<p>I thought I would be better off posting in this section instead of the 'What are my chances thread' for the reason that I was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD years ago in addition suffering from of the less desirable effects of ADD/ADHD(impulsivity, takes me a while to start a test because I would just zone out, etc. I do not have a list of what is on my 'plan' available at the moment).</p>
<p>All of this, as well as other things have had an effect on all my years of attending school, from being very disruptive and doing next to nothing in middle school yet passing because of high scores on the tests, getting into a good amount of trouble in middle school as well.</p>
<p>My fresman year of highschool was effected as well, where I failed a course because of lack of interest and failed another because I did not get along well with the teacher so I decided to just come to school late everyday since I had that first period, basically skipping it. The majority of the other classes that year I either did well in or just passed because homework was rarely assigned and I was interested in it, or I would do well on the tests and rarely did the homework.</p>
<p>After freshman year, I was determined not to let this happen again. I went on to some how become interested in the same class that bored me the previous year and recieved a 90, and for the other I got another teacher and was able to get somewhere between a 97-101 average for the year. Most of my other classes also showed improved, recieving high marks in most majors( 98+)</p>
<p>I am now in the beginning of my junior year and am worried about colleges not excepting me based on a low GPA and class standing caused by my freshman year. I am keeping my grades high this year as well to, working for 6+ hrs a day on homework which I used to not even bother doing.</p>
<p>Will I only have a chance at the less selective colleges, or do I stand a chance at the slightly more selective colleges( not REALLY selective)? Will they look past the low GPA caused by my freshman year and look at how much I have improved and overcome my LD?</p>
<p>Many schools don't even look at the freshman GPA. Post in the Parents Forum for information on which schools do and don't--the parents know which schools ignore that freshman year. There may already be a thread on that. </p>
<p>If you are now getting A's, and you have a good GPA and good test scores, then you have a great chance of getting into a good school. Keep up the good work!</p>
<p>Aodh,
You have a lot in common with my D. She had ADHD/Sensory Integration Disfunction (We never really determined which, maybe both). She also did well in classes where she liked the teachers and where the teachers let deadlines slip a little. In classes where the teachers required hw to be handed in on time she usually had a few zeros causing her to get B's. When she graduated her GPA was ~3.4 (from a private HS). There was an upward trend though. Any way she was accepted to every school she applied to and she is now attending Cornell. How did she do it? Well she discussed how she followed the Feingold diet to overcome her disability and the steps that she took to improve her grades in her essay. She also discussed how learning about her disability and how to control it lead her to what she wanted to do it life (she wants to be a neurologist). She also had great teacher recommendations from the teachers that liked her, she had decent SAT scores (not great), she was the captain of her three varsity sports, she had tons of community service including Habitat for Humanity in Brazil, she received the Girl Scout Gold award, she was a musician, she was a published photographer, and she worked 10 hours a week. So you see sometimes other factors can outweigh grades. Just keep trying to do the best you can in everything you do and make sure your application shows the total you not just grades and scores.</p>
<p>Thanks alot, your post really helps and gives me some hope, now I just need to do some EC's and community service and I will be a little bit closer.</p>
<p>Here is a little off topic question, if I signed up for some EC beginning of senior year, and the applications asked to put how many years you did it for, would I be lying if I put 1? By the time I get to the college I would have done 1, so I don't know what I would put.</p>
<p>I don't know if having an EC for 1 year will help you that much anyway. Most of my D's ECs were for more than 4 years. I would emphasize things you are already doing, or add something that has to do with what you want to major in. Random ECs will look like your padding your resume. Also community service can be something like, teaching younger children your speciality. Just doing a couple of hours of community service will be seen through by the admissions people. You need to show commitment to what you have done. Are you unique from everyone else in some way? Work with that! You should also try to do some leadership activities.</p>
<p>Do EC's have to be something you do through the school, or something you do on your own time? I havn't done any school EC's because I didn't know they existed for the ones I am interested in, but I plan to sign up for them next year.
I probably will look into community Service, what is the best way to find out about where it is offered? Through the guidance Office? I wish i had signed up for things starting earlier, but I didn't.</p>
<p>Look at Hofstra university on Long Island. Great school, but also accepts kids with learning disabilities, although it is definitely not a school FOR that, it simply understands them. Also, really cool program for television production with tv studios where they film MTV videos, radio stations, etc all in one huge building that is fascinating to see. I know a couple of boys who went there with ADD and are now quite successful in tv production in NYC. A stones throw away from NYC and all the internships there, but still considered out in the country.</p>
<p>SBMOMOF3 - Yikes, I think your daughter would have missed a few homeworks even if she didn't have ADHD! She had an amazing array of ECs that must have required a great deal of time management. Aodh - it is not too late to sigh up for ECs this year or find something outside of school for you to start right now - harder to join some ECs after they have started but not impossible. Have you checked it out? My older son played golf during Fall season and always joined clubs late, after golf ended. You sound ready to get involved in something now - think about what you would most like to put some time into - it doesn't have to be school based but whatever you do - you should be able to document it and it should add something about you, your character, your passions - to the picture of you your application provides. Sometimes you can find a special EC outside of school - maybe volunteering at a local nursing home/hospital, or starting a club at school, or even working. The goal is to show some interaction with the community - either giving back to your school, your town/community or working to help defray your family's expenses. It is true that longterm commitments and evidence of passion are what some very elite colleges are looking for. But, admissions officers all over want to see evidence that you will not be sitting in your room 99% of the time, not interacting with other students, with the student community, etc. - no matter how well you do academically. Thus, getting started now by joining something that interests you long enough to commit through next year, or seeking out something you are passionate about now and even carrying it through during the summer and early next year, etc. is something you can do. I wouldn't wait until next year - make something happen now! Do you have anyone at home or at school to discuss this with? Is your GC someone you can talk with? She might have some ideas for you.</p>
<p>i have a less then desirable fresh yr:
65: math all 4 quaters..
70s: English and math
85-ish: World history
everything else(Electives:80s and 90s)
i was at that stupid thing called public school no adhd/add kid should go to ps...
sophmore yr: 86-90 average...wat brought it down(YEs not brought it up) was spanish i couldve done even better if my spanish grades werent stellar b/c of my adhd..
junior yr: first quater: 90 average this quater it will b slightly lower this quater</p>
<p>Its true that those with ADHD are not often detail oriented except when they hyperfocus, it is also true that grammar is something that is valued in college and the workplace.
Those with learning disabilities and who are successful use tools to attain high standards-you should be using a spelling and grammar checker to assist you- I realize standards on the boards are lower than they will be in the classroom, but you might as well get started ;)
I like Grammarian- it is much more accurate than the spell/grammar check in Word & you are able to use it in any program</p>