Reply to S/O: revealing health conditions in college app

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Look at the current thread on revealing ADHD in applications.

If essays are focused on career & major choices, the medical condition seems relevant.  Be careful about reviewing the tone so your child comes across as genuine and gives an impression as a whole candidate.

Be honest.  Are you hoping that this is your child's hook to get in because she had to work harder?  If so, keep in mind that some people have to work harder for other reasons (parents are not in the know, no money for tutoring, dyslexia, etc).  Only share information that makes AO impressed that your daughter is a hard worker and has a meaningful career plan vs. "overcoming" something.[/quote]

NP here. If her child has a significant chronic illness/disability, she didn’t “overcome” something, she actually overcame something. FFS. Parents get posters falling over themselves with sympathy when their kids overcome cancer, but anything else, and it had better “relate to their major.”[/quote]

I am PP being quoted and I feel the same about cancer.  I value personal medical privacy and I don't like to share my personal business with randoms in order to obtain something of value to me.  If it's relevant I agree with divulging.  But if one has passed through the fire, it's not always relevant to talk about it. Randoms include admissions officers, essay readers, etc.  If I wouldn't talk to a new friend or prof about it naturally at the new school, why would I want some random essay reader rating my life experience/hardship and how I wrote about it against others.

I guess I'm a bit harsh.  Sorry if I struck a nerve.  But I do believe this.[/quote]

Well, I have a child with an invisible physical illness that has knocked her down for multiple years. There is no way to explain her life, let alone her transcript, without including this information.[/quote]

My kid has a rare, poorly controlled physical illness and has never mentioned his disorder at school or asked for any accommodations for anything other than time off for medical appointments because he’s alarmed by how much hate some teachers now have for kids with disabilities.

One problem with accommodations for kids with dyslexia and ADHD is that it’s poisoned the topic of accommodations for just about all students who aren’t blind, deaf or in a wheelchair.

Your daughter might be in a kinder environment and be able to get away with talking about her illness. But I personally would avoid mentioning any disability or asking for any kind of accommodation that’s not absolutely physically necessary when dealing with schools or bosses. I would never mention an illness or a disability in an application, ever. If a student’s success at overcoming a disability is amazing, ask a recommender to mention it in a recommendation. [/quote]

How have accommodations for adhd and dyslexia "poisoned" the topic? Why would you dismiss other conditions so cavalierly? Not cool.[/quote]

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