Would this be a hindrance to my personal statement? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Long story short while on fall break from my other university I fell off a forty foot cliff. Many people find it to be an inspirational story considering my come back and what I have done since to summarize the past encounters over the months I've had when I tell said story. Now here's where I need some advice there was a very small amount of alcohol in my system (.03) when I fell and I'm under 21 there were no charges or anything along those lines though. Do I use this story in my personal essay considering it changed my life for the better and I'm a much different and better person or would it hurt me? Thank you for your time.

[CanadianWolf]

Hard to judge without an actual PS to evaluate.

[swampman]

Can't imagine how it would help you to mention you had been drinking.

[shump92]

Use it but frame very carefully. I almost fell off Pikes Peak recently (completely sober) and seriously thought about including that in my PS. Fall is very specific to you.

[Anonymous User]

Could I speak of it but just choose to focus on the positive aspects and experiences that in the end it brought on and omit the drinking part or are hospital records as evidence required?

[rinkrat19]

I wouldn't mention the drinking.
Try writing it and see if you can (truthfully) frame it in such a way as to not make yourself sound like a clumsy idiot (even without the alcohol). Without knowing more about the incident, it's hard to say. If you completely deserved to fall because you were being a moron and, like, running backwards along a narrow path for no reason, it may be better to write about something else. Even if your comeback was really impressive, there could still be an element of "the idiot deserved it" to the reader's reaction. Unless you can write about accepting responsibility for your bad decisions and how you turned your life around during your recovery or something.

Anyway, hard to say without a draft. Write something and post it and see.

[Anonymous User]

Thank you all for the input, I appreciate it. I'm about to start my freshman year at a different school therefore I haven't done a PS yet but just have been thinking about if it would usable or not. I'll form something acceptable and fluid in the next two weeks and post it as a draft. Good luck on whatever goals you have set for yourself.

[swampman]

Thank you all for the input, I appreciate it. I'm about to start my freshman year at a different school therefore I haven't done a PS yet but just have been thinking about if it would usable or not. I'll form something acceptable and fluid in the next two weeks and post it as a draft. Good luck on whatever goals you have set for yourself.

Wait, what? Why are you writing a personal statement as a freshman?