Essay theme: chronic illness

[Anonymous]

Amazing that so many would assume that a kid with chronic illness would inherently drain more than they contribute, and that an essay about chronic illness would necessarily read more like weakness/ self-pity than the portrait of grace, humor, strength, independence, and spirit that is likely the real story these kids have to tell.

The good news is that the assumptions are not remotely reflective of our family’s experience…in college admissions or anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our college counselor discouraged DC from writing an essay like that. It shows weakness. They are not looking for that type of diversity.

Then your CC needs an update because this is the new diversity and you and your kid need to catch up. "weakness" is a state of mind or character, not a consequence of suffering or illness. You total fecking moron.

That’s what people told you to make you feel better about how the universe works, but they lied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our college counselor discouraged DC from writing an essay like that. It shows weakness. They are not looking for that type of diversity.

Then your CC needs an update because this is the new diversity and you and your kid need to catch up. "weakness" is a state of mind or character, not a consequence of suffering or illness. You total fecking moron.

Wait - is chronic illness or other disability really “the new diversity?”

I don't think so... I think comment at 19:10 is accurate

Sock Puppet.

[Anonymous]

Related question: if your personal catastrophe motivates a genuine interest, is it good to research that issue and write about it?

You can talk about MS (or whatever) being a big problem that affects people's lives, and that you are interested in working on that, and talk in some detail about what you've learned so far that most high schoolers don't know, about promising new therapeutic ideas or something, connected to your studies in biology or robotics or what have you.

[Anonymous]

Why not write about the academic focus and add in, as an MS sufferer, myself… or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our college counselor discouraged DC from writing an essay like that. It shows weakness. They are not looking for that type of diversity.

Then your CC needs an update because this is the new diversity and you and your kid need to catch up. "weakness" is a state of mind or character, not a consequence of suffering or illness. You total fecking moron.

Wait - is chronic illness or other disability really “the new diversity?”

I don't think so... I think comment at 19:10 is accurate

Sock Puppet.

Wrong, I am a different PP

[Anonymous]

I asked my sister who works in admissions. Here was her advice

1. Leave it out if it is a "common" chronic illness and your essay is just about how you overcame it.

2. Leave it out if it is one of the more "controversial" illnesses, like POTS, Fibro, CFS, etc. My sister has one of them and she knows all too well the stigma that some people have with them. You don't want to risk your essay being read by someone who is going to roll their eyes and think you're exaggerating.

3. Include it if it is something that helps explain why you want to go to a certain school. For instance, maybe the chronic illness has made the person want to go into research of some kind and this school is known for it.

4. Include it if the essay is about more than just overcoming your illness.

She said obviously there is more but that's what she could think of off the top of her head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amazing that so many would assume that a kid with chronic illness would inherently drain more than they contribute, and that an essay about chronic illness would necessarily read more like weakness/ self-pity than the portrait of grace, humor, strength, independence, and spirit that is likely the real story these kids have to tell.

The good news is that the assumptions are not remotely reflective of our family’s experience…in college admissions or anywhere else.

It’s not us, it’s colleges. Colleges are buckling under the wave of mental health issues affecting young people. They’re gun shy. I wouldn’t stop my kid from applying to any school, but I also wouldn't volunteer any information that simply provides colleges the ammunition to reject them.

My kid didn’t have one story to tell. They had options and they chose wisely.

[Anonymous]

Mine probably will. Also a T1D and wants to become a endocrinologist so he can help kids like him. He's never had or met an endocrinologist that knows what it's like to live with or care for someone with T1D.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think T1D is different from MS or Lupus (which my daughter has). Usually (!) the issues w well known and understood treatment protocols are okay. Every reader will say, oh, like my brother or my bestie from high school. Shows personal health management and reason for career interest.

But I worry OPs daughter is like mine. It’s all a giant question mark. Monthly labs that can be routine or can send her straight to the ER w liver biopsies, total med change, hospital stay followed by more questions. She needed a single room because she really needs to sleep by 9. No drinking at all ever. Etc. She could be read, correctly, as a lot more than can be handled by their med center and possible issues with teacher allowances, housing issues, etc

My daughter didn’t mentioned and got into the 2 HYPSM schools she applied to.

