Illness?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey all.</p>

<p>I do pretty well academically, and have an OK list of ECs (leadership positions, volunteer, etc., nothing out of the ordinary). I'm a sophomore in a very competitve magnet school, and haven't taken my SATs yet. </p>

<p>Anyways, I suffer from an Immune Deficiency which basically makes me feel run down 24/7. When I get sick, like with the cold or a flu, its for a longer period of time than the average Joe. I also get sick more often. I also end up being more susceptible to more serious illnesses, such as meningitis, which I got last year and ended up missing close to 3 weeks of school for.</p>

<p>In any case, my GPA has been around a 3.88, and while I do have a good list of ECs and good grades, and while I really don't want to make excuses, my illness HAS had an effect on me. I really feel I could have pulled off a ridiculously high GPA, like a 3.99, had I simply been in class more often, and not had to miss close to 30 days of school. While my teachers are accomodating, catch up and make up work simply are not the products of that stellar student that always hands everything in on time and doesn't cause any hassle. </p>

<p>I was wondering if there was anyway I could explain this to colleges when I apply? Again, its not like I'm trying to explain something like a 2.00 GPA, I just want to let them kno that seeing as I'm already and OK applicant, I could be even better.</p>

<p>Thanks, I just wanted to get that off my chest.</p>

2

<p>Because your gpa is already high, colleges won't think your illness had that much of an effect on you. It's not as if it's life-threatening. Plus, you're a sophmore. You have one more year to pull up your gpa. </p>

<p>What you should do, when you start applying to colleges, is mention your illness in your essays. Don't whine about it. You don't want to sound like you're crying over one-tenth of a point. Simply mention something like you've had this illness for a long time, and, although it has been tough, it has never handicapped your ability to get the best out of life, academically and socially, and then maybe you'd give a witty anecdote or something. This way you'd sound like a survivor than a victim, which is always good and inspirational.</p>

3

<p>With the number of kids on this site alone claiming an illness caused grade problems, I would think long and hard about how to handle this. It seems like one in 3 essays revolve around why something prevented you from doing better, ranging from famlily issues to illness to moving. In the end, most just sound whiney. If you have a real situation that should make a difference, it should be presented in your counselor rces.</p>