<p>Overcoming your illness is a feat in it of itself, so be proud of that. You may be surprised at how much colleges value students who are outspoken in politics. My dad was a mediocre student-A’s, B’s, a few C’s, and no more than maybe 1150 SAT. He was, however, very involved in Young Republicans and county politics, and actually held a county governmental position at the age of 18. He asked some of the politicians he worked for to call colleges for him, and was accepted to University of Pennsylvania.</p>