<p>Im a junior and I was just recently diagnosed with a rather severe case of attention-deficit disorder. While some might dispute the reality of a diagnosis like ADD, I truly believe that it has impaired my ability to perform well in high school. Unfortunately, as the diagnosis has come so late in my high school career, irreparable damage has already been done to my GPA. Should I disclose to colleges the diagnosis of ADD when I apply in the fall? Or will it look like I'm just making excuses for my less-than-stellar academic performance? I know that a lot of people brush off the disorder, as everyone seems to have it these days, but at the same time, I dont want my low GPA (in contrast to my extremely high test scores) to be attributed to mere laziness.</p>
<p>Also, I'm not yet on medication for the ADD due to previous anxiety issues. I was on Zoloft for over a year, not for depression, but to alleviate my anxiety/obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Because of the Zoloft, my doctor was hesitant to put me on another medication, unsure as to how the two would interact in my system. So, long story short, it's the fourth quarter of my junior year, and with such a recent diagnosis of ADD and no medicinal treatment to date, I can't very well say to the colleges, "Hey, I just got diagnosed, but look how much better I've been doing since my diagnosis!" It's too late for that. I don't know what to do.</p>
<p>Well, I definitely think you disclose about the ADD, as well as the anxiety/OCD. Have you gotten any accommodations for ADD? You’ll want to get those going ASAP, so there is a history that you can show. That way you may be able to get extra time or quiet room conditions on tests including SATs, but you’d better act fast at your school to ask for accommodations. </p>
<p>As someone with ADD you’ll want to make sure that the college you choose has support services and a welcoming environment for students with LDs or ADD. Believe me this is very important. You’ll want to be honest; there’s no point in hiding the diagnosis. </p>
<p>My D#1 has LDs and ADD. She had to be honest about these issues to present a clear picture of who she was to the colleges she applied to and her GPA and SATs were spotty, (she actually dropped out of HS at 16 and went to community college). She applied to 9 colleges (mostly smaller private ones) for undergrad and got into 4. She did well in college, although at times it was a struggle. For grad school, once again she was completely honest about her disabilities, and she was admitted to all the schools that she applied to … she is now at an ivy league grad school.</p>