<p>I am a college sophomore set on applying to grad school. I have just been diagnosed with a mild form of ADD. I personally don't think it will be a major issue for my future because I used to cope with it quite well without knowing that I have a problem. As far as grad school goes, I think I am on the right track: I have a very good GPA so far, I just started doing research and I am quite close to some professors. </p>
<p>However, I was never, ever able to concentrate on tests. I have always been doing a lot of careless mistakes that made my grades lower than what I felt I could get. For example, I don't read problems carefully or I skip a page of the test, that I leave blank. Professors probably think of me that I am good, hard-working student but not a great one. Actually I was hard to be diagnosed because I am such a good student! I used to be very harsh on myself that I am not able to make those mistakes stop, but actually my self-esteem improved now that I know I was doing a great job for someone with ADD. The downside is that, my fault or not, I can't improve much. For example, I need a perfect Math section on the GRE for a top science program, but I never got a perfect score in my life because of those careless mistakes.</p>
<p>If I don't tell anyone and keep things as they are, I'll probably get into a good grad school. But I aim for the very top, and I know that my lack of concentration can't get me there. If I tell my professors about ADD and explain them about my lack of concentration on tests, they will probably understand my not-so-outstanding performance in their classes. And if they mention it in recommendations, that can explain a not so great GRE. </p>
<p>But what will grad schools think about someone with ADD? Will they think I wouldn't be able to concentrate on research? I am doing fine in my research project so far and I only have problems with tests. But I'm not sure if grad schools would understand that. Would revealing ADD as a reason for not stellar grades and scores make my application better off or worse off?</p>
<p>There’s no point in disclosing why you didn’t do as well as a hypothetical you without some deficiency could have done. My former advisor is dyslexic but rose to be a fellow of his professional society. I’m pretty sure they didn’t make him a fellow because he produced really good research for someone with dyslexia.</p>
<p>Otherwise… it sounds like you’re on the right track, so keep it up.</p>
<p>Not long ago, I asked on CC whether I should mention that I have dyscalulia. My GPA, research, rec, etc are quite good, but my GRE quantitative score was <em>only</em> 640 which is very low for Engineering programs.</p>
<p>Most people shouted never to mention a disability/learning difficulty.</p>
<p>I applied to two ivies, and mentioned it in the additional info part of the application for one of them, and said nothing to the other.
I was interviewed this week by the POI of the Ivy where I did not mention being dyscalculic, saying he and the committee were very unsure about my poor GRE, and asking if I could explain it. I admitted to the dyscalculia and things went very, very smoothly afterwards :)</p>
<p>Therefore, I think that if you are an otherwise good applicant, you should just come clean. I would have been spared a nerve racking interview and the awkward feeling that I tried to hide something from them. Furthermore, I consider myself lucky that my POI wanted to work with me enough to fight off the ad com on my behalf and take the time to enquire about my scores. I completely agree though that the SoP is NOT the place to mention that sort of things. There are better ways to use these meagre 1000 words!
Be very straightforward in the “additional information”, and do not complain or sound as if you are giving excuses. </p>
<p>I’m not trying to be rude, but who cares if you have ADD? By grad school there’s an expectation that you’re an adult and know how to deal with whatever medical, physical, personal, or other conditions you may have in your life. </p>
<p>You said you have a good GPA so you must be doing something right. Also, I think standardized tests like the GRE/GMAT have special testing conditions that may apply in your case.</p>
<p>You should definitely write it down. I also have ADD but a severe case and was admitted to LSE and will be giving accommodations for it. Its not something shameful but a part of you.</p>
<p>I’m in the EXACT same case as you, and I’ve posted a lot of threads on it on other forums. I still don’t know what to do though.</p>
<p>One thing is that they might assume that you got extended testing time, and that your score was probably higher than it “should” have been (that’s what I’m really scared about). But maybe that applies to my situation more than yours, since I’m counting on high PGRE scores to get me in grad school (in spite of my low GPA). Funny how ADD kills the test scores of some people and how it kills the GPAs of others</p>
<p>I have a severe form and revealed it in my statement. My GPA was low in undergrad (2.8ish) and since receiving accommodations (recording class and medication) I got a 4.0 in my masters (same institution, same department, so no bias). My applications have gone real well this term. I had one interviewer bring it up, we talked about it and I ended up getting accepted at that institution. If it makes a big difference in your grades and you can show this is what I was but this is my potential disclose it. If the changes are very minor though I would not mention it at all.</p>
