How will chronic illness factor in?

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm a rising junior and getting really worried about how colleges will perceive me. I'm sorry this is so long. Please bear with me?</p>

<p>About halfway through freshman year, family struggles and stress triggered a relapse of mono, which I originally had as a child. I was out cold for about 4 months and had to drop my spring electives to be able to make up my core classes. I ended the year with 1 B, but we're still working with the school to resolve it because I wasn't given a chance to make up all work in that class. But thanks to this illness, I have 1 EC for that whole year.</p>

<p>Sophomore year I was healthy and involved in extracurriculars until spring, when I was diagnosed with amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome, diffuse (this basically means my nerves are permanently overexcited and cause me pain at normal movement and touch). I missed most of finals month and experienced a similar situation to freshman year, ending up with one tentative B. This time I didn't have to drop any classes. Over the summer, I've been in physical therapy and to the hospital, and I'm making my way to a full recovery.</p>

<p>I still have a good GPA (about 3.9) and I had a sophomore PSAT score of 228. Hopefully that will correlate to a good junior PSAT and SAT. I've taken (or plan to take) all my school's Honors and dual enrollment courses. Our school doesn't offer AP, but this year I will be doing another school's online AP Gov course under my Gifted teacher's supervision. </p>

<p>The thing is, I plan on getting involved in many activities junior year, including resuming some from middle school I wasn't able to do while ill. These include things I'm actually passionate about, like competitive trail riding, writing, and volunteering. But I'm very, very worried, because I've heard that colleges frown on starting activities in junior year. Will they think I'm just doing it last minute or that I'm lazy? I also won't be able to get leadership roles in most activities.</p>

<p>I'm not sure how my guidance counselor will handle this. I go to a mediocre/bad public school in the Midwest and my GC is, to be blunt, incompetent. My brother had the same GC and his Questbridge application was permanently unfinished despite the counselor's insistence that he completed his part. So my GC rec and the Secondary School Report are unknown for now. My teachers will probably talk about it.</p>

<p>I'm not sure if anything else is relevant... I plan on applying to LACs -- some top, some middle-of-the-road, but all suited for me. I have a pretty good college list going. They're all holistic so I don't have any true safeties... but I don't think it's possible for me to find one we can definitely afford that I like. Will the holistic process make a difference for me and my AMPS?</p>

<p>Thank you so much if you read this far!</p>

2

<p>You’ll be fine if you include it in the special circumstances/additional info</p>

3

<p>Thanks! I’ll probably end up doing that. Do you think it’ll come off as a sob story or a ploy? I’m a really genuine person, I think, and I wouldn’t want admissions to get any other impression.</p>

<p>Also, should I just detail the circumstances? Should I talk about how they made me stronger and better able to handle challenges (basically spin it in a more positive way) or would that be inappropriate for the add. info section?</p>

4

<p>Bump, anyone think anything else?</p>

5

<p>If it’s an essay topic, definitely focus on the positives.</p>

<p>If it’s in the additional info, then make it brief</p>

6

<p>I think these things go off better when someone else like the counselor brings them up. If you write it all up and give the particulars to your counselor and teachers writing recs, they can discuss it. It’s better to just touch on it unless there is some great info there for you to share.</p>

7

<p>I would have thought that while the GC is the main person to make the comment, it is also a good idea for you to also add it to the additional info section. I would make it very brief so it doesn’t sound like a sob story. Keep to the facts only.</p>

8

<p>Just let them know, but don’t make yourself look like a victim or a sob story</p>