Dropping out of high school, mention it in app essays?

[imperfection]

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So, six years ago I dropped out of high school. A little bit of luck and a lot of hard work later I got into college and ultimately graduated summa cum laude with my BA from a little known but very well rated college. My question is, should I mention this in app essays and/or interviews?

Because of the way AMCAS is set up, I had to put down a high school and date of graduation (I put the date I dropped out). I didn't mention it anywhere else on my app so it's probably not currently on the radar of the schools I'm applying to. I recently added an extra school to my application, however, and their secondary asks for anything about me that might contribute to the diversity of the school including "non-traditional educational progression." I can already talk about the fact that I graduated a few years ago and have been working since then, but I was wondering if my from-high-school-dropout-to-successful-college-grad story is worth including also. On the one hand, it demonstrates that I was once immature and impulsive (weren't we all at 15?). On the other, it also shows that I'm driven enough to have turned my life around from that. Thoughts?

 

[popopopop]

The 17th Surgeon General of the USA was a high school dropped out, also a nontraditional student. I would include it, you definitely turned failure into success.

 

[imperfection]

The 17th Surgeon General of the USA was a high school dropped out, also a nontraditional student. I would include it, you definitely turned failure into success.

Wow, thanks for the pointer towards Richard Carmona. I didn't know much about him before but a quick look through what's available on google makes me want to learn more.

As to the advice, I'm inclined to agree. I'm definitely proud of where I've gotten too. However, I've had so many experiences of suddenly being written off when my past comes to light that I'm rather skittish about mentioning it... I think I just need to get over that and write it in such a way that the accomplishment aspect is emphasized. Thanks for the advice!

 

[popopopop]

One of the few advantages us non-traditionals have is our story/maturity level compared to the 21-22 year old premeds. We have much much more to talk about during interviews. Your great stats will open doors to interview. Once there, they are going to see how passionate you are and you are going to shine! You've been here for a while, so have you checked out the low-gpa non-trad success threads? I think you're in better shoes than those people (like me), who didn't mature until after screwing around in college and are now doing gpa recovery.

I can't take all the credits for knowing about Richard Carmona. Check out this link from a fellow non-trad. I HIGHLY recommend watching the video (and several others on the same page!) there.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=961024

 

[TacklinFuel]

I dropped out and finished high school while working full time. Put it in my app and talked about it in interviews and am currently accepted to more than one MD program. I got the impression it makes us stand out in a good way because it is something difficult to overcome. It shows that when you get knocked down you get back up. 😀

 

[imperfection]

Thank you all for your replies. I got that app in a few days ago and did end up talking pretty extensively about dropping out and how I've overcome that so we'll see how it plays out! I know this app is a little late getting in, but hopefully they'll take a look at it anyway. I do have several other apps that have been in for months and at least one interview invite so it's not my only shot, but I do like the look of the school (UMN Twin Cities).

Thanks again!