Application Essay Content
I'm starting to work on my application essays, and I would like to discuss my ADHD and Autism diagnoses in one of them.(not as the main point.)
I've heard that this isn't a great topic to talk about in an essay, but I feel like it's such and integral part of who I am that I don't want to leave it out entirely. I plan on talking about how it helped me realize that being different isn't a bad thing, and how it ultimately helped me grow in my life.
Is that something better left out? Or is it okay to discuss in my essay?
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2 answers
I think it would depend on how you approached it. Talking about how you had to accept that you are different and realizing that being different isn't entirely a bad thing would make it better. Could you talk about how you are overcoming the disabilities? How DID having autism and ADHD help you grow.
Good luck with your essay!!!
Hi, thank you for asking your question. Discussing a medical diagnosis can definitely make for an interesting application essay response! Essays about diagnoses can be cliche if they remain superficial. What I mean about that is often students will focus on their diagnosis story and less about the impact it had on their life, leaving admissions officers without a clear idea of the obstacles that the student has overcome and how they have grown. If your diagnosis is an integral and continuing part of your life then definitely write about it. Just make sure to include a part of your story that makes this unique to you.
I address more about cliche essay topics in this livestream here: https://www.collegevine.com/livestreams/493/how-to-write-the-2020-21-common-app-essay
Additionally, this blog post may help you as well: https://blog.collegevine.com/cliche-college-essay-topics/
Best of luck!
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