Mention about divorce/litigations in essays?

[PartTimeMBA]

Hi

I have been leading a support and advocacy group for male victims of domestic violence for past three years. Would it hurt to devote one of the essays onto this effort?

As you can understand, this experience has helped me mature as a person and as a leader and there are a number of success stories that I can quote.

I am just afraid that the adcom will avoid me like a plague, if they hear about prolonged litigation and divorce in my past.

I am applying to top 10 MBA programs in US.

[CriticalSquareMBA]

I'm confused - you talk about leading a support group, then you talk about your own litigation / divorce. Are those two related in that the latter drove you to start the former? I only ask because on the surface, your question seems unrelated to your involvement activity?

Bhavik

[PartTimeMBA]

Yes, my litigation led me to seek help of this group. Over the years, my role has changed from "the one seeking support" to "the one providing support" to "the one leading the group".

As a part of this group, I have pointed out legal options to the people involved. I have also petitioned authorities for changing policies and laws....

[CriticalSquareMBA]

You're baring your soul a bit here and that's always a gamble. But if you can only talk about the early days enough to set the stage / context and then focus on your evolution to eventual leadership, I think this is a meaningful story. Not to mention, it's something deeply personal to you that has undoubtedly shaped / changed you.

I think everyone you ask will fall on one side or the other - it'll be pretty divided as far as opinions go. But I say go for it but with a bit of prudence.

Bhavik

[Michael@VeritasPrep]

I think that is actually a really interesting story and nothing to be embarrassed or worried about talking about. Obviously it depends on the essay prompt, but if written well it could be very good. After all, it's a big part of who you are. It's authentic. It's different. It's important work. Go for it. There are far more embarrassing stories that people tell.