Are There Some Things That Should Not Be Shared?

Would writing about my ADHD be a good idea for my college application essay?

My ADHD has affected my life, perspective, and hobbies greatly and I’ve learned to make this vice into one of my greatest virtues. While it provides insight to who I am and how I grew as a person, I’m nervous of possibly looking crazy or dumb for having ADHD. It is a personal yet vulnerable topic.

I was asked to answer this question on the website Quora.com

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You have asked a great question. As you can already see from the previous answers there is not going to be agreement about what is best for you to do. There is almost a never a “right” answer when it comes to questions about the subjective aspects of the admission process. You have, in essence, three choices:  write about your ADHD as the subject matter for your common application essay, mention it in the “tell us anything else” section,  or simply leave out any mention of it altogether.

It is clear from your comments that your ADHD has had a dramatic effect on your life. It is also clear that you are self-conscious about it.  I can guarantee that almost no admissions officer would ever consciously categorize you as crazy or dumb.   As of 2014, over 6.4 million people under the age of 18 have been identified as ADHD. I have no doubt this number has gone up significantly since this number itself represented a 42% increase from over the previous 8 years.  In other words, you are anything but alone. There are students graduating each year from the most selective colleges and universities in the US who have been diagnosed with ADHD.  I can’t imagine a college or university that would hold your ADHD against you.

What I have just written does not mean, however, that you should definitely write about it, or even mention it. Why? The purpose of the admission essay is to give you an opportunity to write about something that will help you stand out among the group of students applying to a particular college. Will your disclosure help you in this way?  Initially, at least, it is not an advantage to choose this topic. Those who can write about a special talent (whether it be academic or outside the classroom) or a passion of some sort may stand out because of these qualities. ADHD, in and of itself, is something a lot of people have and writing about it will only help if you address it in ways that will permit the admission office get to know you better and, as a result, decide that you would be a good fit for their college. I am not sure given that I know so little about your particular circumstances that I could predict that having ADHD would help you to persuade a selective college that you are good fit. On the other hand, if you write about your condition in ways that demonstrate your ability to write, think well, and to tell your story in a way that shows you have overcome this obstacle in ways that have shaped you into the person you are today, then you should give this topic serious consideration.

If you have committed to writing about your ADHD you then need to consider the how now that you have chosen the what for your essay. There are 3 of the 7 prompts on the common application that I think would all provide you with a way of shaping your essay in ways that could help you both underscore the condition you have and how it has altered your life.

The prompts are self-explanatory and the last one permits you complete freedom so there really isn’t much pressure to write an essay that  “answers” the prompt correctly. Nevertheless, my initial advice is to think about brainstorming how you might make your essay take the form of a plot that has been around for a couple of thousand years: Felix Culpa is what the Romans called it. It translates as a “fortunate fall” ; in Christian terms, the term describes how the fall of Adam and Eve ultimately gave rise to the world we are in thanks to the intercession of the Savior. I am not advocating that you imitate characters in the biblical narrative; instead, I am encouraging you to address your condition as the beginning of a journey that was both difficult and ultimately redemptive or rewarding. Leave out all the religious overtones and keep your focus on the details of your story. The old cliché --show don’t tell-- that all essay guides include is fine as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go far enough.  Once you have shown us, in concrete detail, the effects of ADHD  in your life  you need to tell us about its overall significance when it comes to your character and personality in the present.

Usually the drastic present tense is called for at the beginning  and you should try to use a “hook” to capture the attention of the reader (for example. It was the third time this week I was sent home early…), but I can’t get any more specific, since once again, I don’t know enough about your particular situation, it is you who have to look within and find the best way to describe your experiences and your thoughts. Try to write in a way that will make your opening appeal to the sense, draw us in with something that demonstrates the way ADHD directly altered the way you acted in the world.

Remember that you are one of untold thousands who have had something in life—be it genetic, experiential, or through pure bad luck, that has had to be lived through and in some cases overcome. There is no scale of suffering to measure what each of us has been through in our lives but some of us have had to deal with nearly insurmountable obstacles and some of us have had some mildly rough patches on a fairly smooth road. The essay that focuses on overcoming things is not a contest. It’s not about earning a trophy for suffering. I know that sounds harsh and cynical but it is not meant to be.

Currently, there is a resurgence of interest in the philosophical school called Stoicism. Books,  TEDx talks, and blogs abound. I mention this as there is an increasing interest in having people surmount their situation, not by claiming victimhood, but by showing grit. 

This is of course a huge generalization and is also a bit of wishful thinking on my part, but nevertheless I do think an essay that underscores strength in the face of adversity is more persuasive than claiming special status because the fates have not been kind. “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, They kill us for their sport.” Is how Shakespeare describes the harsh realities of life in King Lear. But even if life is tragic (we all die in the end), it does not mean we have to let this crush our spirit. The Stoic Seneca put it well: “It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.” 

