ADD/ADHD and College

[nirvaannaa]

<p>So I've had ADD since I was in kindergarten but never really needed to attend to it until I started high school and my work load and inability to focus on anything really messed things up for me. My mom is completely against medication, but she finally got it for me at the end of 3rd quarter of my junior year, which quite honestly doesn't really help much because 10th and 11th grade is what matters most, and 1 good quarter probably won't help my GPA much. My grades weren't terrible, but there were some problems, especially since I go to a really competitive school where people have like 4.5 GPAs. My 9th Grade GPA was good, I had a 3.89; in 10th grade I was taking Precalculus Honors (the highest math class offered for my grade level) and I ended up getting a C+ in that and in Chemistry Honors (I had B's throughout the year but got a D on my midterm and a C on my final because I literally didn't study) so I think I had a 3.7 overall; in 11th grade I'm getting a C+ in AP Calculus AB and a B- in Anatomy and Physiology Honors (College Credit) so my GPA is looking like a 3.83 at this point. But these GPAs are with my school's weighting system, so without taking into account any AP, CC, or Honors credit my unweighted GPA is a 3.54. Which is not bad I guess considering how much I struggled and for regular colleges. But I have always wanted to go to an Ivy or a 7 year medical program or something super hard to get into like that, and with my grades I just don't think its possible. Obviously, if my ADD had been taken care of before hand, my grades would have been exponentially better (probably) considering I have straight As right now (literally have a 97 in Calculus). And in all my college essays I don't want to seem like I'm whining about my problems and giving excuses for why my GPA is 3.8 whereas everyone else applying probably has GPAs in the high 4s. I mean I got a 2300 on my SATs so that could maybe help, but should I even try for a competitive program or I don't know... I'm not really sure how to communicate this to colleges to kind of give them a better understanding, so I was hoping someone would have some kind of suggestion? Thanks!</p>