Hello everyone. I hope to get some knowledge from this post.
I suffer from depression, anxiety, and extreme ADHD. Freshman year of high school was very difficult for me and I have improved since then but I still do not have very good grades. I go to a very hard school with a 7 point grading scale meaning that a 92 is a B. I am very smart and have a lot of potential, I just cannot focus on anything, but I cannot get on ADHD medicine because my doctors say my anxiety is to bad. What are my options? I have scraped by with a 2.5 on a 7 point grade scale and I have an 1050 SAT and I take ACT in March. Could I get into college? Should I tell them about my issues?
You can get into college, but I am not sure heading straight to a four year university is a great idea for you.
Are you in counseling? Consider doing that if not. You need to address the anxiety.
Do not reveal your health to a college. It’s not their business, and it won’t want to make them say yes. If anything, your guidance counselor can address it in the letter of rec.
Your grades aren’t great, I’m sorry to say, but I guess you know that. Being honest, I truly think your best option might be to take a gap year, get your anxiety under control, and start at community college. This will allow you to ease into college and give you a chance to show colleges that you can get good grades. Then you can have time to mature and think about transferring. Best of luck.
I agree with the above comment. I would only add that gap time can be as long as you need it to be. Be sure to not complicate your life with any major life changes – like don’t get married, get pregnant, or get someone else pregnant. Be sure to stay clean and sober. If you do that, then take as much time as you need to figure things out and to feel more comfortable with yourself. One of my children (very smart, very capable) is currently in gap limbo in year 2+ since high school. This child spent much time trying this, trying that, and over time has found some jobs and professions that feel right. That gives child direction in life. Child has also been able to save some money for college by working. Child will eventually go to a community college and then transfer to a 4 year, but there’s no rush.
Here are some things you might want to consider. Be sure to include your adult advisors/ parents as you think about next steps –
Americorps – https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps this is a government organization where you work, get a uniform, a place to live, some spending money and at the end some money towards college.
You also may want to look into executive functioning coaching; it is something I’m looking into for my son with ADHD who does not want medication (has intermittent tics that will be exacerbated with ADHD meds). I’m still in the research phase, but it looks promising.
I would imagine your add would create anxiety too, so why not see another doctor who might be willing to look for anti anxiety medicine that isn’t made impotent by ADD medicine.
Your grades aren’t good but it’s really terrific you got C’s and B’s with such heightened anxiety AND untreated ADD AND a school where 92= B!
Do you have accomodations for ADD at school (tests in quiet place facing the wall or in an empty cubicle so as to minimize any distraction for instance).
What classes have you taken so far in…
English
Math
Foreign Language
Social science
Science
Electives
?
There are lots of colleges for a 1050 SAT although you may retake to try and improve. Since you’re taking the ACT in March, take a class to prepare (sometimes high schools offer one, sometimes the library). You might want to invest in a good tutor, working one on one in a room with no distractions, in a low pressure environment (sitting on beanbag chairs, no target score just mastering one thing at a time).
What’s your parents’ budget?
Since you have a diagnosis, you might want to have a parent and guidance counselor look into taking the SAT and ACT untimed, which might help to reduce your anxiety about those tests.
In general, your guidance counselor should be the one to tell a four year college about your health issues, not you. I would agree that you might want to start off in a community college to give you more flexibility while you get a handle on your health.
I go to a private school where Special help for ADHD is very limited. My parents make good money and will definitely be able to help put me through college. I just feel very depressed and really hopeless because my mental health has really messed up my life and I wanna get back on track. I just can’t seem to get things up
Untimed testing and testing in a room without distractions would seem like very simple accomodations - I would even imagine it’s illegal not to provide accomodations but since it’s a private school it might be legal, just as unfair though.
Don’t assume college budget - you really need to know.
What region of the US do you live ib?
