I wrote my personal essay on being deaf and attending mainstream school (where no one else is deaf). I wrote about how I would stay up till midnight and sometimes later because after football practice, I would Google videos with subtitles that had information taught in class because I struggled hearing and understanding my teachers. Does my essay potentially explain why my grades were lower then most people who applied?
It could help. But the bottom line is that the school needs to be sure you can do the academic work required.
Thanks for straightforward answer. I agree colleges should do that. However would there be an exception? Say the college typically accepts 3.7 gpa 1200 SAT. Would some colleges be willing to except a 3.5 gpa 1200 SAT? I understand there alot of variables but worth asking.
I’m not sure anyone here can answer that; it would be a decision made by the adcom.
Why not follow the standard advice: apply to some reaches, but also make sure you apply to a number of safeties and matches. Even if you have a tough admission choices, at the end of the day you’ll still want a choice of schools that want you.
I would say it depends on the school and how you handle it. My daughter wrote her essay about overcoming a learning disability. It helped explain her sharp upward trend (and I’m not talking about the usual upward trend people talk about on CC, going up .2 points…she was a solid C student in 9th and 10th grade, a B student in 11th grade and got A- in every class the first semester of senior year). She wrote the essay with humor and creativity. She ultimately got into her dream reach school ED. I would guess that her teacher letters and possibly a conversation with the GC made the school feel comfortable that she can do the work, but the learning disability–and the hard work she put into overcoming it–is part of who she is as a student and the school would not have known that without the essay. The caveat is that your deafness should not be presented as an excuse, but rather a challenge that you have met.
Nobody can predict how any particular overcoming hardship/disability essay. will impact an admission officer’s decision. As noted above the college must be confident that you can succeed there so I don’t think it will get you into a school you are not otherwise qualified to attend. Like everyone else you need to honestly assess your academic stats (including GPA, standardized tests, course rigor) as well as your financial needs and apply to a wide range of reach, match, and safety schools that appear affordable (you will have to run a net price calculator for each school you consider) and that you would be happy to attend.
I wish you good luck and continued success moving forward.
Thanks all for answers. Definitely would be interesting to know if my disability played some role for me getting accepted.
Students with disabilities are expected to meet all academic requirements from admissions to variation. If you lack basis admissions requirements, you can expect a denial. Grading standards are the same for students with and without disabilities. Understanding teachers is critical because of the number of lectures or large classes you will encounter in college.
Please apply to schools for which you meet entrance requirements. If you are admitted to schools where you are the edge of meeting admissions criteria, may result more challenge to your difficulty understanding teachers.
Instead, look into schools with a thriving programming for graduatingstudents with a hearing loss within disability services on campus. You may be eligible for notetakers and other accommodations. You want a clear path to academic success without difficulty with less competitive academic preparation and difficulty understanding teachers. Finally, disclosing disability means you are giving up legal protections for students with disabilities.
There is no reason you will not admitted to colleges when you present appropriate academic credentials, but don’t make college needlessly challenging.