How should I present myself?

Parents Forum Learning Differences and Challenges - LD, ADHD
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<p><em>TRANSFER APPLICANT</em></p>

<p>I was diagnosed at the end of my senior year with a learning dissability. In high school I never had extended time in any of my classes or on any of the standardized tests (which you may note, were a bit sub-par). Now I have all the accomodations I need and everything is going so well. Do you think I should retake the SAT's or ACT's? Or should I make this "hardship" of pushing through high school with a learning dissability a part of my story? ... I still did do well and landed myself at a top university despite everything. I don't want to turn a dissability into an excuse, but it could make for an interesting essay topic? Any suggestions? </p>

<p>SCHOOLS I MAY APPLY TO:
Harvard,
Yale,
Dartmouth,
Brown,
UPenn
(Already have GT status to Cornell)</p>

<p>DEMOGRAPHICS:
High school: Top-flight private prep school, NYC
Ethnicity: white
Gender: female </p>

<h2>University: current freshman at a top 15 university on the US News rankings</h2>

<p>High School: </p>

<p>ACADEMICS
- B+/A- average
- SAT: 750 w, 690 m, 670 cr
- SATII: 690 m2, 680 lit
- AP scores: 5 eng writing, 4 eng lit, 4 art hist, 4 us hist, 3 bio
AWARDS AND HONORS
-Honor Roll 6/8 semesters (cut-off A- average, top 10% of class)
-National Merit Commended Scholar
-AP Scholar With Distinction
-Stipend Awarded by school's science department for outstanding research
EXTRA CURRICULARS
-Varsity Tennis and Swimming - 4 years
-Class Council - 4 years
-Founder and president of community service group to raise cancer awareness - 4 years
-Published science paper, research at prestegious institution in NYC, presentation at a few major symposiums - 2 years
-President of a youth group that aids the elderly - 4 years
-A capella group member - 4 years
SUMMER WORK
-Intern with social workers - 2 summers
-Homestay/ study in France - 1 summer
-Science research - 1 summer</p>

<p>College:</p>

<p>ACADEMICS
***As it is quite early in the year, it is hard to tell. However, thus far I'm getting all A's and A-'s. The classes I'm taking are:
-Intro to Fiction and Poetry Writing - 100 level
-Intro to Art History - 100 level
-French Composition - 300 level
-Byzantine Art History - 300 level
EXTRA CURRICULAR
-Club Sports
-Student Government - elected by faculty to represent '11
-Peace Corps, Executive Board Member (Treasurer), tutoring elementry school kids </p>

<h2>... looking for some more things to do. I've only been here for a little over a month. </h2>

<p>I know that just made my post so much more complicated. So... what do you think? Do I have a shot? Any suggestions for how I should go about this?</p>

2

<p>If I where you I'd take the SAT again. </p>

<p>I avoided drawing attention to my disability because there is a lot of bad press about people with aspurgers and stuff. It seems like schools like essays that show how you overcome challenges though, so writing about a disability might work. My essay was pretty apologetic even though I didn't mention any disabilities, I wrote a lot of reasons why I didn't so do well in high school. Everyone seemed to think it was a good essay and it got me into the college I wanted. As long as you show that you learn something from the experience I think essays can be about anything.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, but I wouldn't get extended time on the SAT because College Board qualifies me as having done "above average." They're not too sympathetic towards anyone who gets above a 500.</p>

4

<p>I got 510, 700, 700, and 10 on the essay, but I was allowed extended time...</p>

5

<p>But you applied for extended time BEFORE you ever took a College Board administered exam, right? </p>

<p>I didn't know I had a learning dissability when I first took SAT's, so I got scores up well above the "average" without extra time -- though they are still not what top universities would consider stellar. I was rejected for extra time on AP's this past spring when I was first aware of the LD. College Board told my counselor that the denial of extra time was on the basis that I had already earned good scores in the past with regular time -- even if these scores were not reflective of my full ability.</p>

6

<p>That's... stupid.</p>

<p>Yeah, I applied for extended time before I took the test, but I did fine on my practice sat without a lot of time, and most of the standardized tests I've taken in my life I've done well on.</p>

7

<p>Word of advice: Unless you want to go 0/5 at the schools above, don't let them know you have any time of disability. There are obviously plenty of people with similar credentials that they can accept and they really don't care about what you have overcome.</p>

8

<p>ok... i still don't know, i don't think it's that black and white. anyway, thanks for your opinion. does anyone have a different perspective?</p>

9

<p>Why do you want to transfer?</p>

10

<p>I've posted this in another forum and just copy-pasted it: </p>

<hr>

<p>Major reasons for wanting a change:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>History of Art Major - The department here for my possible major is well regarded, but they do not offer any Asian, African, or Pre-historic courses. The approach is very Eurocentric and lopsided in my view</p></li>
<li><p>Scholarly disposition - This school is (in)FAMOUS for being the mecca for pre-meds. Everyone is wrapped up in the pretention of their orgo and neuroscience classes. I wish I were in an environment with a more diverse array of interests... and maybe some people who are more interested in the here and now rather than the prospect of getting into med school ... mind you, we're freshmen. Med-school is 4 years away and this is their focus. It's also kind of drab to be in humanities classes with the pre-meds who don't want to be there but need to fill the requirement - I'd love to be in classes with people who are genuinely excited about what they're learning.... or at least respecting the subject. English is not "fluffy" if you take it seriously! </p></li>
<li><p>Social/ school spirit - So, since everyone is slaving in the library, it's hard to find people who are willing to put down the books on a Saturday and go have fun. I'm not at all a party girl, but.... Saturday? One day a week! Everyone seems very wrapped up in their own work and there isn't a great sense of school spirit. I'm friendly with some guys on the soccer team and no one ever goes to their games and they've been having a really good season. It's kind of sad. I'm not saying I want a sporty school (UMich, Duke, etc), but I was hoping to be in a college environment where everyone is supportive and willing to explore and have a good time - put the books down! </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Don't take me as a pessimist who can't find anything enjoyable. I won't be devastated if I have to spend the next 4 years here. My professors are excellent and I have access to all of the extra curricular, study abroad, and internship opportunities that you could expect at a top university. I just don't think it's all that exciting and I've found that a lot of the kids here just aren't that interesting or passionate -- just driven (there is a subtle, yet important difference).</p>

