do, and I’ve found that hiking is a great way to get out of a funk. I know it sounds simple, but it works. Don’t believe me? Here are the top 8 ways...

• Cognitive Psychology

Learners’ Anxiety Toward Speaking Skill

According to their perceptions, lack of effort was observed to grow repeat EFL learners’ anxiety toward speaking skill. Salima, Zahira, and Anissa (2015), found out lack of practice to be one of the most prominent factors of failure in speaking among the EFL students. Moreover,...

• Public Speaking

The Causes And Different Types Of Anxiety

In his initial assessment of anxiety, Sigmund Freud believed that anxiety was triggered by unfulfilled libido. However, as time passed by, he refuted this claim as he found a more in-depth understanding of anxiety. He was able to identify that anxiety was not the result...

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Best topics on Anxiety

1. How Social Media is Harmful for One’s Mental Health

2. Social Media and Mental Health: Overview of the Negative Effects

3. Social Anxiety and the Impact of Stress in Singapore

4. The Learning Skill of Dyslexia

5. Review the Different Hypnotherapy Techniques for Phobias 

6. The Experience Of Anxiety During College Freshman Year

7. Talking About The Social Anxiety Experience

8. The Percentage Of People Experiencing Anxiety In America

9. The Emotional Contagion Of The Anxiety Experience

10. The Experience Of Anxiety In The College Students

11. The Causes and Factors Contributing to Major Psychological Disorders

12. Literacy Period of the Novel Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

13. Reasons of Dental Anxiety Development Among Women and Men

14. Postpartum Anxiety & Infant Attachment

15. A Comparative Analysis of Anxiety in Traditional Parent and Single-Parent Families

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Mental Health in College Students – From Application to Enrollment

August 16, 2022

Sometimes it takes unspeakably tragic events to bring the existence of a widespread problem into the national conversation. In the past decade, highly-publicized suicides at Penn, Hamilton College, MIT, NYU, and Cornell, among others, have moved the discussion of mental health in college students right to the forefront of the higher education discourse.

Thankfully, these are, of course, extreme cases of mental health challenges. However, the shift in focus could benefit the massive numbers of students who enter college each year with depression/anxiety. According to a survey by the CDC in 2022, 44% of American adolescents report feeling persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness; 28% said that they had thoughts of self-harm at some point in their lives. Perhaps even more startling is the fact that only an estimated 40% of those suffering actually receive any form of treatment (the National Institute of Mental Health). According to just about every survey in the world conducted after March 2020, the pandemic has had a profoundly determinantal impact on teens’ (and everybody’s) mental health.

In this piece, we will offer recommendations for dealing with depression/anxiety on your college application. But perhaps more importantly, we will share what mental health experts and current research says are important considerations for managing your illness on campus.

*Disclaimer: Mind you, we are college planning experts, not mental health experts. We are merely summarizing mental health considerations as related to college admissions and attendance. Your mental health provider may offer additional advice based on the specifics of your situation .

Impact on your high school career

For many, dealing with a mental health condition will negatively impact their high school career in some way, potentially impacting areas such as academic performance, school attendance, teacher relationships, and extracurricular involvement. There is ample statistical evidence to support this. For example, students with social phobia are twice as likely to fail a grade as those without. Students with a depression diagnosis have been found to earn significantly lower grades than their similarly-abled peers.

Given the impact of mental illness on a teen’s academics, a significant number of high school seniors are faced with a difficult choice each year—do I reveal my condition on my college application? There is no blanket answer that will guide every applicant. Ultimately, the decision to reveal your condition is an entirely personal one.

Did your academic performance suffer?

Perhaps your mental health issues were managed successfully and never impacted your grades. If this is the case, we advise that there is no reason to reveal your condition on an application. You should, however, still check out our recommendations on how to check out a college’s mental health services (below).

If your academic performance did suffer as a result of your condition and you do choose to share your challenges with prospective colleges in an essay and/or interview, we recommend that you consider framing your experience in one of the following ways:

The “overcoming obstacles” angle

Overcoming challenges and citing evidence of personal growth can be a winning story arc. If a bout of depression during your sophomore year contributed toward failing grades but you received treatment and rebounded academically the following year, then revealing that journey may be extremely helpful to your admissions chances. Knowing that you faced a significant challenge in your life and successfully emerged from it speaks volumes about your resilience, maturity, and grit, traits that are greatly valued by admissions officers.

Weakness as strength

Another approach is highlighting the strength that you draw from what others call an “illness.” An associate of Abraham Lincoln said of our 16th president that the “melancholy dripped from him as he walked.” Yet, many historians feel that Lincoln’s lifelong depression helped sparked his legendary wisdom, insight, and brilliant strategic thinking. Lincoln was hardly alone. Many of the greatest, most creative minds throughout history were, at least in part, driven by mental conditions. Darwin, Michelangelo, and Einstein were all likely sufferers of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. If we were to list all of all the great writers, artists, comedians, actors, and directors who were influenced by depression and anxiety, this blog post would be longer than the 1,017 page novel, Bleak House,  penned by Charles Dickens, who was himself a lifelong victim of severe depression.

