<p>Towards the end of 8th grade I developed an eating disorder, and I spent most of 9th grade and 10th grade in treatment. As a result my grades dropped A LOT -- mostly B's, B-'s and even a C-.</p>
<p>Should I mention my Ed in my application? I'm getting A's now, but my 9th and 10th grade transcripts look really... well... yucky. My first-choice school is UChicago.</p>
<p>I'm fine now and I've maintained a healthy weight for about a year-- I don't want any admissions counselors to think that I'll freak out and start starving myself halfway into college, but I don't want them to think that I was lazy in 9th and 10th grade, either. O.o</p>
<p>Umm... <em>cough</em> and just in passing, do you think that a selective midwest school like UChicago prefers ACT or SAT? Heh heh.... Anyways...</p>
<p>They don't care which test you choose to take. I personally don't like people making excuses (even good ones), cause I moved here three years ago from another country and I fought like hell to get to the place I'm standing today. But........I don't see a problem explaining additional reasons for those bad grades. College admission officers only get to know you through reading your essay, teacher recs, interviews,SATs ACTs, and transcript. So don't be shy and humble, speak out, and list anything that migth affect your grade, without being a whinner (it's hard to do).</p>
<p>It probably would be better if your GC explained it in their report and referred to it as a "medical problem," without mentioning that it was a psychological or eating disorder. Many colleges are wary of admitting students who have problems like psychological ones or eating disorders because colleges know that it's stressfull in college, and people prone to psychological disorders can have relapses due to the stress and the isolation from famil, friends and health practitioners who know them well (assuming the student is living on campus). </p>
<p>If you check CC's archives, you'll also find other posts on this subject.</p>
<p>Northstarmom offers some good advice. Having an honest conversation with your guidance counselor might result in a letter that explains, without being explicit, your previous sketchy grades.</p>
<p>Note that if you give your gc permission to use your medical issues in the report, she might mention your eating disorder. Make sure you tell her that she should mention your debilitating medical issue without naming it; I believe that if you expressly forbid her to reveal what your condition was, then she cannot reveal it. Much better for her to say that you had a medical condition that has since been resolved.</p>
<p>Good luck! And please extend that one year streak of healthy weight into the next eight decades or so.</p>
<p>Oh, if your eating disorder has led to some major cause or activity, then you might want to incorporate it into your essays. If it's just an excuse/reason for not-so-great grades, then let your GC handle it.</p>
<p>please dont mention it. it is a psychological disorder, and colleges really dont like that.
sadly, there is an unfair stigma with psych. disorders, even eating disorders, which is one of the deadliest diseases out there.</p>
<p>OK OK Settle down, the original poster says the eating disorder is a thing of the past, so there is no point arguing about what caused it, etc. Regardless of her "fault" or "choice" in the matter, she had to go into treatment and therefore her grades suffered.
Talk to your guidance counselor and have him/her explain that you had treatment for a health problem during 9th and 10th grades. It doesn't really matter what the health problem is; in any such situation, let an official handle the communication of the situation because it is more credible and serious.</p>
<p>Also, UChicago tends to be much more forgiving in terms of GPAs/numbers. I can't say anything about their attitude toward eating disorders because I'm not an official expert, but I do think that your situation, if adequately explained, could be excused by the University.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone, and thank you momwaitingfornew, sfgiants, and EliHopeful07 for smacking down abg41. </p>
<p>I had did a search but didn't find too much that helped; I hadn't checked the archives</p>
<p>I'm looking into volunteering for a few programs this summer that raise eating disorder awareness, so maybe I'll try to turn it into a positive thing and try to ease up on that negative stigma of Eds.</p>
<p>If you have not had an eating disorder or any other compulsive spectrum disease, you have absolutely ZERO right to tell sunflower100 that it is her fault.</p>
<p>I have trichotillomania, a disorder that causes compulsive hairpulling. Like anorexia and bulimia, it is often maligned as something I can "control," something I can "stop if I want," or a "bad habit." Let me tell you, you can treat the symptoms. You can stop pulling and grow back your hair, or, in the case of an eating disorder, gain back the weight. But the underlying urge, the disease, is STILL there. I have been pullfree for over a year and a half, but I still struggle with an unrelenting, powerful desire to pull out my hair. </p>
<p>So why don't you step into my shoes, or the shoes of any one else with these sorts of problems? I never asked for these urges and I'm POSITIVE that sunflower100 never asked for hers. I learned to cope, yes, but that doesn't mean that my difficulties have all been a matter of weak self-control. Rather, I'd say that people like sunflower100 who overcome these difficulties have quite excellent self-control. Try living with these irrational desires for one day and you'll see why. Until you do, you have NO right to deride her.</p>
<p>sunflower100: </p>
<p>I'd agree with the several other people who said that you should ask you GC to mention it in vague terms. It's a huge life experience, something that's very difficult to deal with, and it merits a mention.</p>
<p>Good luck to you for college, and in your recovery!</p>
<p>Congratulations Sunflower in finding the strength to get past your problem. My sister has been afflicted with this for over 30 years; she's nearly died twice, and it has completely ruined her life. I won't even go into the details of the brain cell degeneration, the whole thing is too awful. Stay true and don't slide back, no matter what.</p>
<p>I would avoid the use of the word "eating disorder" because there still exists a stigma, and as you have seen from some of the postings above, views by many that it is a control issue gone bad or something that is your fault. The posters above area also indicative of some of the people that will be reading the essays -- when people are hired to read essays, sadly THEY aren't given psychological profiles before letting them loose. Thus, you will have readers who are not doctors or psychologists or persons who professionally understand various mental, physical and emotional health issues. They are simply ordinary people who, like all of us, have views or values or biases that may be different than yours or mine. You need to write as if you are speaking to the masses and those who may be ignorant or biased or are emotionally challenged.</p>