Aspergers in College Essay

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Right now I am applying to transfer to the University of Colorado. My problem is that my GPA isn't particularly high (around 2.2), and it is extremely important for me to get into this particular school. Before I write my essay, I want to know what you all think about brushing on the subject of Aspergers in it. I don't plan to apply for nor do I need some kind of disabled status; the only reason I would bring it up would be to sort of counterbalance or explain the low GPA. Various anxieties and organizational problems stemming from AS are of course partly to blame, but the situation itself I found myself in last year (living alone for first time, working full time graveyard shifts, completely unsure of what exactly it was I wanted to do) might do a better job of painting the picture on it's own, I don't know!

Why do you want to go to the University of Colorado so badly? Just curious. And as far as bringing it up, I did that with a school I wanted to transfer to and they didn't even process my application---they sent it to the disabilities office and I had to provide paperwork before they would do anything. I decided that if I didn't need accommodations during school, I should just get my GPA up and transfer like a normal student--you know, to prove a point and all. And that is what I am doing. But every school is different, and the University of Colorado might not be as ridiculous. And actually, you're writing an essay, so they probably wouldn't do anything like that, anyway, and it might give you an edge up on the competition if you will. I dunno, man, it's your call.

It's a long story about the transfer, but anyway, I think I'm not going to mention AS; no one seems to think It'd help, anyway. Thanks for your advice.

The only reason to mention it, is if you just started seeking treatment. Schools seem more lenient about people who are trying to change. That and some BS about how the treatment seems to be helping, blah, blah....

if you're going to write about AS (well it doesnt seem likely now, apparently) you have to write about how you've overcome it, you can't use it as an excuse.

i've used my AS in my personal statement and i've written about how it affected me but i wrote about how i've gotten over it over the course of my highschool education.. and i've been able to impress a college admissions.. counselor with it so far.

But things like this CAN be used as excuses for past poor behavior, as long as you give them an argument and some empirical evidence that you've changed.

oh heck what can i say,

my aspergers for me has vastly improved as i have got older. when i was younger i was too accustomed to routines and i was very difficult as a child, not being able to understand others and why certain social laws are the way they are. but now as i have got older i have calmed down almost to the point that peolple think that i am "normal".

however my mum uses it for lots of excuses that i feel rather uncomfortable with, from making customer anouncements in Marks and Spencers to letting me drop a subject in school.

of corse if you considered writing about it in your essay you abviously dont have a problem with letting other people know, but learning from my own experiences i often think of my aspergers as something exlusive that suprises people, rather than using it as an reason. i dont like to sound full of it but i realised that saying "look arent i great - oh by the way i have aspergers" works better in some situations.

i dont know, see what works for you, im sure that there will be a lot of angry people who would want to reply to this

steff xxx

I mentioned my aspergers in my college admissions essays. I got scholarships to 5 of the 8 schools I applied to. That's just my experience, mentioning it might help you distinguish yourself. Colleges like difference.