<p>I'm an international student, and I have a slight disability.</p>
<p>well what is the disability?</p>
<p>Disabilities are never a hook. The hook is how you grew, overcame, and or learned from your adversity.</p>
<p>Well, I didn't want to emphasise it as a defining factor in my life, so I didn't write an essay directly about it, although one of my essays mentions it. I just put a paragraph (about three sentences) about it in the "additional information" section.</p>
<p>I was born with congenital orthopaedic and ocular problems, and I've had ten surgeries so far :<. Eight on my legs, and two on my eyes. I don't really regard it as a disability, I can't not do anything because of it, but I used the term for want of a better word.</p>
<p>Um, well, I guess my usage of "hook" was wrong. What I meant was, will an international slightly "disabled" student add to the diversity in a college? I've got a SAT I score of 2190 (1520 / 1600), SAT II scores of 760, 780, 800 decent ECs, great recs.</p>
<p>You can't be slightly disabled...you are or you aren't.</p>
<p>Some disabilites are less complicated, but they still are considered disabilities. </p>
<p>"A disabled person is anyone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, anyone who has a record of such impairment, and anyone who is regarded as having such an impairment."</p>
<p>I think she means that a disability can be more or less severe. I have a pretty mild disability - I'm almost entirely deaf in one ear. I mentioned it in my college apps only to explain irregularities in my foreign language courses (I took a third year pass/fail at a college, and a fourth year not at all, because I have a harder time understanding the language). </p>
<p>In other words, unless you choose to write about how your disability affected your life, it isn't going to really help. However, if your disability impacted the rest of your record in some way - you missed classes because of your surgeries and your grades dropped, you couldn't do well in PE, etc. - then mentioning it should compensate. Ten surgeries really doesn't sound all that minor to me. Best of luck!</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>yea, I assumed that's what she meant, but she should be considering herself disabled...not slightly disabled. </p>
<p>I am a diabetic, and consider myself disabled because I am covered under the Disabilities Act...and therefore am disabled.
It may be a less severe disability, but it is one.</p>
<p>Hooks vs. tips:</p>
<p>The way I like to define a "hook" is that it's something that makes the college want you so much they hope you have the credentials to get in. A tip is something that makes you stand out from a huge crowd of apps and, all things being equal (roughly), gets you in.</p>
<p>I doubt your disability would be a hook. It could be a tip, however.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot.</p>
<p>I was exempted from PE, I mentioned that in my essay (it was about how I got into aerobics from not having any physical activity at all, and loved it.) I limp, but I'm not otherwise affected by it in any major way. My eyes, I've got very low vision, but I wear contacts and glasses over them (to read), or very very think glasses, but I didn't mention all this in the application because as I said, I don't want to be seen as being defined by my disability.</p>
<p>The ten surgeries I had were when I was much younger. It was mostly because some doctors did something wrong, and a couple of surgeries actually worsened my legs.</p>
<p>Well, thanks, anyway. I'm just getting hugely nervous about wherer I'll get accepted or not :D.</p>
<p>I'm pulling for you man! good luck with all your apps!</p>
<p>^^ same here! </p>
<p>You shouldn't be afraid to admit that you have a disbility, but I love your mentality, definitely don't let it define you.</p>
<p>Thanks :D. April, come already >.<</p>