Can you get into Brown University with a rocky past?

Question by John T: Can you get into Brown University with a rocky past?
Not in terms of criminal activity, but more in the field of personal difficulty.

A very brief summary, my mom has a history of substance abuse (namely addiction to prescription medication and alcohol). The consequences of her abuse caused extreme emotional trauma growing up for me, and ultimately she walked out on the family. When she did walk out, her absence struck me in an incredibly negative way, and I developed severe bulimia.

Obviously this has all affected my scholastic performace, most notably my GPA (only around 3.7), but still maintaining very impressive extra-curricular involvement.

I do plan on explaining this situation in my college essay and how it has changed my perspective on life in a positive way…but how would this go with the admissions people? Are they keen on students with unique backgrounds, or should I not bother applying if my stats are too low as it is?

Best answer:

Answer by John
If your GPA is 3.7 overall UNWEIGHTED, then that is still very good =]

I would certainly still apply, especially if you have kept up with outside activities. If you’re going to talk about it in a college essay, though, don’t make it seem too dramatic, and focus more on how it has helped you become stronger as a person, and not so much on the negative effects that I’m sure it had on you and your family.

Hope this helps, and best of luck =]

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