Hello,
My daughter got a severe concussion and missed school for a month at the end of Junior year. She had 7 classes in her Junior year, took an incomplete and subsequently finished the year during summer. She is now a Senior and had to take a reduced work load (she went from 7-classes to 5-classes) as she was having severe fatigue and migrane symptoms. How do you explain this to colleges as I am concerned colleges may view this an excuse. In reality her test show that she is at 40-60% brain functionality and is in therapy to get back to 100%.
Anyone has had a similar experience and advise the way to approach is matter.
Thanks in advance.
IMO, this is something the GC should address in their LOR.
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Unfortunately, our school GC says they are not authorized to divulge this information to schools.
They are authorized if you give them authorization. If it’s in writing, there shouldn’t be a problem from a legal perspective.
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Absolutely, the GC can address the issue.
The timing is problematic in that the schools are going to have to wonder whether she will get to 199% and when she gets to that level, whether she will be emotionally and mentally ready to do that level of work. This is a chance a school is taking.
A lot of this depends upon what schools she is targeting. The most selective schools give extra consideration to those who perform remarkably DESPITE great challenges. They aren’t so generous about making allowances.
I’ve known kids who take off the year to recuperate and attempt to make a very strong showing when they are back full force because it’s important to show that it has happened. Not could, should , might. I’ve known athletes who have taken off a year to recover because they could and it strengthens their record.
Again, this could all be a non issue. What subjects has she taken , is she taking, her gpa and her test scores? What schools are under consideration?
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@cptofthehouse
Here brief stats are:
GPA = 4.0 UW
ACT = 35
SAT2 = (MATH2 = 800), (BIO scheduled in Oct. postponed from June bc. concussion)
Junior Course Load = 4 APs, 3 Regular classes. AP Tests for all with 4s/5s
Senior Course Load = dial it down to 3 APs, 2 Regular classes
ECs = Fairly decent with some leadership positions, summer intership at NASA, volunteered 350+ hours at an hospital, played varsity sport for 3-years (this year is iffy for now) etc.
Major – Biomedical Engg.
Class Rank – 10/420
Schools – UPenn, UCs, Cal Poly for sure
USC, SantaClara, BU, Case Western – if she can get thru school work and
writing supplemental essays both on time
Which APs has she taken and which ones are she taking now.? If she’s taken and taking core APs, Math (Calc) , the Sciences, English comp and lit, a foreign language and the histories, my guess is she’s good. She’s a remarkable young woman with those achievements , and if she can manage a hefty load this year, it will quite a feat. Ask her counselor if it will be noted that she IS still taking what qualifies as the most rigorous course load( there is usually a range -and looks to me like she could well be within it)
Write up a note in the counselor’s cheat sheet for school rec , going into detail emphasizing how well she is doing. Also write up permission signed by you and DD that the GC has your permission to discuss her medical situation. I truly think your DD is impressive
But schools like Penn, some of the UCs, USC have very low admit rates. Even at 100% functioning there is no guarantee of acceptance. I suggest if she can use the rest, she should take a gap year, recuperate as fully as possible , maybe apply to other colleges if permitted abc if she is not pleased with the admissions outcome. Her health , her recuperation is the first priority.
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Thank you @cptofthehouse. DD has taken most of the core APs you mentioned above. She has always know that UPenn, UCLA, UCB etc were her reach schools under normal circumstances too. But now she’s been told by reducing course load from 7-classes (Junior year) to 5-classes (Senior year), these schools are out-of-reach for her. Thus, my question if that’s true given her circumstances and all medical documents we have to prove her situation.
Unfortunately, our school GC claim irrespective of written permission from student/parents they will not report any health related matters to colleges. The applicant needs to do so on their own. I find that strange too but they claim its a district policy :(.
Did she work with a teacher while making up for the absence? Perhaps that teacher could write a rec and frame it as “I got to know susie particularly well when she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury and was determined to complete her coursework in xyz despite a month’s absence.” It gets it out there.
But I think even without this caveat, she looks like a strong candidate. Those schools are all tough admits for anyone and I don’t think a few more AP classes would make a difference.
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It can go either way. From what I have gleaned, I think I’d view it as great testimony to her grit. Unfortunately, not always going to be so viewed. AOs get every sad story under the sun. Her GC and school are not supporting her. Unfortunately the stated rigor as compared to classmates and GC statement usually count VERY heavily in selective schools admissions. I think you know this. Yes, you can ask a sympathetic teacher to address the matter in the LOR and can hit it head on in an essay or separate addendum, in the other circumstances to take into consideration, but it may or may not work. It’s a fly in the ointment.
So give it a try, understanding it could be a factor in already highly competitive admissions processes. It’s not the end of the world. It’s important to look at this in perspective. Your DD sustained a terrible injury, but she is recovering and is expected to recover fully. I think you know this.
She is doing an incredible job as it is and additional stress is not going to help. There are a number of choices here and they are not exclusive of each other.
Go ahead and apply as planned and see what pans out. Add some target and safety schools. Get support from that GC on some of those choices
Apply to some PG year private schools. Research that option. Read up on pros and cons. If accepted, and I think she would be, and you can afford to pay, that gives her a restart with the best college counselors right in house. That’s what they do, that’s why there are these programs
Go to a good solid college that does accept her. Or the local CC. Then she can excel and have prospered FS of transferring. When a student is clearly outgrowing chosen college, that is the primo reason to accept a transfer candidate with stand out grades. My closest friend’s DD did not get into any of the schools she most wanted. In part, due to grade slide in later high school years and not taking heaviest load senior year. She was accepted to UVA , USC Northwestern as a transfer student. She didn’t qualify or need financial aid so transfer was a distinct possibility as it is for your DD.
Plan and take a tremendous gap year and give it another go.
Good luck to your DD and you.
My DD was out of school from late October to January of her senior year after a fall sports concussion. A whole, whole lot of everything depends on her recovery: how long symptoms linger, what sorts of symptoms they are, if any treatment is effective, if she suffers a recurrence, etc etc etc. In her case my daughter had a great track record so the school marked down her entire first trimester schedule as Passes and then, because she was more or less back to normal for second tri, went back and awarded her the second trimester grade in both first and second trimesters. I’m not sure what they did for the kids who didn’t recover by the start of the following tri, or who weren’t in the same schedule or weren’t as likely to get good grades.
At any rate, if you resisted the urge to use this as your essay topic there is usually a spot on apps that let you describe any extenuating circumstances not addressed elsewhere in the app. I think it’s Additional Information on the Common App, for example. Get into some of the effects it had on your life and hope for the best.
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