Essay theme: chronic illness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Just read your post, OP. Can probably predict the range of responses. My gut goes with, the risk too on the nose. Cloying. But it can be done.

And then I remembered our kid did. Not about her own but her Grandparents illnesses and deaths. Rare diseases.

Inspired her interest in the science she is majoring in now at a great research university.

[Anonymous]

My DC has a rare disease and plans to reveal that aspect of them in college app essays as it is a part of their identity and has influenced their academic and career interests. On paper, DC is competitive for the T20 schools, but the poster that revealed their daughter didn’t disclose lupus dx is making me wonder what approach is most prudent.

[Anonymous]

Just like institutional priorities that lead admissions and that are tight sealed, colleges must also have various risk mgmt strategies in regards to mental and physical illness, some they feel more capable of handling than others. It is hard to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Stay away from the three D's

disease
divorce
death

also told not to do, the very-overdone, "trauma of being cut from the varsity team"

What about the suicide of a close friend?

[Anonymous]

My best friend growing up had both of her parents die (mom when we were in 4th grade, dad when we were in 9th grade). Her dad died unexpectedly , so there was no end of life planning or discussion- his will said she would go to her aunt and uncle across the country, and she didn't want to so ended up living with a neighbor for the last 3 years of high school. She wrote her college essay about how she worked really hard to make the varsity soccer team. I remember being like, dude you have a slam dunk here and you're wasting it!!!! Lol. Obviously I didn't say that to her at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Thank you for this! Nice to get this view from the inside!

[Anonymous]

What about mentioning illness/disease that happened in the past?

[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.

Incredible comment. Perfect blend of reading non-comprehension, writing failure, and lack of self awareness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Liar. I wrote both those comments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well positioned because AOs today grew up with Aang the last Airbender.

[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.

tbf, I think the imagined reader saying, oh, I know someone with TD1 is very true. in my three kid's high school classes there are at least 2 kids with TD1 in each class. it might *seem* a far less serious thing that it is, only because it's quite common these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Incredible comment. Perfect blend of reading non-comprehension, writing failure, and lack of self awareness.

Its fascinating you think that all TD1s walk the same path and colleges may not view TD1 as a hinderance to accommodate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

tbf, I think the imagined reader saying, oh, I know someone with TD1 is very true. in my three kid's high school classes there are at least 2 kids with TD1 in each class. it might *seem* a far less serious thing that it is, only because it's quite common these days.

Yes, they could know people with unmanaged or complications. Its actually a serious disease that shortens lives. To the pps point, do people conjour up hospitalizations with lupus or the lupus rash and being low energy?? All these diseases are difficult and can be stories of perseverance, the complications of TD1 are real accommodations that schools need to make and deal with as any other chronic illness, and can be quite extensive with complications. In the lens that chronic illness will make a less desirable student, all of these diseases do that, there is no need to act like TD1 gets a pass or that there is any chronic illness that does.

[Anonymous]

To the OP who is talking about MS and epilepsy, personally as a parent I would want them to tell their story and if this college rejects them because they wouldn't want to deal with accommodations great. Preserving my child's health by not putting them in an environment that will not make accommodations willingly for them is a win.

Your child is right, this is part of their story. I also understand the child who doesn’t want to be seen in the lense of their disability. Its a tough call but I would follow the child's lead on this one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

tbf, I think the imagined reader saying, oh, I know someone with TD1 is very true. in my three kid's high school classes there are at least 2 kids with TD1 in each class. it might *seem* a far less serious thing that it is, only because it's quite common these days.

Yes, they could know people with unmanaged or complications. Its actually a serious disease that shortens lives. To the pps point, do people conjour up hospitalizations with lupus or the lupus rash and being low energy?? All these diseases are difficult and can be stories of perseverance, the complications of TD1 are real accommodations that schools need to make and deal with as any other chronic illness, and can be quite extensive with complications. In the lens that chronic illness will make a less desirable student, all of these diseases do that, there is no need to act like TD1 gets a pass or that there is any chronic illness that does.