You did nothing wrong. And don’t worry about messing up your life. You are nowhere near that. You are young and you have plenty of time to get your life on track. Everyone is born with some ailment and this is yours. It is not the end of the world. In my opinion your health takes precedence over everything else. First and foremost, get as well as possible. Once you get to a manageable and healthier state, pursue college then. There is no point in starting college and adding to your anxiety at this time. College will still be there next year. As some others have suggested, take the next year focusing on getting healthy. You can apply to colleges in the following year. Also, as some have suggested, because of your health, you can take the SAT with additional time. Take advantage of that. Lastly, if you live near big cities, have your parents find the best hospital, and find the best physicians and get care from them.
Do you have to stay at your current school? Might you be able to transfer to a public school, where accomodations are mandatory and where you wouldn’t be in a high stress environment? Or would switching schools cause you anxiety such that the cost/benefit would make it too costly?
What region do you live in?
What classes have you taken so far in each category
English
Math
Foreign Language
Social science
Science
Electives
?
Did fine in school/college until a bad family situation developed. In the matter of a few months all I could do was sleep. Flunked out of college and took a forced time out. The time off and change in of environment was all that helped me. The depression eased off through ski bumming and the military (never went to a war zone).
I am not a doctor, but I do believe you need to find a medical solution. You are not at fault. I vote with “akin67.”
Doubt I will be able to switch schools, I have taken all CP classes and I’ve
Never failed a class. I’ve always kept basically B and C grades but like I said it was on a 7 point grading scale. I’ve taken all the basic CP classes in each subject.
Science- Physical science
CP Bio
CP Chem
English 1 2 3
Took 3 years of Italian
Math- CP algebra 1
CP geometry
Algebra 2 trig
Took all basic CP history classes
I just really want the college experience and I’m afraid that If I don’t go straight to college that I’ll never be able to have a college experience with new friends
I just really want the college experience of meeting new people and I feel like if I don’t go straight in I’ll never be able to have that experience. I’ve lost so many things because of my mental health and I am on medicine and in counseling but they won’t put me on ADHD medicine because of my anxiety. I’m just really scared for my future
Your high school sounds like a pressure cooker. Where a lot of students are looking to step up the challenge when they start college, you may be due for a break in a more supportive setting. There are some colleges that specialize in supporting students with learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, etc.
Check out Dean College in Massachusetts, for example. They offer a traditional, residential college experience but also offer a range of support services. http://www.dean.edu/learning_services.aspx Your stats are almost exactly at their median. Given what a challenging high school you’re accustomed to, you would likely be able to hit the ground running there and feel quite capable, giving you the breathing room that you haven’t had in high school, to focus on your underlying issues and strategies for being successful. Students who want to transfer are able to transition successfully to schools like UMass Amherst, while those who prefer to complete their whole degree at Dean can do that too. They have an Honors program as well, which might turn out to be the right level of challenge for you. (The Honors students went to Europe this year, including Italy.)
That’s just one idea/example, but my point is to think of yourself not as a supplicant begging colleges to take you in spite of your record, but as an education consumer looking for an experience that will meet your needs in a way that high school has not. Hang in there and know that there are options that will get you to the future you want.
Check out the Colleges that Change Lives consortium. Not all of them will be the right fit for you but there are probably a couple of them that could be. There are over 2000 4 year colleges in the US and most of them are not highly selective. You hear the most about the ones that are (highly selective) but there are many schools out there for kids like you, especially if you have financial resources.
Ctcl has my vote also. Talk to your parents about biofeedback. It helps the depression, anxiety and adhd. It doesn’t take a lot of sessions to see results. Adhd and anxiety go hand in hand. Maybe your not seeing the correct doctor. But just being put on adhd meds is not the answer either. There are different types and not all do the same things.
Get accommodations for your school work.
There are also colleges for everyone. A lot of kids with your symptoms don’t even start doing well until college. But you will most likely need accommodations. Have your parents get you tested with an educational psychologist. The accommodations just level the playing field for those that need it. It’s your right to get all the help you need. It’s not just you. Many students need the help to become successful in life.
It works well and I have experience with it. Have your parents look into this with you. It is simpler to use then expected. It’s been around for like 30 years.