The semantic shift

Cautious applicants might consider simply substituting the term “medical condition” for “mental illness.” After all, mental health issues are treatable medical conditions in the same vein as mono or a broken bone. Simply stating that you were afflicted by a “serious medical condition” which caused a temporary academic decline and led to you quitting the school newspaper and the baseball team will suffice.

Check out a college’s services ahead of time

In a recent survey of college students with a diagnosed mental health condition, 45% rated their respective college as being somewhere between supportive and very supportive. The other 55% felt that mental health care on campus was less than ideal. Factors that were rated as being most important by students included: access to a psychiatrist for medication management, a 24-hour crisis hotline, community connections to additional mental healthcare, and the school’s overall culture of understanding that college can be stress-inducing and that mental health is paramount.

It is essential that parents and students research the mental health services on campus ahead of time. Check out each prospective college’s counseling office online to get a sense of what is available to students. If a college does not offer long-term therapy on campus, then parents should take the reins and find a good private therapist located near campus who accepts their insurance. Do this well before school starts.

Colleges are expanding mental health services

Many state universities, despite budget crunches, are recognizing the need to expand their mental health offerings. For example, in the fall of 2017, UCLA began offering free online screenings for depression; 2,700 students took advantage. Ohio State opened a dozen new mental health clinics in 2016. Penn State has increased their spending on mental health significantly in the last few years. The University of Michigan and Virginia Tech, in an attempt to make mental health more accessible, have embedded counselors in buildings around campus, rather than at one centralized location. Many schools operate prevention/wellness programs that assist students before they enter a crisis. These schools include Harvard, Georgia Tech, UVA, and Bowdoin College.

Amherst, Skidmore, Princeton, Drexel, and Carnegie Mellon are just a handful of schools that now offer access to 24-hour crisis hotlines manned by either peers or professional counselors. Unfortunately, excessively long wait times for a counseling appointment at many schools persist. At schools like Northwestern, Carleton College, and WashU, wait times to see a counselor range from one-to-three weeks.

Relevant statistics on mental health at college

Just to highlight some other meaningful stats on the subject:

• Only 50% of college students report disclosing their mental health issue to their school
• Of those with a diagnosed mental illness who dropped out of college, 64% directly attribute this event to their condition/disorder.
• Only 36% of college students with a mental illness are sure that their university includes mental health information on their website.
• 39% of students reported a wait time of 5+ to obtain an appointment for clinical services and supports.
• 73% of those entering college with previous mental health concerns have experienced a “mental health crisis” while on campus.
• Half of students believe that their peers will think less of anyone receiving treatment for mental health.
• The percentage of college students seriously considering suicide has doubled in the last decade.
• More than 1,000 suicides occur on college campuses each year.

College Transitions bottom line

If you are going to discuss your depression, anxiety, or other mental condition in your application, do so in a strategic manner for the purpose of illuminating otherwise unexplained inconsistencies in your academic record. A well-conceived and well-delivered narrative about your struggles with mental illness can be beneficial to your admissions chances. Contrarily, a poorly crafted disclosure may have the opposite effect.

Of even greater importance is that you do your research on the mental health services offered at each prospective college. Ensuring that the necessary supports at your disposal is critical to your overall well-being.  It is also likely critical to your academic performance over the next four years.

To view hundreds of free and easy-to-sort tables of higher education data, visit our DATAVERSE .

• Application Strategies

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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College essays matter. Here's how to write one that stands out | College Connection

Students facing the college application process typically dread one component: the Common App essay. 

Students are presented with six essay prompts, as well as a seventh option, which is “topic of your choice.” Students therefore have limitless possibilities for this essay which will be carefully reviewed by each college to which the student applies.

The goal of college admissions officers is to learn about the student who is applying: personal qualities, struggles, ambitions, priorities. On other parts of the application a student’s “data” is detailed. So, this is not the place to write about one’s SAT scores, GPA, or intended major, or to enumerate one’s activities. It is the place to write about an event, situation, or life circumstance that has influenced the student’s attitudes, goals, and perceptions of life.

The options are limitless. Students can write about life occurrences that impacted them: an illness, a learning disability, a relocation. They can use a sport, club, organization, or volunteer group as the overarching framework within which they learned important life lessons. 

More: The biggest key to college acceptance | College Connection

One student’s essay, which went viral after its author was accepted to a multitude of Ivy League schools, focused on lessons she learned from visits to Costco over the years. In short, students can write about anything that has impacted them – hopefully in a positive way.

Then, students face supplemental essays. Many colleges, including almost all the most competitive ones, require an essay that is specific to the school. Typically, the question is along the lines of, “Why do you want to attend this institution?” or “Why did you choose your particular major and how will our school prepare you to meet your future goals?”

