I am currently a high school junior and wondering if I should disclose my Aspergers and ADHD in my college applications. I’m considered very ‘high functioning’ and most people would not guess I have autism unless they knew what to look for. I have a 3.9 unweighted GPA, 800 SAT Reading, 710 SAT math, 36 ACT reading, 34 ACT english, 34 ACT science, 30 ACT math. I’m a varsity athlete, national honor society member, involved in multiple volunteer groups, Student Government Tresurer and Governor’s Honors Program alumni (free summer program in my state with admissions rate of about 3%) I’ll graduate with 9/10 AP courses and have gotten 4s and 5s on the AP exams I’ve already taken. Anyway, having an ASD and ADHD doesn’t affect my ability to succeed in school a ton but I don’t know if I should mention my disability in my application. I know once I go to college I will register with the disability services center but I don’t know if mentioning it in my application would benefit me
Eh, I don’t think you should mention it. Especially if you’re not planning on talking about having ADHD and Asperger’a Syndrome in your essay(s).
I would only talk about it in the context of how you’ve learned to cope and move beyond the diagnoses. It can be part of a compelling story, but it should not be the story itself.
This question has been debated at length on these threads. For some schools, especially where admission is highly likely, it may not be beneficial. But when applying to the almost impossible to get in schools, such as Stanford, I think you should discuss it in one of your essays. Also, your school college counselor should back up that diagnosis on those particular applications. I have first hand knowledge of a kid who was admitted to Stanford with a major genetic illness. She discussed the constant battle to achieve in school and in life while dealing with that problem. She was admitted, while her higher achieving twin without the disease was not. When in doubt, just phone the admissions departments anonymously and ask if it will put you at a disadvantage. Or have your college counselor do it. Although you are downplaying your diagnosis, it is not trivial, and you have a lot to add to the diversity of ideas on a college campus.
To put it another way, do not hide who you are. You should want the schools who want you, and many will. Write about it where appropriate.
Don’t hide who you are. That approach will help you, not hinder you.
I would not tell them. You have strong stats and ECs. There is nothing to explain. It isn’t going to help you; @akiddoc, this is not the same as a rare genetic illness. My kid with strong stats did not disclose. Got in at some top schools, too. What you do need to do at accepted student visits is check out their LD supports. My kid found one top school that seemed very unsupportive; I am sure they stay within the law, but she thought it would be an ongoing hassle to get the time accommodations she had in the past.
I agree with @akiddoc that there may be an advantage in disclosing if a school is highly selective and you can discuss it in a way that shows fortitude, self-awareness, etc. Your stats are excellent. It just depends on how selective your chosen schools are, how much of a leg up that might give you. (All due respect to @intparent, by the way. Different strokes for different folks and so on. Some people feel disclosing is always a bad idea. I happen to disagree, is all.)
FWIW, my son wrote his long essay about a favorite hobby and how he feels it shaped his values and social abilities, and while “I’m autistic” was not what the essay was technically about, it was mentioned and clearly a big part of the story. His stats, like yours, are excellent, but after following the Georgia Tech threads here for months, it appears to me that my son was accepted (hooray for holistic review) when a lot of kids with “better” stats were not. Ignoring for a moment that once you get into that level of student, the differences are small (really, does it matter if you got a 36 vs. a 34 on the ACT?), I think his willingness to be honest about his challenges and the lessons learned along the way is a big part of why he ended up getting in. I can’t know for sure, of course, but that’s my take.
Wishing you the best of luck!
Here are my thoughts. Our daughter was diagnosed at the end of freshman year with ADHD. Her first year grades reflected the lack of medication and accommodations. She sailed through the rest of high school. Her only mention of it was on the common app where they ask is there “anything else” the admission folks need to know. Here essays did not reflect it all. She applied from very selective to easier schools and managed to get accepted to 10/12 with two WL. She ended up with strong stats and feeling great!
Unless you are talking about it as a positive or how you overcame them then I would leave them out. You are not legally obligated to say so.
I’m a high functioning autistic and I didn’t mention this in my application. I’m an international student & I somehow thought it would harm my admission. You’re very accomplished student & you may not need any help academically, but coping with new situations can be hard for autistic people. You may thrive academically but have problems with social life, anxiety & so on in future. I’d say, don’t admit it now, unless you think it helps with your admission. But if down the road you need help to cope with new environment, don’t hesitate to identify yourself and seek help from your school.
You don’t have to disclose this to admissions, unless there is something in your academic record to explain. However, when visiting colleges, you might want to talk to the disability services office and get a feel for how they accommodate special needs. Is the environment friendly or bureaucratic? What specific procedures will you have to follow? What paperwork will you need? Make the appointment separately and the admissions office will never know.
To keep from including disability as a factor in admissions, very often schools segregate information about disability from the admissions decision. If that information is included in your file it can contribute to the admissions decision in either direction. Additionally, students with disabilities must meet all requirements for admissions at every school where they apply and fit the contours of the incoming class. Or you could submit a particularly good profile.
So first you must meet requirements for admissions. If you do not meet entrance requirements, you are unlikely to be admitted. In either case, disclosure of disability isn’t likely to change the decision.
You can appeal an adverse decision. Saying you worked very hard to learn despite a disability, or promise you will do better in college because you have seen the light or other statements that seem sad or have questionable validity doesn’t help. College is the real world in that colleges rarely offer special education, grade modification, or do overs or otherwise reduce the complexity of tests or assignments. Students must remain qualified from admission through graduation.
In my experience, disclosure of disability is not helpful. We are not all equal when confronting admissions requirement. Instead, get your education from a school where you are qualified and will study your preferred field. We submit an application for admissions BUT remember that the quality of our learning falls squarely on ourselves. So, I wouldn’t disclose disability when I don’t met requirements and hope or seek mercy. Instead, I would enter a school where I was qualified and maximize that opportunity to get the education I want.
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@lgmac23 - very curious. did you mention in the application? and did it help? where do you go now?
I did end up mentioning it in a few essays. My common app essay was about how theatre has impacted me and helped me grow as a person so the Asperger’s was a pretty big theme. I got into UGA Honors Program, Georgia Tech, University of Virginia, and William and Mary. I got waitlisted at my top school (Rice). I am currently waiting on the waitlist but have committed to UGA Honors