I’m a Class 2015er and new to CC but wondering about anyone who has gone threw the admissions process with an illness or story that has affected their high school career.
I started freshmen year with all honors classes, (the most rigorous course load) earned a 3.98 GPA, (Physics B- 
) and ended the year with a recommendation for APUSH (the only AP offered for sophomores). Unfortunately during that summer i became very sick and was eventually diagnosed with Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) on the first week of school. That week was horrible and i was out of school for 3/4s of that quarter. My attendance still fluctuated but when i started to recover i took full control of my academic life called my counselor and emailed my teachers to figure out how i could recover the lost time and work. Instead of my harder classes i had to drop down to Chemistry L1 and take a World History course online. My first term grades suffered and i was unable to reach my goal of a 4.0 GPA, getting a 3.96.
Junior year I wanted to come back as the real me. I was still learning to manage medications but I wasn’t going to let my illness stop me from having fun and pursuing opportunities. I moved into Honors Bio and although I was recommended for AP Stats I was unable to fit it into my schedule but I did take APUSH. (Love that class, would totally recommend it!) After lots of hard work i earned a 4.094 GPA 
and straight As in all my classes. I only have 1 AP score but senior year I will take AP Bio, AP Calc AB (we dont have BC) and AP Euro. (My school offers 12 total) I had the option of taking AP Lang Comp but decided against stressing myself out to that extent with my illness and college apps.
I wrote my personal statement essay about a Model UN conference i attended and how it boosted my confidence because it was the year after my diagnosis and was really important to my future goals. I also didn’t want it to be some sob story about my illness because Lupus isn’t who i am; Its a part of me that I’m learning to manage and I’m still going to reach my dreams. I was planning on writing about it in the additional comments section of the common app.
My main questions are how did people who applied to college explain their illness and incorporate it into their application? In my case it had an effect on my academic and social experiences, do you think it will limit my chances at the colleges i want to attend (not ivies but good schools). I can add additional information if needed. (Schools, extracurricular, test scores, ambitions etc)