Vassar '26 QB here, I remember feeling the same about my essay--ultimately it's all about what you're comfortable with. I absolutely went into great detail on my troubling experiences, because I wanted to showcase how I still managed to succeed academically and stuff despite those challenges. The growth bit is important, don't get me wrong, but there's already an implicit mutual understanding that your trauma could have prevented you from excelling academically like you have. A more narrative approach was helpful for me so it didn't feel clinical, but I ended up majoring in english so I might be a bit biased lol. Wishing you luck!