You do not, however have to be Shakespeare or Seneca or anyone else in order to write a good essay on your topic. What you have to do is to shape your experience into words. You don’t have all that many  words to use in the Common Ap essay-650, but there are more than enough to have room for  you to make us understand you far better than a set of numbers. A set of details and some sentences that demonstrate the power of your mind and spirit can  let a committee find a spot for you  in the incoming class.

Common Application Prompts:

1.     Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2.     The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3.     Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written,  one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

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But I am not quite done.

Since I do no know anything about your writing skills I will also suggest an alternative to writing a response to the common application prompts. There is, in addition to the prompts, another way you can address your ADHD in writing:

Please provide an answer below if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application. You may enter up to 650 words.

If you think it would be better to explain your ADHD in a much more factually based response—then you should consider using this place to address your circumstances. You should not try to be overly creative here. Instead, you want to provide a series of facts. For example, if your ADHD affected your grades significantly but have since improved this is something you want to underscore. By using this space you also give yourself the chance to write on something else for the essay prompts and, generally speaking, being able to add more than broad brushstrokes to your application profile is usually going to help you at least  bit or, I some cases, a lot.

Finally I am going to include an admission essay written by a student who has ADHD. Initially, he was very reticent to talk about it, let alone write about it on his college applications. But after we talked about it over several weeks he decided to write about it. It is, to me, a wonderful essay and what is perhaps the most important thing is that this essay helped him open up to others about his ADHD and to feel more comfortable with himself. He go into a wonderful school and he seems more confident and happy than ever.

I wish you the best of luck with the admission process and with your educational journey.

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"There are two of me, you see.” Some people might respond with, “Only two? There are thousands of you!” That may be true, but for me, they add up to two. Multifaceted, but not quite a diamond. I’m not a Jekyll and Hyde character either.

Unbound or chaotic, my inner child sometimes steals the spotlight. This is the me from early childhood. He sometimes “acts up” and takes things less seriously. However, I don’t act up much anymore; instead, I channel my energy into acting. I’ve taken Drama throughout high school, I’m in an improvisation and comedy class, and recently I’ve joined the Student Run Shakespeare Group. In October I went with my drama class to the VTA (Virginia Theater Association) Convention, where I performed a monologue. Successfully completing that monologue in front of eighteen judges was a huge confidence booster for me.

While my inner child is more fun and casual, he occasionally has a concentration problem. He might ask, “Is that really so bad?” and my other side would reply, “Yes. Yes it is.” The other me is rational, ordered, and a bit passive. Although he thinks things through, he’s not a risk taker. He likes to do things with his fingers, like origami, sculpting, and playing guitar. When he plays guitar, he enjoys fingerpicking more than chords. Fingerpicking tests dexterity. One needs the strength to pluck the strings in a continuous, rapid sequence; while I have the strength, I’m still improving my control so that my technique won’t falter.

If one side of me is the fingerpicker, the other side of me is the actor. The actor in me could also be called the “ADHD me,” while the fingerpicker could be called the “Asperger’s me.” As a child, I was +diagnosed with Asperger’s and ADHD. Both of them manifest, in some way, in each of the two me’s. The first me has more traits of ADHD, because he’s more passionate, energetic, and outgoing. He’s also willing to try new things, such as scuba diving, monologues, and escargot. The second me exhibits more traits of Asperger’s. He’s more empathetic and more focused on his hobbies and interests.

Dichotomy aside, there is one thing that both sides can agree on: my love for fencing. While it doesn’t require as much physical strength or bulk as football, fencing does require balance and dexterity, much like dancing. It also lets me set concrete goals. The point of the match is to score the most touches. While the ends are points (pun intended), the means are people; whether I defeat a rival or score a single touch against a veteran fencer, I’ll know that I’ve improved. Everyone develops a style, also like a dancer, and many earn a ranking.

My coaches encourage me to fence patiently and defensively, waiting for a chance to exploit any weakness in my opponent. When I fence like this, as my second side might prefer, I end up attacking without conviction, and aggressive actions like fléches (fléche” means arrow, and like an arrow, the fencer launches toward the opponent blade-first) take me by surprise. When I fence more aggressively, I try to take my opponent by surprise, and I react quicker to fléches. However, when I’m reckless and lose a bout, it’s often my first side’s fault for being too aggressive or getting too close.

I’ve now realized that if I learn to combine my strategies for fencing, I could fence offensively defensive, or defensively offensive. Oxymorons, yes, but they work. And if combining strategies works for fencing, it could certainly apply to my two selves. I could be daringly prudent, reclusively outgoing, and theatrically sincere.