More: These are the latest trends in college admissions | College Connection

Colleges are aware that students typically apply to 8 to 12 different schools, and they are trying to discern “demonstrated interest,” or, in other words, the likelihood of a student enrolling if accepted. So, students should utilize each supplemental essay as an opportunity to demonstrate their interest in the particular college, and should specifically state the courses, programs, study abroad options, internships, and any other characteristics that make the institution a perfect match for their college ambitions.

By showing enthusiasm for each school and sharing their attributes through the Common App and supplemental essays, students will greatly enhance their prospects of experiencing a successful college application process.   

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT ® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362 .

St. John’s College 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Decision: Nov 1

Early Action: Nov 15

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

St. John’s College 2024-25 Application Essay Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 400 words; 1 optional essay of 200 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Oddball

St. John’s would like to learn more about you than grades and test scores alone can reveal. The following essay topic, with a word minimum instead of word maximum, is designed to give you an opportunity to write fully and freely to the Admissions Committee. As the essay conveys your voice and your ideas, the Admissions Committee considers it one of the most important elements of your application. If you find yourself struggling to respond to the prompt, you can view examples of strong essays. 

Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” we want to learn both about the ideas in the book and about you. what makes the book great in your view what effect has it had on what you think or how you think minimum 400 words..

With this prompt, St. John’s is looking for more than just a summary of your favorite book. Admissions wants to know why a certain book or novel is meaningful to you and how it connects to your interests, identity, history, worldview, and/or values. Does Kurt Vonnegut’s dark humor entertain while alleviating anxiety about death? (So it goes.) Do Maya Angelou’s words transcend cultural boundaries and offer a new way to look at the world? Be careful to avoid self-aggrandizing or pandering choices or pop fiction like Harry Potter or The Da Vinci Code ; instead, write about a work that truly speaks to you. Just remember that this prompt aims to reveal new information about you to admissions, so skip the intricate plot explanations and dive right into your takeaways and the book’s impact on what you think and/or how you think. Since you have to write a minimum of 400 words here, we recommend selecting a book that you know very well.

The following question is optional but strongly encouraged. 

What about st. john’s and the curriculum interest you most (approximately 200 words).

This is the classic Why Essay. St. John’s wants to make sure you are psyched for the full college experience at their school, and the secret to a successful Why Essay is research. Take some time to explore the school website or even visit campus and get to know all that St. John’s has to offer. Jot down everything that excites you! When you have a solid list in hand, consider how each club, professor, or program connects to your own interests and goals. Locate specific opportunities within your department and related programs that really make your heart sing with excitement. Just remember that the goal is to offer deeper insight into your interests and vision, not to just rattle off a list of facts about the school! In fact, there shouldn’t be a single sentence that only lists a feature of the school without any connection back to you or what it means to you. For example, if admissions could read a sentence and say, “Yeah, we know,” it’s time to go back and rework it. Talk about your passions, goals, and dreams so admissions can understand what a St. John’s education will mean to you.

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Community Essay Examples

When crafting your college applications, writing strong essays is essential. Through your essays, you demonstrate who you are–from your values and passions to your lived experiences. Indeed the personal statement is the most common college essay. However, you will also likely have to write some supplemental essays as part of your college application requirements. One of the most common supplemental essay types is the community essay. This essay type is also known as a describe the community you live in essay, cultural diversity essay, or community service essay.

In this article, we will introduce several community essay examples. Most importantly, we’ll describe why they are considered college essays that worked. Specifically, we will share community essay examples from the two schools:

• Princeton University
• Columbia University

By studying these admissions essay samples, you can see what makes these college community essay examples strong and apply those same principles to your writing.

Reviewing Types of College Essays

Each school has different supplemental essay prompts for their college application requirements. However, there are a few types of essays that are most common. By becoming familiar with these essay types, you can begin to brainstorm and strategize what you will write about early on. You might start as early as sophomore or junior year in high school. 

Now, let’s take a look at the most common supplementary essay questions.

Common Supplementary Essay Questions

1. why school.

A Why School essay is, as it sounds, about why you wish to attend a specific institution. The key to answering this prompt well is to be specific. You should identify examples of what you like about a school. Avoid general comments such as “it is a top school” or “it is diverse.” Share specific programs, professors, teaching approaches, cultural elements, or unique opportunities such as research or study abroad.

2. Why Major

The Why Major essay asks you to share specific reasons behind your choice of major and how it relates to your future goals. A strong response to a Why Major essay will highlight your specific motivations. But it will also connect those motivations to a school’s unique opportunities. For example, perhaps you wish to be a pre-law history major, and the school you are applying to offers law-related internships. By highlighting these specific connections, you draw a compelling connection between yourself and the school.

3. Extracurricular Activity

Many schools ask you to describe an extracurricular activity that is particularly meaningful for you. When responding to this question, do not feel limited to only talk about the most popular extracurricular activities for college applications, like clubs or sports. Consider all of the activities you do outside of school. Then choose the one that is most meaningful to you. Also, give specific examples of how you grew or made an impact within your extracurricular activities for college.

4. Community Essay

The Community Essay can have slightly different angles to it. But, the uniting factor is that the school wants to know how you engage with others around you. Some types of community essays are a describe the community you live in essay or a cultural diversity essay. In recent years, the cultural diversity essay has been a more common college application requirement.