11

<p>does anyone have an opinion?</p>

12

<p>so... i'm starting to look into taking the ACT. does anyone know who i should have fill out the forms for me to verify my accomodations in school? high school counselor? someone in the dissability office at my college? i've never had accomodations before on a standardized exam...</p>

13

<p>Hi Ms. Fiske,</p>

<p>If you had had accommodations or testing on file in high school, you would go to the person the high school designates as the contact person for the College Board, who sends in all the CB accommodation applications as this is generally the same person who is in contact with the ACT. But since you didn't receive accommodations in hs, I'd go straight to the disabilities office at your college. If they have someone designated to deal with CB/ACT, go to that person. If not, get the ACT to mail you an application for accommodations. See what this calls for, and then go to the disabilities office. You are going to need the college to provide the ACT with a copy of your plan, stating the accommodations you receive in college. For the ACT, you will also need to provide the testing report from the person who first tested and diagnosed you. I believe that it helps if the person attaches the actual test results, and even raw data if it's available. The ACT supposedly likes to analyze the data itself and reach its own conclusions. If your college does not have a copy of the test report, have your psychologist FAX or mail it to the disabilities office and make sure they keep it on file. Make sure that your college disability office lets the ACT know that you actually use the accommodations you've been granted in college.</p>

<p>We also ran up against the CB's idiot policy that academically strong LD students who could do average work on standardized tests without accommodations don't get accommodations that would allow them to work at the level of their potential (even if they've received those accommodations since they were tiny children, by the way) no matter how severe the LD. Fortunately, we were able to reverse the decision on appeal. Along the way, I spoke with many other parents of students who had been denied accommodations by the CB for the same reason you were denied, some of whom had much better outcomes with the ACT granting accommodation. I also came across a free, federally funded legal service for LD students who need advocacy. I'm not sure if this service is limited to people 18 and under, but I wonder if they would possibly be willing or able to help you appeal or challenge the CB's decision on SAT accommodations. Their number is (800) 776-5746.</p>

<p>A final thought: Be sure that your SAT scores are nowhere on the material your college sends to the ACT. I haven't heard of the ACT having a policy on only accommodating students up to the national average, but just in case, I'd keep the info about how well you did on the SAT (albeit not at the level of your potential) private.</p>

<p>Good luck with your transfer!</p>

14

<p>ah thanks so much, anonymom! </p>

<p>i don't think i have the time to get into litigation, but i'm starting to get my stuff together to qualify for extended time for the february test date. do you think it would be ok if i got all of the papers filled out and had someone in the dissability office sign it? i'm in college, so they don't really deal with standardized college entrance exams. </p>

<p>thanks again!</p>

15

<p>MissFiske,</p>

<p>I just looked at an ACT application form today. There are several different application forms and requirements, depending on what kind of accommodations you are requesting, and part of the form has to be filled out by your school. Since you were diagnosed within the past three years, you are absolutely going to need to send the materials from your testing psychologist, as well as a copy of the accommodations you receive at college (which will need to be on college letterhead and may have to be justified by a psychologist/ld specialist at the school.) </p>

<p>You need to go online to the ACT website and look at the different kinds of instructions they have for students with LD's, depending on what kind of accommodations are needed. (If you're wanting 50% extended time, period, you can probably test in a single day at a standard test center. If you need more than 50% time and/or testing over more than one day, or something at all exotic, you need to get the test set up at a special center and send in a special application. See if your college is willing to serve as a special test center for you if you are going to take the test in more than one day; this will save you a lot of inconvenience and avoid all sorts of possible screw ups.)</p>

<p>You must get someone at your college LD center involved, as the school and NOT the student sends in the ACT accommodation application and provides some of the necessary supporting material. (This is why your psychologist has to provide your college LD center with the testing materials and results; you should have a copy too, by the way, so if the school has trouble finding/copying/processing the report, you can hand them a copy that they can use.) </p>

<p>Please call the LD center first thing Monday and find out who is in charge of dealing with accommodation applications. It just can't be that no one there handles such things -- what about accommodations for LSAT's and Medcat's and GRE's? Accommodations for LD students are hard to come by on these exams, but someone has to help students with physical disabilities receive accommodations, apply for braille LSAT's and keyboards for students with CP and all that sort of thing, and this person should also be able to help you!</p>

<p>If there really is no such person, you will have to go through the ACT online instructions carefully, make a list of the things that the school has to do and to provide, give the school (in the person of your contact at the LD or students with disabilities center) a copy of everything they need to provide, sit there while they come up with a copy of your "plan" outlining the accommodations they provide for you at college, and watch them fill out their section of the form. Give them stamps and ask if there's some way they can mail in your application with a return receipt. Then telephone ACT to be sure that your file is complete because they won't begin to review your material until everything is there, and if everything isn't there in time for their posted deadline, you've had it.</p>

<p>I know this sounds very nit-picky and tedious, but ultimately it could make a big difference for you. Just prepare yourself to be mired in a bit of bureaucratic hoo-hah until you actually get all of the materials sent off properly.</p>

16

<p>Thanks again! I got everything done.... and now I await approval (fingers crossed).</p>