I want to advise the OR to investigate health insurance if the college is out of state . The plans colleges offer may not be up to it. And get a team in place there that is willing to loop parents in at least sometimes. Things like MyChart won’t be available once the kid is 18. And some MyCharts aren’t read between hospitals, which is crazy is something happens in one state and you bring her back to your state for care.

I’m glad my daughter got to attend her dream school and it’s was 95% fine. But the 5% was worrisome med stuff and even tho the college didn’t have to deal w much of it, I’m glad we didn’t mention it and scare them off.

You come off as incredibly ignorant about TD1. Believe it or not TD1s end up in the hospital as well and spiral when very sick. Its not a cakewalk and is everyday management.

I am sorry to hear about the struggles with Lupus, but please stop with the arrogance about the impacts of TD1 on a person's life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine probably will. Also a T1D and wants to become an endocrinologist so he can help kids like him. He's never had or met an endocrinologist that knows what it's like to live with or care for someone with T1D.

What a cool goal. FWIW, DD talked quite openly about her T1D with all colleges — didn’t write her essay about it, but mentioned it in several places and in interviews — and did better than any of us expected in admissions.

Your kid might be interested in following Mike Natter on Instagram. He’s an endo with T1D, and also a terrific cartoonist — he smartly captures the experience of medicine, med school, and T1D in a really fun way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think T1D is different from MS or Lupus (which my daughter has). Usually (!) the issues w well known and understood treatment protocols are okay. Every reader will say, oh, like my brother or my bestie from high school. Shows personal health management and reason for career interest.

But I worry OPs daughter is like mine. It’s all a giant question mark. Monthly labs that can be routine or can send her straight to the ER w liver biopsies, total med change, hospital stay followed by more questions. She needed a single room because she really needs to sleep by 9. No drinking at all ever. Etc. She could be read, correctly, as a lot more than can be handled by their med center and possible issues with teacher allowances, housing issues, etc

My daughter didn’t mentioned and got into the 2 HYPSM schools she applied to.

I want to advise the OR to investigate health insurance if the college is out of state . The plans colleges offer may not be up to it. And get a team in place there that is willing to loop parents in at least sometimes. Things like MyChart won’t be available once the kid is 18. And some MyCharts aren’t read between hospitals, which is crazy is something happens in one state and you bring her back to your state for care.

I’m glad my daughter got to attend her dream school and it’s was 95% fine. But the 5% was worrisome med stuff and even tho the college didn’t have to deal w much of it, I’m glad we didn’t mention it and scare them off.

You come off as incredibly ignorant about TD1. Believe it or not TD1s end up in the hospital as well and spiral when very sick. Its not a cakewalk and is everyday management.

I am sorry to hear about the struggles with Lupus, but please stop with the arrogance about the impacts of TD1 on a person's life.

You both have your hands full supporting children with different chronic illnesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amazing that so many would assume that a kid with chronic illness would inherently drain more than they contribute, and that an essay about chronic illness would necessarily read more like weakness/ self-pity than the portrait of grace, humor, strength, independence, and spirit that is likely the real story these kids have to tell.

The good news is that the assumptions are not remotely reflective of our family’s experience…in college admissions or anywhere else.

+1

Thank you for describing so beautifully how my son’s chronic illness since age 4 has shaped his life. He wrote his main essay partially about this and was accepted into a few of the colleges that many DCUM posters dream about their children attending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is not their illness. Many kids have medical conditions. Unless your kid writes about the time they were the subject of grand rounds because they are a zebra, and then they helped deliver a baby when they got lost trying to find the restroom, and they found their passion for obstetrics and learned to always bring a spare outfit when they leave the house, it’s really not great source material.

Like nearly every other subject about which a 17-year-old can write (virtually none of which will be unique in and of itself) it’s all in how it’s done. Why is this different?

I agree. I depends. My kid has Alopecia and has navigated the world completely bald for most of his life. He wrote about it in a way that explained his journey to arrive at the point in which he celebrates the gift of standing out from the crowd (and those days are numbered as he approached his 20s and has more company). I couldn't come up with any reason for him not to write about this. His acceptances did not suggest this essay topic hurt him in anyway. So a todal ban on "disease" is silly.

[Anonymous]

My T1D kid does lots of volunteering for JDRF but I don’t think he’ll make it a focus of his application as he doesn’t want to go into medicine or research.

I think he’d be great as a dexcom or omnipod engineer but he’s not committing to any major just yet.