Coming up, we will share a bit more about how to break down community essay prompts. We’ll also take a look at college essays that worked. By reading these examples, you’ll know how to approach these common prompts.

How to identify a community essay?

While community essays can have slightly different focuses, they all share the goal of learning about where you come from. A supplemental essay prompt might ask you to share more about your background via a group you are part of. This is likely a community essay. Indeed, a community essay can also be called a describe the community you live in essay, or a cultural diversity essay. Other college community essay examples focus on how you will contribute to a college campus. Finally, in a describe a community you belong to essay example, you will see that students highlight any community that is meaningful to them.

You may be wondering why so many colleges have community essays as a college application requirement. For one, many colleges use a holistic admissions process. This means they care about all aspects of who you are, not simply your grades and test scores. How you engage with your communities shows them your character and values. For example, a describe the community you live in essay example about visiting church every Sunday demonstrates your commitment to religion. Similarly, a cultural diversity essay helps colleges learn more about your cultural background. 

Additionally, colleges want to learn more about how you will engage with their on-campus community. You’ll notice this important factor in the college community essay examples we will share. To some degree, how you have engaged with previous communities can be an indicator of how you will show up on their campus.

How is a community essay different?

As we mentioned, community essays can have slightly different focuses. Some prompts ask you to write a describe the community you live in essay. These types of community essays are more like cultural diversity essays. 

Keep in mind that the word “community” can have many different meanings. A community can be your school, church, or neighborhood. It could also stem from your interests. For example, your dance or robotics team can form your community.

Some community essay prompts want to know specifically how you help strengthen your communities. These types of essays are considered a community service essay. Another term for community service is “civic engagement.” An example of civic engagement might be getting people in your cultural community to sign up to vote. Or, another could be helping with church fundraisers to ensure that your local community has the resources it needs to thrive. 

In sum, the keywords you might see in a community essay prompt are “civic engagement,” “community service,” “serve your community,” “contribute to your community,” or “diversity.” No matter how it’s phrased, your essay should demonstrate the impact you’ve had on your community–whichever one you choose to highlight. 

What are some examples of community essays?

In this article, we will share several community essay examples. Specifically, we will highlight Princeton essay examples and Columbia essays examples. Let’s look at these two colleges’ essay prompts. 

The first Princeton supplemental essay prompt is a part of our college community essay examples and our cultural diversity essay examples. Here is the prompt:

Princeton Community Essay Prompt #1: Cultural Diversity Essay and College Community Essay Examples

Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. as a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. what lessons have you learned in life thus far what will your classmates learn from you in short, how has your lived experience shaped you  (please respond in 500 words or fewer.).

In this cultural diversity essay prompt, Princeton wants to know about your lived experiences. By this, they refer to any experiences that have shaped you profoundly. A lived experience can be a specific event, such as experiencing a car crash or winning an award. Or, it could be a set of experiences that resulted from life circumstances, such as being a first-generation college student or having taken a gap year .

This essay prompt will also lead to college community essay examples. Indeed Princeton wants to read about your lived experiences and how they impacted you. But, they also want to know how you will bring those lessons to the Princeton community, should you enroll . Also, note that this prompt mentions challenging ideas and beliefs via conversation. As you respond, look for ways to highlight how you have engaged in fruitful dialogue and how you would do so at Princeton.

To answer this prompt effectively, share specific examples. Additionally, be sure to answer all parts of the prompt. 

Princeton has a second supplemental essay prompt that focuses on how you engage with your community outside of the classroom. The prompt is as follows: 

Princeton Community Essay Prompt #2: Civic Engagement

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. how does your own story intersect with these ideals (250 words or fewer) .

To answer this prompt well, you must highlight specific examples of how you have positively impacted your community. As a starting point, consider which of your communities you have most engaged with. How have you done so and what results did you have?

The Columbia Community Essay Prompt is another of our college community essay examples. It is a cultural diversity essay, as well. Here is the prompt: 

Columbia Community Essay Prompt: A Cultural Diversity Essay

A hallmark of the columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer).

While this prompt is similar to Princeton’s, it also references perspectives and viewpoints. In doing so, the prompt opens you up to share opinions or values that are important to you. You might consider highlighting values in your family or community that you either hold close or disagree with. 

Note that Columbia also highlights the word “collaborative” in this prompt. This indicates that your cultural diversity essay should also show how you collaborate with others.

Which schools require a community essay?

In addition to Princeton and Columbia, many other schools have community essays as part of their college application requirements. Here are some other examples of community essay prompts:

In this UNC-Chapel Hill prompt , you must describe a specific example of how you made an impact on a community. The prompt reads:

The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill: A Community Service Essay Prompt

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. this could be your current community or another community you have engaged. (250-word limit).

In responding, be sure to highlight what community you are referencing, the specific impact you made, and what personal quality helped you do so.

This prompt from UMichigan is a describe a community you belong to essay example, as well as a cultural diversity essay:

The University of Michigan: Describe a Community You Belong to Essay Example

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (required for all applicants. 1,500 character limit.).

