Hi everyone ? This is my first time posting here, so I hope it goes well because I am seeking advice on a unique (maybe?) situation. For undergrad, I went straight from high school to DePaul University in Chicago because I got a great scholarship--I am from California and honestly didn't do much research on the school, programs, city, etc. or have any real guidance on how to ask those types of questions. Long story short, I withdrew after a quarter because I was homesick, depressed, and snow. I went back to CC and eventually graduated with honors from UC San Diego, so I'm not very concerned about this "detour", DePaul just wasn't the right fit for me. ?♀️
So I'm applying to PhD programs now and I ran across this question: "Have you ever withdrawn or been dismissed from any college or university?" Obviously, the answer from me is yes because I did withdraw in the middle academic year, but how should I explain this?
Better to be honest about not informed college decision and then deciding to leave after my mental health declined? Or do I just stay vague with "personal reasons"? Any pros or cons for either approach? Is this a questions I should be worried about?