<p>I'm a junior and I need to take medical leave from high school but my parents are trying to find ways around it, although my doctor says I need it, because they think that when I have to apply next year, colleges will judge me or frown upon the interruption in my education. Will Yale judge me for taking medical leave?</p>
<p>"Will Yale judge me for taking medical leave? " Of course they will since they’re heartless and cruel.</p>
<p>C’mon. Do you really think that will be an issue for them? Really? If you fear Yale is that terrible, then don’t apply there. Plz. Relax</p>
<p>I don’t believe that Yale is that cruel, but my parents continue to tell me that they are. Seeing as I have nobody else to tell me otherwise, and I don’t want to think that colleges would be that heartless and cruel, I came to CC. I’d just like to get as many perspectives on this as possible and perhaps some advice on how to convince my parents that medical leave will not cause problems for me in the admissions process.</p>
<p>One way to predict how Yale might react to your medical leave is to examine how Yale treats their students with comparable issues. See: [Leave</a> of Absence, Withdrawal, and Readmission | Yale College](<a href=“http://yalecollege.yale.edu/content/leave-absence-withdrawal-and-readmission?quicktabs_4=1]Leave”>http://yalecollege.yale.edu/content/leave-absence-withdrawal-and-readmission?quicktabs_4=1) and [Readmission</a> must be fair after withdrawl | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2003/oct/24/readmission-must-be-fair-after-withdrawl/]Readmission”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2003/oct/24/readmission-must-be-fair-after-withdrawl/)</p>
<p>vegank: Yale wants the best possible students. If your performance is inhibited by medical reasons, taking time off would not only be a reasonable thing to do, but highly recommended in my opinion.</p>
<p>Why would they penalize you, assuming that you’re otherwise what they are looking for (which is a big “if” I’m sure you understand), for something beyond your control? I know people who got in who served mandatory military service – two years. My own roommate took a gap year to play hockey. Then applied to colleges. </p>
<p>How would this be different than you. Your parents aren’t thinking like college admissions officers whatsoever.</p>
<p>Well, will “taking time off” result in you lagging really far behind your fellow classmates? I mean, I’m sure you would do everything in your power to get back as soon as possible. And don’t forget, it’s something to write about in your essays!</p>
<p>Your health is the most important issue here. Your parents are not only not admissions officers, they are not doctors. If they are, well, then umm… their judgement is clouded by the ties you share.</p>
<p>I’m a parent of a D who’s a freshman in college and sophomore son who, at this stage at least, has a fighting chance at a great college. After helping our daughter find the right college for her, I need to tell you something that you have to be super-mature to accept. While there is absolutely no doubt that getting into Yale is grabbing the brass ring, there are many other schools out there that would be great for you, even if you didn’t end up going to Yale. I am astounded that your parents would put getting into Yale before your health. Perhaps it’s a mental health issue so they’re not taking it as seriously, but they should. There’s nothing more important than your health, and getting into Yale is included in that statement. In addition, I have a great deal of trouble imagining that Yale would penalize you for that. Conversely, you might even be able to use it to your advantage, highlighting it as a time for personal growth and shifting of priorities. And along the lines of what T26E4 said, if by some unimaginable chance Yale is that heartless, do you really want to be there?</p>
<p>I speak also as a former high schooler, who listened to my father’s misguided advice about where I should go to school. Because of what he said, I did end up going to a great school, but it wasn’t the right one for me. I don’t regret being at the school because that’s where I met my husband, but I wish someone had set me straight when I was a senior and told me to examine things from my own perspective.</p>
<p>Hang in there, get lots of input from people you trust, then weigh everyone’s opinions and figure out what really makes sense. Good luck.</p>