In addition to describing the community, make sure to share how you engage with it and what it has taught you. Remember that community is a broad term. So, for this prompt you can respond with any type of community in mind, whether physical or cultural. In contrast to the describe the community you live in essay, you do not have to be geographically close to the community you describe here.

Duke University: Cultural Diversity Essay Prompts

Duke offers students five supplemental prompts to choose from, of which they can reply to two. Of these supplemental prompts, four are examples of cultural diversity essays:

1. We believe a wide range of viewpoints, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to maintaining Duke as a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.

2. we believe there is benefit in sharing or questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with what are you agreeing or disagreeing about, 3. duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community., 4. we recognize that not fully “fitting in” a community or place can sometimes be difficult. duke values the effort, resilience, and independence that may require. feel free to share with us circumstances where something about you is different and how that’s influenced your experiences or identity..

Each of these prompts is a slightly different type of cultural diversity essay, from sharing a range of opinions to not fitting in within a community. Choose the essay prompts that most resonate with you. And share specific examples that bring your cultural diversity essay to life.

In this Yale University supplemental prompt , you must choose a community that you feel connected to and describe why it is meaningful. Here’s the prompt:

Yale University: Describe a Community You Belong to Essay Example

Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. why is this community meaningful to you you may define community however you like. (400-word limit).

When responding, be sure to highlight what you have learned or how you have grown from this community. In contrast to a describe the community you live in essay, this essay can be about any community, near or far, that resonates with you. Indeed, the prompt gives you plenty of leeway in what you consider community. 

When responding to the UC system prompts , you must choose four of the eight available personal insight questions. One of the PIQs is a community service essay prompt:

The University of California Personal Insight Question: A Community Service Prompt

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place, things to consider: think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place like your high school, hometown or home. you can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community, why were you inspired to act what did you learn from your effort how did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community.

Similar to many of the other prompts, when answering this question, be sure to identify the specific impact you made on your community.

Now that we have looked at various examples of community essay prompts, we can explore community essay examples. Reading essay examples is a great way to get inspired to write your own college essays. 

In each of the highlighted college essays that worked, note what the author did expertly. Rather than trying to copy their responses, topics, or ideas, consider how you can apply those same skills to your writing. 

Princeton Community Essay Examples

In this section, we will highlight Princeton essay examples that respond to their two community essay prompts: a cultural diversity essay and a community service essay. 

The first of our Princeton essay examples responds to the following Princeton prompt: 

Princeton Essay Examples #1: Cultural Diversity Essay

Now, let’s take a look at a student’s response to this prompt focusing on lived experiences. 

Princeton Essay Examples #1 Student Response

I have spent most of my life living in a 41% minority town of 1.8 square miles called Highland Park, NJ. This typically overlooked town has introduced me to a diverse array of people, and it has been the main influence on my life experiences and core values.

In the face of distinct cultures and customs, we forge a single identity as Highland Parkers and come together to organize large community events. The most prevalent example is our highly touted annual Memorial Day parade, where we join together with neighboring New Brunswick to invite military service members, family members of our fallen war heroes, our legislative and congressional representatives, and our townspeople. Moreover, as our high school band’s vice president, I help organize and lead our ensemble into these performances with a positive and uplifting spirit. We communicate with the town government and arrange the performances every year to perform at the parade. The parade is an example of many of our large community events that serve as a unifying force for our diverse community, reminding us that we are fundamentally connected as one cohesive group, despite our differences. 

As someone deeply interested in historical and political matters, I am well aware of the consequences that arise from dictatorial protocols that limit the freedom of speech and diversity of voices. From my experiences debating in Model UN conferences, I have grown accustomed to being able to present viewpoints from both sides of the argument, and I have learned to incorporate and respect the viewpoints of all sides of an issue before making up my own mind. For example, in a Model Congress debate, I found myself advocating for the interests of a state heavily reliant on traditional fossil fuels. While researching and articulating that perspective, I gained insights into the economic challenges faced by the states that are reliant on these resources. This experience not only broadened my understanding of the complexities surrounding environmental policies but also highlighted the necessity of considering diverse viewpoints for comprehensive decision-making. 

My background and experiences have fostered in me a profound appreciation for the value of diversity, inclusivity, and the pursuit of knowledge. At Princeton University, I will seek to contribute as an active participant in the community, actively provide unique perspectives and insights, and respect and learn from others’ perspectives even if there are disagreements. I wish to partake in student government, which has like-minded peers who want to make a substantive impact, and also participate in service programs like the Civic Leadership Council. Also, I hope to increase my impact from the leadership positions I currently hold on the Red Cross club and teen mayoral advisory council using the platforms in Princeton. I look forward to making a positive impact on both the campus and the broader community. 

Why This Cultural Diversity Essay Worked

In the first of our Princeton essay examples, the student successfully responds to all parts of the Princeton prompt. They begin by describing their community and sharing some details about its makeup. Indeed, the first sentence hooks the reader–it is unique and compelling. 

