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ADHDThrowaway123
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Joined: 23 May 2014
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Schools: Cornell Tech"19
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Disclosing ADHD 23 May 2014, 22:35
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Hi All,

I know it has been discussed before, but I wanted to ask: Is disclosing ADHD in an application to a top b-school to help explain a low GPA frowned upon? Please keep these caveats in mind:

- ADHD was officially diagnosed after undergrad
- Once I suspected that I had ADHD and implemented ADHD management tools during undergrad there was a massive upward trend in grades
- Upon official diagnosis, grades (law school) improved and career trajectory took off
- Started own business w/great success
- Brother and sister both had ADHD
- My profile before and after ADHD diagnosis is figuratively night and day

I appreciate your thoughts.

Cheers!
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mgg234
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Disclosing ADHD 24 May 2014, 09:09
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ADHD is less and less accepted as a real disease every day, so it's risky. I was diagnosed with ADHD in high school, but I was never medicated. As I got older, the "symptoms" went away - I think its becoming more commonly accepted the ADHD label pathologizes normal teenager/young adult behavior...it's unnatural to sit in a classroom for hours upon hours and study subjects you don't care about. Everyone does better academically if they are given ridilin/adderral - which is why its abused so much - so I don't know if that would necessarily re-assure adcoms

It can explain grade differences so you can probably use it, and perhaps I'm just leaking my own biases, but I think there's a high chance at least a few of the adcoms will have the same opinions as me.
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farful
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Disclosing ADHD 24 May 2014, 11:06
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I don't know about bschools, but in general there is an extremely strong prejudice against mental illness in this country. I would try to find another way to explain your undergraduate grades, if possible. In my mind, "immaturity" is a generally a better explanation. (but i'm no expert)
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ADHDThrowaway123
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Disclosing ADHD 24 May 2014, 13:06
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Thank you for your responses. I used to think ADHD was a farce because my little brother was diagnosed at a young age and my parents blamed all of his problems of ADHD. Naturally, I felt like this was BS. Now that I am older and have seen the affect that ADHD has had on my life, I understand a bit better.

Although I believe that ADHD was the cause of my academic troubles, I may be better served using an easy fallback excuse--I was a member of two highly competitive D1 sports teams (Track and field all 4 years (partial scholarship for all years accept the one that I played football) and Football 1.5 years). Is that a better plan?
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mgg234
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Disclosing ADHD 24 May 2014, 13:08
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D1 sports, plus improved grades as you went through school is a MUCH better story than popping deferral.