Hey everyone, so I have OCD (undiagnosed). The reason I know I have it is because i’m always counting by fours and I have to do things a certain way. My OCD has never directly negatively affected me but I have recurring thoughts and I obsess over things.
When I was rejected from my dream school I didn’t think it was a big deal and I thought I would just be able to move on and go to another school but this was not the case. I kept thinking about my dream school over and over and no matter what I do I can’t shake it. I really like my current school but I can’t fully enjoy it because I wanted to go to another school so badly. All I do now while I hang out with friends/go out/study is my dream school. I applied as a transfer applicant and I do have the stats for it - high college and HS GPA/high test scores but i’m worried I won’t get in. My only motivation is attending my dream school and i’m worried that if I don’t get in i’ll never be able to get over it. I will be 90 on my deathbed still obsessing over a school.
So hypothetically, if I am rejected again, can I send an appeal explaining how I cope with OCD etc and how it has affected me and why I want to go to the school? They will easily see that my grades/activities are not adversely affected nor does it affect me socially. I was afraid to put it in the box that they gave for extenuating circumstances because OCD is a mental illness and I don’t want them to think I am a risky applicant.
Perhaps instead of begging for them to let you in if they reject you, you could get help for the obsessive thoughts? I don’t think the appeal would make you look like a better applicant.
I’m not going to be begging them to let me in. It will be just like any other rejection appeal except focused on OCD. Also getting rid of obsessive thoughts isn’t that simple. If curing OCD was that easy then there would be a cure. Trust me I have an easier time of getting in by begging than getting rid of obsessive thoughts.
I’m talking about therapy. People whose job it is to help people deal with things like that.
I’ve been, they don’t help.
I agree with bodangles, instead of begging the school to let you in due to an non diagnosed illness, you should seek help. Just remember, sometimes life doesn’t go as planned and that’s just part of life.
I have sought help and it didn’t improve my situation. I have talked to multiple counselors and they can’t do anything for me.
I don’t think OCD is an extenuating circumstance. You say you’ve done well. It isn’t explaining anything. If you’ve done well, you have as much chance to transfer as anyone else. You’ll just have to wait and see and accept their decision.
Please get help. Keep trying on that front–OCD can be helped.
Continue to work on yourself. Find another therapist. You say it’s undiagnosed which seems to indicate you have not seen the right doctor.
To answer your question, yes you can send an appeal. I agree that is makes you look like a risky applicant and it’s not a compelling reason to change a rejection into an acceptance.
Take care of yourself. You sound like a hardworking individual. You should be proud of your success.
You have talked to multiple counselors who say they can’t help you? And yet you claim you are still undiagnosed. If you have seen multiple people, and they say they can’t help you, then they must have diagnosed you with something to be able to say they can’t help you with it. Therapy doesn’t work instantly. You need to see a therapist and persist. Stick with a therapist for months or even years. You are far too easily dismissive of suggestions by us that the issue isn’t the dream school. Something isn’t adding up here.
What do you want to hear from us? No one here is going to tell you that it’s a good idea to appeal a rejection on the basis of OCD, undiagnosed or otherwise. You were rejected from the school once, and it isn’t likely you will now be accepted. Your issue is bigger than anyone here can help you with. Find another therapist. No one is beyond help, not even you. You surely must realize that if you got into the dream school you would probably find somthing else to be obsessed with. You have to break this vicious cycle. Go to therapy and stick with it. It does work when you persevere. It doesn’t work if you don’t persist. Your issue cannot be fixed immediately. Please talk to your parents and ask them to help you get what you need. Good luck.
I agree with everyone else. Find a therapist with expertise in treating anxiety (OCD is anxiety related). I know several people with anxiety issues who have been helped by CBT and similar therapies, so my layperson’s advice is to look for that. OCD is, in fact, highly treatable but you need the right therapist and you’ll need to do the work.
You say your OCD has never directly affected you negatively, but I’ll point out that it has. Your inability to let go of the fascination with your dream school, despite liking your current one is certainly a negative consequence.
Finally, I agree that there’s no point to the appeal. You’re obviously a smart person. Think it through. The purpose of an appeal of a rejection would generally be to explain why factors that may have been seen negatively should be viewed differently (e.g., a serious injury or illness that explains an anomalous semester or year of poor grades). You want to say that your grades, scores and EC’s haven’t been affected by your OCD, but they should view your application in a different light than they did the first two times because . . . Because you have OCD and can’t stop thinking about the school? If you take a deep breath and really think about it, you’ll see that it’s not a reason for them to change their minds.
Good luck. If you need help figuring out how to find a qualified therapist and don’t know anyone IRL who can help you with this, I’ll bet if you ask in the College Confidential Cafe thread, there will be people with good advice.