Then, the student illustrates how they specifically contribute to their community each year by leading the high school band in the Memorial Day parade. They also highlight how their experience in Model UN shaped their appreciation for diverse perspectives. In sharing these two examples, the student demonstrates their leadership and open-minded thinking. Finally, the student ends by highlighting how they would use these values to contribute to Princeton’s community– by partaking in student government and Civic Leadership Council, among other activities.

In the second of our Princeton essay examples, the student responds to the second Princeton prompt which is: 

Princeton Essay Examples #2: A Community Service Essay

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. how does your own story intersect with these ideals (250 words or fewer).

And, here is a student’s response:

Princeton Essay Examples #2 Student Response

My first experience with the Red Cross was when my older sister was desperately trying to recruit people to join the club during the harsh COVID year. Things were so bad for the club that I, as a freshman, ran for the position of treasurer unopposed. My first blood drive experience was marked by masks, social distancing, and low turnout among blood donors. Even many donors who showed up ended up being turned away due to health-related issues. Needless to say, it was not the greatest first high school service experience, and I admittedly started to doubt if the time I spent on this front was worth it. 

However, as we returned in person, things quickly turned around. As the vice president of the club, I helped recruit more than twice the club membership compared to the previous year, and our blood drives started to regain momentum; our blood targets have been exceeded every time since. Organizing and participating in blood drives has become a passion. It’s fulfilling, especially when I personally donate, to know that I’m actively serving the community and saving lives. I have realized that, despite my relatively young age, I am capable of making an impact through public service. I plan to continue my commitment to the Red Cross’s adult program and participate in service programs like Community Action at Princeton to serve the Princeton community and abroad.

Why This Essay Worked

In this admissions essay sample, we learn about a student’s volunteerism with the Red Cross as an example of civic engagement. This essay works for several reasons. First, it provides a specific example of the student’s civic engagement and demonstrates their impact by becoming vice president and increasing membership. Secondly, the essay provides an honest take on the struggles of this service experience, which lends credibility and authenticity to the story. 

The student also demonstrates an important lesson learned. This aligns with Princeton’s values– that students can have a positive impact on society. 

Columbia University Essay Examples

In this section, we will highlight Columbia essays examples that landed students admission to the prestigious Ivy League university. The first of our Columbia essays examples is written by the same student who responded to the first Princeton prompt above. Here’s a reminder of the Columbia prompt: 

As you read the example below, notice how the student edited their Princeton cultural diversity essay to meet the prompt and lower word count for Columbia:

I have spent most of my life living in a 41% minority town called Highland Park, NJ. This typically overlooked town has introduced me to a diverse array of people, and it has been the main influence on my life experiences and core values. 

HP has convinced me that we can build institutions that are strong and united while embracing a wide variety of voices and perspectives. It has shaped my core values of diversity and inclusion. An English teacher used to encourage me to talk in front of the class by saying even if I believed my thoughts were “dumb,” I could only enrich the conversation.

At Columbia University, I will seek to continue my contributions as an active participant in the community and look to actively provide unique perspectives and insights. Actively engaging in student groups such as ColumbiaVotes will be a big part of my experience. 

The Columbia essay prompt only allows for a 150-word response. This could pose a challenge for many students. What makes this essay among the Columbia essays examples that worked is how succinctly it completely answers the prompt. 

The response begins by hooking the reader with a relevant detail of the student’s community. Then, the student shares how this community shaped them by influencing their values of diversity and inclusion. Finally, the student shares how they would engage with a Columbia organization that also supports diverse viewpoints. Though short and sweet, this response clearly answers all parts of the Columbia prompt. 

More Community Essay Examples

The final of our community essay examples is a community service essay. Let’s look at how student framed their service experience:

“I don’t believe that’s the best way to do this.” 

The moment I thought this the first time I volunteered at my local soup kitchen was one that resulted in a drastic change. When I was informed of the way the food was being served to the public, the initial excitement that I had felt diminished. We were told that the plates would be served before anyone arrived and would remain in an area where people could pick it up and seat themselves. I felt that this method was impersonal and inconsiderate, and disappointment washed over me. 

I turned to the people that were around me and discovered that they shared the same disapproval I felt. When we agreed that a change must be made, we exchanged ideas on how to present this to the woman in charge of the program. I suggested that we should serve each person one-by-one, and only give them the food if they wanted to/could eat it. They suggested multiple ideas, including that we should offer to seat them, hold their plates for them, continue to check in on them, and dispose of their plates once they finish their meal. We believed that this way would genuinely make them feel better and would allow us to get to know some of them personally. A simple smile and conversation could be enough to improve their day. 

From this day on, the way in which the local soup kitchen serves our community has changed dramatically. This experience taught me the importance of speaking up for what you believe in. In a group setting, it is likely that there will be others who share the same end goal and are willing to contribute different ideas to achieve the goal. These different perspectives can allow you to see situations in ways that you previously hadn’t, and can result in better outcomes. It also showed me the importance of leadership.

