Personal/Diversity Statement - Personal Question

[anon231]

Hi all,

I've all but finished my applications for the year and wanted to ask a specific question about the optional personal statement (not SoP) that some schools ask for. For those unfamiliar these usually ask the applicant to talk about any unique experiences or hardships that motivated their desire to pursue a graduate degree. It's not that I don't have one of these experience, but that I'm extremely private about talking about it (I made an anonymous account just for this post). I'm going to briefly describe my experience to gauge if it is worth including it.

At 16 I developed an addiction to opioids, became temporarily estranged from my family, and on my 17th birthday I dropped out of high school with no job prospect or future plans. 3 months later I reconciled with my family who encouraged me to enroll in a program that helped drop outs earn their GED. I earned my GED two months later while still using. Up until leaving, I maintained strong grades in high school, enjoyed learning (math in particular), and planned on attending college. With only a GED, I assumed that was no longer an option, and my ongoing addiction made it seem like pure fantasy. I struggled to get sober throughout the summer while simultaneously trying to plan for a future worth living. I found a local university that catered to non traditional students with a low tuition rate. After meeting with two admissions counselors they accepted me on the spot. Less than a year after dropping out of school I was pursuing my major in mathematics. I wasn't sober until almost the end of my first semester, and have been since. My first year was a bit rough with some grade variation, but my passion for mathematics was very real. By the start of my sophomore year I had completed Calc I-III, Proofs, Probability for Engineers, and was enrolled in the 400 level Probability Theory course. My last ~70 credits have been mainly A's.

These experiences have motivated me. I've always been academically inclined, and the loss felt after dropping out of HS has been a huge source of motivation to excel in the classroom. For the biostat programs I'm applying to studying substance abuse and education is of immense importance to me. 

I would have more to say and polish in any statement, but that's the gist of it. I'm very happy and awed to be where I am 5 years later, but I'm not sure how an adcom will react to someone with prior drug use (I don't have any criminal record). Or, for that matter, someone with a GED. For what it's worth I've posted my profile here before and the message seems to be that my profile is strong enough for the 20-50 range. The weaker parts of my application are my lower grades in Calc and the obscurity of my undergrad institution which are somewhat related to what I've shared. 

Even if it is appropriate to include, I'm not sure I would. My substance abuse is not something any of my undergrad advisors, or even most of my family know about, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable sharing this with potential advisors, professors, or advanced students.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

[bayessays]

I would not include this information - right or wrong, there is no way this information can help you with 99% of admissions people.  Talking about mental illness in a statement of purpose is also not advisable. 

[anon231]

9 minutes ago, bayessays said:

I would not include this information - right or wrong, there is no way this information can help you with 99% of admissions people.  Talking about mental illness in a statement of purpose is also not advisable. 

Thank you for being frank. 

[anon231]

Hi, upon review one program actually requires a personal statement in addition to the statement of purpose. Is it advisable to also not mention holding a GED? Should I say I was not interested in graduate education until later in college? I could craft a mostly honest narrative without mentioning my GED.

[cyberwulf]

4 hours ago, bayessays said:

I would not include this information - right or wrong, there is no way this information can help you with 99% of admissions people.  

@bayessays, usually your advice is spot on, but here I strongly disagree. Academics love a "story", and for the most part are very willing to be open-minded about those who have taken a nontraditional path. @anon231, the fact that you were able to overcome obstacles to reach this point speaks to your ability and perseverance, both of which are vital for success in a graduate program.

I would recommend that you be as open as you feel comfortable being in your personal statement. Consider: would you really be happy in a program that would have rejected you if they knew you had a GED or struggled with addiction?

[bayessays]

@cyberwulfI strongly agree on your latter point about doing what will make them most comfortable.  You worded that better than I could have and agree that might be important for them to find such a department.  I can definitely see the pendulum swing in the positive direction based on the story, but since they already have a pretty good profile and seemed to not really want to reveal the details, I leaned the other way. Totally makes sense though! My response lacked nuance. 

[penguinbombs]

Whether or not to include the opiodes stuff will definitely be a difficult decision (I think it could work well if you manage to write about it really well, especially since it ties into your motivations for pursuing biostats, but ultimately might be simpler to not include), but it seems to me that you should definitely talk about the GED and the atypical academic trajectory you've taken. The individual drive it takes to push yourself through education like that is definitely a plus. Also, you wrote above that you were estranged from your family and that you needed a program with a low tuition rate; if you happened to be financially self supporting through all this, I'd mention that briefly in the statement as well.