<p>I have Asperger's Syndrome and a low attention span on top of that (I've been suspecting that I have ADD as well but my parents refuse to get me diagnosed as they think it will be of little help). While my college application process has ended prematurely as I got into an early entrance program, I do realize the dillemma of disclosing a mental condition (Many Aspies don't think of "disorders" as actual disorders but rather as merely different ways that the brain processes information).</p>
<p>I applied to many summer programs and an early entrance program. I only got into one summer program and the early entrance program (I didn't disclose Asperger's on either application because I disclosed Asperger's on my first two summer program applications and got rejected by both. While they probably would have rejected me either way, I was really really stressed by that time). I disclosed Asperger's later for the summer program when it asked for medical information (after I got accepted). There wasn't an extreme need for me to disclose my Asperger's for most of my applications because I had decent grades and test scores, but few extra-curriculars (but there was for my first two for summer programs for reasons mentioned below). I also contacted a professor for a research project , met him face to face, and he's willing to offer me one - and I didn't disclose Asperger's. Now I'm really disinclined to disclose Asperger's for future applications to undergrad research programs and grad school - even though it has made me an extremely inefficient worker because I'm so distractable.</p>
<p>Now the thing is - even if your D has done well in high school - colleges may think that your D might still struggle in college as it's going to be a much more difficult workload + living away from home + a lot of other ways of adapting. And some college admissions people may think that people with different mental states would have greater difficulty with adapting to new situations and consequently be more reluctant to accept people with different mental states. </p>
<p>Hmm... Difficult question. I would definitely disclose a mental condition if the person has some glaring weaknesses (in my first two summer applications, I had no choice but to ask for a rec from a teacher with a class where I had mental breakdowns. And since the teacher told me he would disclose my anti-social behavior, I pretty much had no choice but to disclose Asperger's). .But if there are no glaring weaknesses, then disclosure might not help as much. Though I do understand the advantage: that a person has overcome barriers to overcome the condition. Maybe disclosing Asperger's is a different matter than disclosing OCD/ADD because people with Asperger's get frustrated and depressed more easily than others and some people may interpret Asperger's as beneficial because it makes people more focused - although my extreme distractability has prevented me from that and the transitory nature of my obsessions. One person at collegeconfidential did experience rejections from his safeties including a state school because he disclosed his Asperger's (I'll try to find a link to it).</p>
<p>In any case, I wouldn't disclose a mental condition to safeties because you don't want to take risks with them.</p>