If I had never spoken up about the way the food was being served, a change might have never happened. When you work in the group, the end goal may not be for the benefit of anyone in the group, but for others who are in need. This experience also showed me the beauty in doing good for others and making others happy, even through small things such as serving them food to their liking.

In this community service essay, the student shares their experience volunteering at a soup kitchen. Volunteering at a soup kitchen is not necessarily unique in the list of extracurricular activities for college applications. However, the student highlights several aspects of the experience that make it meaningful to them. 

To start, the student shares their experience challenging the way that food was served. The student suggested that food be served directly to attendees in order to better connect with community members. Through this experience, the student learns about leadership and working with others to achieve a common goal. This specific example demonstrates the student’s collaborative values and compassionate way of thinking, both of which are great attributes to highlight in college applications.

How To Write A Community Essay

As we saw in the community essay examples, there are several hallmarks of college essays that worked. To write a good community essay, whether it be a community service essay, a cultural diversity essay, or a describe the community you live in essay, you must start by understanding the prompt. Once you have carefully read through the prompt, brainstorm examples from your own life that relate to it. Sharing specific details and examples will make your response stronger and more unique. 

Additionally, showcase how you grew throughout your response. In each of the community essay examples we shared, the student discussed a skill or perspective they developed through their experiences. Finally, connect your response to the school you are applying to. If you are writing a cultural diversity essay, for example, demonstrate how you would contribute to the cultural diversity at that school, both inside the classroom and in your extracurricular activities for college.  

Topics To Avoid In Your Community Essay

When writing community essays, there is technically no topic that you cannot discuss. However, how you discuss certain topics is important. 

For example, in a community service essay, it is important to not come off as a savior of a community with less privilege than yourself. Similarly, if you are writing a describe the community you live in essay or a cultural diversity essay, you will want to avoid stereotyping any community. Speaking from your own personal experience as a member of a community is fine. However, generalizing your experience to the community at large can come across as insensitive to that community’s diversity. To avoid these pitfalls, have a variety of people read your community essay examples and look for these dynamics.

Additional Tips for Community Essays

We’ve highlighted the strengths in the community essay examples above. Now we will now share some more tips for making your community essays a strong part of your college applications:

Tips for Writing Community Essays

1. research the college.

When reviewing our college community essay examples, you will notice that students highlight specific clubs, programs, or groups on campus to which they will contribute. If you are specific, you demonstrate real interest in the school which adds strength to your college applications.

2. Tell a story

In each of the college essays that worked, students gave details that told a full story . This story incorporated where they come from and what they learned through their experiences. Rather than telling us who they were, the students used this particular story to show us.

As the college admissions landscape gets ever more competitive, students are sometimes tempted to read other students’ essays and copy ideas. Or, more recently, they may even want to use artificial intelligence to write their essays. However, AI and other students’ experiences won’t show admissions who you really are. Don’t worry about whether you have the best extracurricular activities for college or the most unique cultural diversity essay. Instead, talk about the experiences that truly matter to you. By being honest, you are more likely to come across as convincing and interesting. In each of our college community essay examples, students presented a true and well-thought-out response to the prompts.

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore 

As you work on your college applications, you might be in search of additional resources. CollegeAdvisor has a wealth of webinars and articles that can help you navigate writing your essays. Here are a few:

More CollegeAdvisor Resources for Essays

1. short essay examples.

Some of the cultural diversity essays you may write will be short, meaning that they are 150 words or less. This article with short essay examples can help you understand how to write short and sweet cultural diversity essays.

2. Cultural Diversity Essay Examples

In this article , you will find additional examples of cultural diversity essays. Many community essays are also cultural diversity essays. As such, becoming familiar with how students write about their cultures is useful.

3. The Ultimate Guide to Supplemental Essays

In this webinar , CollegeAdvisor experts provide a rundown of how to write strong supplemental essays for your college applications. In particular, this webinar will help you decode essay prompts and make sure you answer each prompt fully.

4. Editing Your Supplemental Essays

Once you have read up on college community essay examples and written your cultural diversity essays, you might need help editing them. This webinar will provide tips for how to edit your supplemental essays effectively.

Community Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Completing your college applications can be a daunting task, especially when you must write multiple essays. For some students, writing cultural diversity essays is challenging. These prompts ask you to dig deep and reflect upon your life influences.

In this guide to community essays, we provided an overview of what a community essay is and how to respond to the different types of community essay prompts. We shared cultural diversity essay examples and describe the community you live in essay examples. We also described what makes these essays strong and how they meet college application requirements. 

In short, the key to writing stand-out essays is to be authentic and thorough in your responses. If you need additional help writing your cultural diversity essay, seek out the support of a trusted resource like CollegeAdvisor. We are here to help you craft the best college applications that could gain you admissions to the school of your dreams!

This article was written by Courtney Ng. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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APA Style for beginners

Then check out some frequently asked questions:

What is APA Style?

Why use apa style in high school, how do i get started with apa style, what apa style products are available, your help wanted.