<p>If you mention it, you may have to live with the label “disabled,” which also may help with possible discrimination. However, since you’ve been able to do fairly well without the label, do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Also possibility is to take medication to help with concentration so you don’t have to mention it to anyone.</p>
<p>Unless there’s a serious issue with your GRE or GPA or anything that ADD has affected your application, there is no need to mention it. Just keep up the good work!</p>
<p>What I am more curious about, is how each of you received your diagnosis? I was informally diagnosed with it as a child (by my neuro-specialized doctor father) but as an adult I haven’t received a diagnosis because I don’t understand how explaining this to any professional would be taken seriously. People tell me that I need to just “try harder,” that as an adult I should have adapted to this by now because “everyone has troubles concentrating.” Given that I have a very high GPA (the product of working 10x harder than I feel I would normally need to) it’s hard to show a doctor how attention skills this poor have affected my life. But the truth is that my concentration is so difficult that I cannot read for PLEASURE without drifting off by the second sentence. SECOND sentence, when I’m reading something I WANT to read. </p>
<p>I just find it hard to believe that anyone would believe me that it’s a real problem, and I don’t want to get stuck being told that I need to try deep breathing exercises, or that I should… I don’t know, try even harder than I already do. I don’t think people understand what I’m saying when I say, “I can’t pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds.”</p>
<p>I think I’m going to have a breakdown if I’m told that I need to just “just harder” than I already do. How did you vocalize your problems to a professional? Have you had treatment? Has anything worked?</p>
<p>Did you try coffee? I had the same diagnosis as a little kid and I was struggling until 20, then I started drinking coffee regularly and the symptom decreased by much ~50%. Also things that I noticed help me:</p>
<p>1 Sleep 8 hours at night.
2 Coffee (1 morning 1 afternoon)
3 Eat high protein food (less fat, much less carb)
4 Eat a lot of fruits and veggies
5 No MSG, artificial sugars, soft drinks, food coloring, preservatives
6 Exercise 30’ per day, biking/running whatever</p>
<p>Did these and it felt like “wearing glasses for bad eye”, my mind was crystal clear and I can read and do anything I want with little struggling. Straight A+/As and got 2nd author paper on senior year where on the previous years it was abysmal C and Ds.</p>
<p>Writing ADD (or any mental problems) on your SOP carries risk, I’d say it’s quite significant risk. Some admission committee doesn’t like people with problems which sometimes means “there will be higher chance that the guy might drop out” which means rejection. Although I agree there are others that respect hardworking people and you will have easier time get in. I’d say mention the hardworking part without the ADD part just to be safe.</p>
<p>I drink coffee, get more than enough sleep, eat very well, don’t touched processed foods or drinks, don’t drink sodas, try to limit my intake to foods that are naturally made by the earth and not a chemical lab or factory… I wouldn’t have mentioned anything if I thought my problems were treatable with basic lifestyle changes, especially since I am already a very health-conscious person. And I already have straight A’s and A+'s because I overwork myself to compensate for the time lost by abnormally poor concentration. I was sincere in my question about how other people have managed to verbalize what I think is a seriously debilitating problem, and which my professors have even recommended I get treatment for, to a doctor.</p>
<p>Great to know that the same lifestyle worked for another ADDer. I didn’t even “try” before I have those, I was just “not there”. I felt concerns about my daily life but it just seems I have disconnected mind and body that whenever my brain ordered, my body failed to execute due to extreme apathetic that other people call laziness.</p>
<p>Tomorrow, go to the disability services office on your campus. Sit down with the counselors there and talk with them about your situation. They have met students exactly like you before. They can advise you on further strategies that may improve your life, and they can help you find a professional who is qualified to evaluate your situation. Just because you get A’s in all of your classes does not mean that your disabilities are not having a negative effect on the quality of your life. Think of what you could do with the time you would have if you didn’t have to “overwork” yourself constantly, and think of how nice it would be to be able to sit down and enjoy a novel for more than two sentences. Your life will be much better if you can get a handle on this.</p>
<p>^^ Thank you for validating my concerns… You’re right, I will go to the campus health center and talk to them directly and ask them what resources are available to me.</p>
I appreciate it.</p>