<p>Will being dyslexic count against you right off the bat?</p>
<p>This is a tough call–same with ADHD. If I had to guess I would NOT mention it. Harvard has a great deal of reading and despite having done well in secondary school the question of your ability to “step up your game” at the Harvard level will be raised in someone’s head, I should think. With yields the way they are any excuse to weed you out will be used</p>
<p>So caution is best policy here.</p>
<p>Hard Not to mention it. The result certificate will show “+” symbol against the subject taken with the explanation that - the candidate sat the paper under special arrangements.
Am hoping Harvard will see that despite being dyslexic, I am able to get competitive grades.</p>
<p>Thank you etondad for your reply.</p>
<p>Certainly not a hook. If it doesn’t interfere with your academic achievement, then it shouldn’t be an impediment, either.</p>
<p>A learning disability is NEVER a hook, see below links:</p>
<p>[College</a> Admissions and Learning Disablities | The College Solution](<a href=“http://www.thecollegesolution.com/college-admissions-and-learning-disablities/]College”>College Admissions and Learning Disablities)</p>
<p>"During the college admission process, many families struggle with the disclosure issue.</p>
<p>“I’ve had people say to me that this will hurt their children’s chances,” App says. The Texas consultant, however, reassures parents that the admission and disability offices at any college are prohibited from talking to each other. Consequently, revealing a student’s issues with disability staffers will in no way jeopardize a student’s admission chances.</p>
<p>Of course, this leads to the inevitable question of whether a student should reveal to an admission office that he or she is dyslexic, ADHD or possesses some other learning issues. I agree with App who says students should disclose this.</p>
<h2>It’s important to know if the institution is going to be friendly to LD students. “If a school is like Princeton,” App says, “and isn’t friendly to LD students, I want to know.” And, she added, if a school holds a disability against an applicant, that’s not the kind of school the student should attend."</h2>
<p>[Part</a> 1: Answers to Your Questions on Applying With a Learning Disability - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/marybeth-one/]Part”>Part 1: Answers to Your Questions on Applying With a Learning Disability - The New York Times)</p>
<h2>“Please know that colleges do not deny admission based on a disability. “Disclosing” a learning disability in a personal statement within the college application can definitely help. Perhaps there are grades on the high school transcript that may be lower but which are a reflection of the diagnosed disability. By writing a personal statement, students can potentially demonstrate, for example, their understanding of the area of the deficit. They might also demonstrate an improved grade trend in that subject area, and show enrollment in more demanding courses in spite of this disability. More importantly, a student disclosure can show self-advocacy, motivation and an understanding of the disability.”</h2>
<p><a href=“http://dyslexia.yale.edu/Stu_college.html[/url]”>http://dyslexia.yale.edu/Stu_college.html</a></p>
<p>"Planning for college can trigger a spectrum of emotions from excitement to fear or for some, just “more of the same.” The point to be made is that college will be different from high school and different in a number of ways. Parents and their sons and daughters do not always realize that the law that governs the special accommodations provided in high school (IDEA) does not continue to represent the college student. There are no more IEP’s (Individual Education Plans) and 504 plans. Where the high school informed all instructors of the student’s disability and required accommodations, the college, while providing accommodations, seeks to protect the student’s profile and does not reveal the disability unless accommodations are required and in those circumstances, only reveals the needed accommodation, not the disability. In other words, those that “need to know” are minimized in college and without the student’s written consent, the college cannot specify the disability to instructors.</p>
<p>When attending college, the student isn’t required to identify him or herself as having a learning disability. If you don’t, you won’t qualify for any accommodations. In high school, you probably don’t remember needing to seek out support services. They were already programmed into your school life by the school. Your history of having a learning disability traveled with you from year to year. With college, this stops.</p>
<p>The college doesn’t know you have a learning disability and it’s up to you to report it. It is against the law for the school to ask about disability in the admissions application process and even if you chose to self-reveal the information in your application, it cannot be assumed that this information will be shared outside of the admissions office. In many schools, you will need to actively report to someone at the beginning of each semester that you need support services and/or accommodations.</p>
<p>If, in high school, you found it was really important to be permitted extra time on tests, tutoring, reading support and/or writing support, you can bet your needs are not going to end in college.</p>
<p>When you look at schools to attend, the most practical formula is to choose the college(s) you wish to attend first. Then, check out the services for students with disabilities. This can be done with a phone call, an e-mail or if possible, a visit with the person who or department which is responsible to arrange the accommodations. "</p>
<p>Also see: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/learning-differences-challenges-ld-adhd/530038-2007-k-w-princeton-review-colleges-students-disabilities.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/learning-differences-challenges-ld-adhd/530038-2007-k-w-princeton-review-colleges-students-disabilities.html</a></p>
<p>One more link: [Massachusetts</a> Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD - Best Massachusetts Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD, Massachusetts Colleges for Students with Disabilities, Massachusetts Colleges for Students with AD](<a href=“http://www.collegeacademicsupport.com/massachusetts.html]Massachusetts”>http://www.collegeacademicsupport.com/massachusetts.html)</p>
<p>By clicking on each college’s website, you can get a sense of how each treats students with learning disabilities.</p>
<p>great info.
thank you!
(seems should be a sticky somewhere, not just in the Harvard forum)</p>