APA Style is the most common writing style used in college and career. Its purpose is to promote excellence in communication by helping writers create clear, precise, and inclusive sentences with a straightforward scholarly tone. It addresses areas of writing such as how to

• format a paper so it looks professional;
• credit other people’s words and ideas via citations and references to avoid plagiarism; and
• describe other people with dignity and respect using inclusive, bias-free language.

APA Style is primarily used in the behavioral sciences, which are subjects related to people, such as psychology, education, and nursing. It is also used by students in business, engineering, communications, and other classes. Students use it to write academic essays and research papers in high school and college, and professionals use it to conduct, report, and publish scientific research .

High school students need to learn how to write concisely, precisely, and inclusively so that they are best prepared for college and career. Here are some of the reasons educators have chosen APA Style:

• APA Style is the style of choice for the AP Capstone program, the fastest growing AP course, which requires students to conduct and report independent research.
• APA Style helps students craft written responses on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT because it teaches students to use a direct and professional tone while avoiding redundancy and flowery language.
• Most college students choose majors that require APA Style or allow APA Style as an option. It can be overwhelming to learn APA Style all at once during the first years of college; starting APA Style instruction in high school sets students up for success.

High school students may also be interested in the TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students , an annual competition from the APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools for high school students to create a short video demonstrating how a psychological topic has the potential to benefit their school and/or local community and improve people’s lives.

Most people are first introduced to APA Style by reading works written in APA Style. The following guides will help with that:

Many people also write research papers or academic essays in APA Style. The following resources will help with that:

Instructors will also benefit from using the following APA Style resources:

In addition to all the free resources on this website, APA publishes several products that provide comprehensive information about APA Style:

The APA Style team is interested in developing additional resources appropriate for a beginner audience. If you have resources you would like to share, or feedback on this topic, please contact the APA Style team . 

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How to utilize college academic resources

Majors. Classes. Internships. Career paths. The choices during college are many and sometimes overwhelming, but academic advising, mentorships, and a host of other higher education resources can provide you a solid support system. Get help and guidance by tapping into the resources available to you.

Academic advising

Understanding academic advising.

Academic advising is not just for last-minute schedule changes or help if you’re struggling with courses. It can be a steady support system throughout your entire college career—helping you with everything from choosing a major to finding that first job after graduation. It’s a higher education resource always available to you. Advisors can answer your academic questions, but they’re also able to inform you of opportunities you may not be aware of—internships in your field, upcoming campus events, networking opportunities, etc.

Making the most of advising sessions

Set up a time to meet with an advisor , and prepare a list of things you’d like to discuss. And then, perhaps most importantly, continue the relationship by setting up subsequent meetings to talk about what goals you met and what’s next.

The power of mentorship

Benefits of mentorship in college.

Finding a college mentorship can offer another support system that complements the help you receive through academic advising. Participating in a mentorship program often prompts both personal and professional growth as someone more seasoned than you offers insights, encouragement, and advice, on everything from how to make the most out of college to what skills you’ll need for a particular job.   

Finding and connecting with mentors

Identifying a mentor can happen both formally or informally. Academic advising may be able to connect you with alumni working in your area of interest or even a professor in your program. But you can also find mentors through your church, organizations through which you volunteer, or even a sports league you play in. The key is finding someone who’s able to listen to you, challenge you, and hold you accountable.

Navigating college resources

Broad spectrum of support services.

Beyond academic advising and college mentorships, a myriad of other support services exist to help you navigate your time in college both academically and personally. For academic resources, most colleges provide tutoring, writing and research support, and even tips on how to study more effectively. You’ll find help with interviewing, resume writing, and networking through career counseling.

Integrating resources into your academic journey

Higher education resources also include physical health support—clinics to address medical needs—as well as mental health support—trained counselors for working through things like anxiety and relationship struggles. Some programs aim to promote belonging among students with diverse racial and ethnic identities. Others exist to help international students have a great experience away from home. These services work together to offer you holistic help throughout your time in college.

Leveraging technology and online resources

A simple click on your computer or phone can also open a plethora of practical digital higher education resources you can use on your own. Some smartphone apps are designed specifically for college students wanting help organizing classwork and to-do lists. Free webinars offer you help on everything from how to write an essay to managing your time outside of the classroom. And you can even tap into a college mentorship virtually or jump into a social media group with other students working toward your major.

Engage with Bethel’s academic and support services

Bethel works hard to make sure you become the person you’re meant to be. This, of course, means in the classroom but it extends far beyond that. Bethel is a community that will help you discover your talents and the unique ways you can make a difference in the world. Numerous support systems work together to come alongside you from beginning to end, helping guide you academically, personally, and spiritually. You just need to reach out!  

•   For academic advising and direction: Academic Enrichment and Support Center
•   For mental, emotional, behavioral, or relational help: Counseling Services
•   For special accommodations or help with a disability: Office of Accessibility Resources and Services
•   For help planning your career and living out your calling: Office of Career Development and Calling
•   For questions about your faith, prayer, or ways you can serve: Christian Formation

Heather Schnese

Academics College Life Study Skills

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