@Knowsstuff – I mentioned this to her doctor who did the formal testing for ADHD/Anxiety and she does not officially “test” for dyscalculia. Agree that having that “official” diagnosis would be helpful. Will see if I can get someone else to do testing for her. thanks.
If by her doctor you mean pediatrician… That is the wrong person to do any LD evaluation. There are psychologist that do educational testing evaluations for all of this. There are very specific testing measures for consistency they use… FYI… If she doesn’t test for dyscalcula then it could be the wrong person doing the adhd testing also. Usually an educational psychologist will do it all… It’s not cheap… But worth it to get the correct diagnosis.
OP asked one question and I can’t tell who’s responding to that versus another poster. But as OP hasn’t come back to respond here, I’ll go with the flow:
The reason you think hard before writing about a challenge like ADHD and anxiety (or whatever else kids think they have to reveal) is it’s not a criteria for admission, not one of the qualities or attributes the adcoms look for. In itself, not going to build a better class.
Now, some kids might mention it, just mention it in a line, then show how they triumphed over it. “Show, not just tell.” But that isn’t just scores (which OP mentioned,) not in the least. You do want a strong transcript. But you’d want to “show” how you overcame, academically and the resposibilities, impact, how you serve others in ways the college targets want. Throw in maturity, perspective, and more. That comes through in how you word the essay. Or not.
And you have to know, have some idea, for your targets, what the qualities they want are, what sorts of actions they value, what strengths they look for…in other words, what’s relevant. That includes knowing that scoress alone aren’t some antidote, not for a holistic. They represent one test session, not the hs record.
So many kids who take on the topic of a disability or challenge of this sort get so locked up in descriptions of the problem, that they never quite get to presenting the strengths.
So be careful.
ADHD doesn’t always mean a kid thinks out of the box, btw. Hyperfocus can mean they have challenges getting off the dime, then getting from A to Z. Anyone who overcomes is to be commended. But the essay isn’t about the challenge, It’s about who you have become and showing more of what the college likes than stats can.
It doesn’t matter if others write on similar topics. The prompts don’t say write something absolutely original. But this IS your essay for your college app review. Be wise.
@Knowsstuff – by doctor I mean a licensed clinical psychologist she was seeing for her anxiety – she was also diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. I would say her main disability is poor working memory/executive function - of which she scored well below average during testing. I need to see if the dyscalculia testing would be covered by insurance - the high cost is prohibitive for us at this time.
@lookingforward – thanks. I think we will not focus on her disabilities for her essay, perhaps try to weave it in in a more obscure fashion – how she focused on her strengths (leadership, organizational skills, etc.) and determination to overcome her weaknesses (kind of who how everyone has their strengths & weaknesses and how she uses her strengths to overcome her weaknesses)…something like that.
Our difficulty will be how to make her essay/application stand out when admissions are comparing her to other applications – we are in a school where a large portion of kids have taken all APs/Honors since 9th grade. We tried Honors and she had to drop down to regular classes. We had a panel of college admissions counselors come to speak at our school and they admitted that they compared student applications from the same school - measuring the applications against the same pool of students from the same school. She is taking no honors and no APs this year (Junior year) – all regular classes - although this year she is taking a 2 credit Early Childhood Education/Dual Enrollment class. She had to WF from Algebra 2 last year - is taking Computer Science this year (which counts as required math for graduation since she is taking Early Childhood class). However, we plan to have her retake Algebra 2 next summer to see how she does - focusing on just that class).
That being said – she is also realistic in her college searching…but I do still want her to apply to her “reach” schools because she does still have much to offer based on her leadership and determination – she earned her Girl Scout Gold Award (equivalent to Boy Scout Eagle) this past summer while on a service trip to Dominican Republic. We will likely focus her essay around this experience.
As may be obvious… Make sure whatever schools you apply to have stellar support for her. Many do and many don’t. Make sure she can get the accommodations she needs. Also talk to your testing person and make sure her iep/504 continues for all 4 years of college.
BTW - biofeedback worked like a charm for my daughter’s executive functioning issues right away. Works on anxiety also. She will sleep better which will lessen both issues. You have to do many sessions but the results for us were like night and day. No medication. Pm if questions.
You want the right colleges for her, where she can be empowered, not just the idea of a reach. We see our kids’ potential. But remember that they need to be able to take the steps to get there, succesd. For some, that’s how they can do in the first two years, looking at reality now, not the distant view. Not over reaching, which can spin anxiety. And I agree on support.
Yes, but due to some peer pressure (her BFF is an AP kid who plans to visit W&M) – she would like to visit W&M…it is a small liberal arts school…she knows she would do better in a small-medium college. She knows this will be a “reach”…but we will visit and make connections and see if she even likes the school. We are in VA and are focusing on Va. public schools (budget wise since she has a twin). We will also visit UMW, CNU, Longwood, Radford…
You might of heard of these colleges but they seem to support kids that think /learn differently. Most are LAC. Not sure what’s in your area. A lot have great merit also.
You can’t set directions based on her peers. Try to imagine what her life would be like if the classes are aimed higher than her own readiness/prep. And all those peers who are at that level and can manage without anxiety.
Try to see other colleges that are right matches/safeties before W&M. If possible, do the legwork to help her id what is great about those other schools. Find the “glass half full,” colleges where she can succeed and be excited, not feel like she’s settling.
I had this concern when I had a trip to Charlottesville and took D1-- I love UVA ut worried it would throw off her perception of all other schools. (At the time, UVA wouldn’t have been affordable.) You need to be wise about all this, exert some of the right sorts of control.
@Knowsstuff – she is adamant that she does not want to go to a CTCL school.
Agh… They are great schools… Maybe visit one on your trek if checking out colleges. My daughter’s transfered to Beloit and loves it compared to her other college. She thinks the kids /teachers are more intellectual and the discussions are deeper and more stimulating.
FWIW - my daughter mentioned her dyslexia in her college essay. We didn’t think it was a big deal, we’re very open about her LD history and overcoming her LD was an important part of her academic life. Her admissions results… denied at reach schools, admitted at match and likely schools. I don’t know that the essay made any difference or would have made any if it had been a different topic! 
No regrets at all, we’ve always figured if a school doesn’t want you as you are, it’s not a fit.
Don’t do it, if you don’t want others to misunderstand that you are trying to gain sympathy.