How can my illness affect my chance of admission Answered
My name is Robert, and I am a junior in high school. Since my 8th grade year, I have been suffering from migraines that have caused me to miss many extracurricular activities. Early this year, I transferred to homeschool because the migraines had gotten to the point where it was difficult for me to get up in the morning. I have good grades (around a 3.6-3.8 gpa) and great test scores (1570 sat). However, due to my migraines, I barely have any extracurriculars. Will colleges take into account my Illness when considering me for their college? What can I do to make-up for my lack of extracurriculars?
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3 answers
Hi @RobertD
Thanks for sharing your story. I don't think you have anything to worry about. This kind of situation is the exact reason the Common App created the additional information section of the application. It is a separate area where you can in your own words describe your health condition and how you are doing your best to be a good high school student in spite of these migraines.
I think your 1570 SAT scores will show college admissions officers that you are well prepared to take on the rigors of college work.
One thing I would suggest you do to add to your course rigor is to enroll in some self-paced college courses like the ones offered by Outlier.org. These are reasonable, and almost cheap but they are excellent core curriculum college courses taught by highly respected college professors from about 10 elite universities. Since they are all self-paced, you can start and stop whenever you want and that will work well with your migraine problem because you never know when you are going to get one. Also, the tests like the quizzes, midterm and final are not fixed dates either. So they give you a 48-hour window to complete the exams which will also lend itself to your needs. These courses give college credits that are fully transferable and just as valuable as getting a 5 in your AP class. I'm suggesting this because these don't have the same in-class course demands and you can do them when you feel like it.
Although these are not extracurriculars, they are evidence of something called intellectual vitality and curiosity which are actual factors and metrics used by Harvard and Stanford, Dartmouth, and other schools.
Also, can you do some kind of individualized sport that you can work on when you feel like it such as running, biking, skiing, fencing, etc etc . I think picking something that you can maintain your health will be good for your well-being and help regulate your stress levels.
Good luck.
Hi @RobertD!
It's hard to deal with school and extracurriculars when you're dealing with such a medical condition, and colleges will consider that while evaluating your application. Just describe your problem, and you should be fine.
Your grades and test score show that you possess the ability to be successful despite unfavorable circumstances. A letter of recommendation would be helpful (doesn't necessarily have to be from a teacher). If you can't get one, no worries.
Hope this helps!
Hi Robert, how you? I writing because i´m new in this page but I know the answer for your question. Yes, the colleges take your situation in count but you should show more experiences in your life and activities that you did in your past and currently, this do that que colleges will know your effort and the opportunities that you ´´ve taken while you was ill. Sincerely Vicky Fagre Tucumán, Argentina.
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