<p>I posted this on another board, but I wanted to hear your personal experiences, too:</p>
<p>Good morning,
My son is a sophomore in high school and has expressed interest in applying to the Naval Academy. He is a straight 'A' student and is a member of the cross country, baseball, and wrestling teams. He also takes Adderall for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I understand taking medicine to treat ADHD is an automatic disqualifying condition. However, I have read conflicting accounts of applicants receiving a waiver or not receiving a waiver for taking medicine for ADHD, on this and other college message boards.
Before he gets his heart set on attending the Naval Academy, I would like to know whether he has any chance of obtaining a waiver for this disqualifying condition. One story I heard is that he would need to be off his Adderall for one year and performing successfully academically prior to indoctrination day in order to obtain a waiver. Could you please assist me in getting the answer to my question?</p>
<p>I think you have heard correctly. I would check with DoDMERB to verify, but I think you will find it is an automatic disqualifier and he must be off of the drug one full year before attending an academy.</p>
<p>Actual experience. Had been off meds for 3+ years, identified it in her history. Remedial was required. She submitted paperwork from her doctor attesting to being off meds, and was qualified within 2 weeks.</p>
<p>I'm allegeric to dogs, since I have one, I obviously am taking allergy medication cause I'm not going to get rid of him. My allergies are find and I don't need medicine as long as I am not around dogs. Will that matter? I also had excersized enduced asthma when I was little, but haven't had problems with that since I was like 8.</p>
<p>Problem is, If I get off the meds, Ill get a sinus infection. You don't think there will be anyway the academy will understand that as soon as I'm away from my dog, my allergies will be fine and I won't need my meds.</p>
<p>You are in a delima where you need to make a decision between being medicaly qualified or keeping your dog. Either you are off the meds or you aren't. It's all black and white with the DoDMERB officials; there is no middle ground.</p>
<p>unless your dog causes you major major problems when you arent taking allergy pills, im sure thats not something that you really even need to put down on your Dodmerb form.</p>
<p>A friend of ours is a Captain and a nurse in the office that does “FItness for Duty” physicals and induction physicals. She said in her career she can’t remember anyone getting a waiver and being admitted while using ADHD meds. She, too, believes it svcks because she herself has two kids on ADHD meds and knows what a miracle they are.</p>