Essay theme: chronic illness

[Anonymous]

Has your child written about, as the main theme or as a mention, their chronic illness? Something like MS, epilepsy, etc. has had some impact on life but definitely a reason for pursuing their major.

[Anonymous]

Stay away from the three D's

disease
divorce
death

[Anonymous]

Nope. DD Has a life altering chronic illness and it was never mentioned in the app. Stay away from this topic.

[Anonymous]

I’d stay away from anything that might cause inconvenience or expense to the college.

[Anonymous]

I think it could work as part of what motivates your kid in the major, but don't let the essay become about the disease. Mine included adhd in this manor and was accepted to a T10.

Someone else did share cautions awhile ago about disclosing physical challenges in the essay. She was sure colleges not wanting to deal with accommodations played a role in her kid's rejections. It sounds plausible. I would avoid anything that could be construed as needing extra support, a mental health isdue or contributing to potential absences (hospitalizations etc).

[Anonymous]

Manner, not manor. Sorry! Probably other typos as well.

[Anonymous]

There are other threads about this.

Some parents feel it's mean-spirited not to be supportive of writing about these very fraught topics.

However, it seems that lots of people write about these topics even if inadvisable. So it's not as differentiating as you might think.

Is it being explained to support choice of career?

I personally feel it's reductionist/letting the illness be the most salient point about the app.

[Anonymous]

The essay should really be about what the student has to bring to the table for the college, as opposed to what the college can do for you. So only include the illness if it can be written as a net positive (e.g., despite having this impediment, student has achieved well beyond expectations and will continue to do so when enrolled in the college).

[Anonymous]

Parent of a kid with chronic illness (T1D) here. I wouldn't write a woe-is-me essay, but your kid definitely doesn't have to hide it. A chronic illness is a huge part of a person's life, and is probably woven into activities, recommendations, etc.

Keep the application upbeat and forward-looking, stay factual, and they'll do fine.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not. Focus on another aspect of the story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d stay away from anything that might cause inconvenience or expense to the college.

+1

[Anonymous]

Depends on the nature of chronic illness. But I would steer away from anything that has the potential to flare up or be linked to a higher risk of suicide on campus. Campuses don't deal well with those issues.

[Anonymous]

Put this is the extra info section.

[Anonymous]

The case for mentioning:

A chronic illness forces a level of maturity and independence that cannot be faked. Depending on the illness, the kid has likely successfully juggled not only the standard high school challenges (learning, studying, taking tests and writing papers, volunteering, performing, being a friend/teammate/etc.), but also a whole series of other complex tasks: managing medications and prescriptions, calculating doses, actively planning ahead for things like sports, extracurriculars, field trips, etc. They've likely had to navigate a labyrinthine medical system, actively communicate their needs to doctors, coaches, teachers, friends, and school administrators.

If they've managed to do all that while remaining a strong student and a positive, personable human being, then they've proved something really, really important about themselves: that they can multitask, plan/ prioritize, deal with setbacks, self-advocate, self-regulate, and navigate complexity.

The challenge is how an applicant can communicate this without seeming like they're complaining, or as if they're struggling in a way that makes them less likely to succeed (or are more likely to be a drain on resources). Additional Information is a great place for this. Keep it brief and positive. Focus on the growth that's already occurred, rather than on the struggle.

[Anonymous]

Mine did. She’s type 1 diabetic. It’s why she picked her major-biomedical engineering.