How to Deal with ADHD in College
Pick out supportive colleges., Disclose your ADHD on applications., Focus on your strengths., Consider starting at community college., Take a gap year to strengthen your file.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pick out supportive colleges.
As a student with ADHD, you’ll face a lot of challenges in college.
Think about these challenges and how you can best manage them before you’ve gotten there, when you’re first applying to schools.
Research and look for colleges that have resources and offer a supportive environment.Think about things like class size, workload, the academic calendar, and available support services.
What are your needs? Will you do better with smaller classes, for example? Try writing these things out in a list.
Start to do research.
Try setting up an appointment with your school guidance counselor and asking about ADHD-friendly colleges, for one.
You might also search national ADHD organization websites for suggestions or google “ADHD-friendly colleges.” Many schools have special programs, like the University of Arizona or Augsburg College.
Others like Beacon College in Florida and Landmark College in Vermont are dedicated to students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities. -
Step 2: Disclose your ADHD on applications.
Be strategic when you put together your college applications.
For one thing, it may be a good idea to be upfront about your disability.
Students with ADHD in high school can struggle, which gets reflected in your transcript.
Disclosing your disability will help the college understand your situation.Applications usually leave a blank space for explaining poor grades, absences, or other issues.
You can use this to disclose your ADHD, e.g. “As you can see, my grades increased a lot between 2014 and 2016, after I was first diagnosed with ADHD.” You might alternatively write a longer letter or even mention your struggles in your admissions essay.
Focus on how you overcame your academic troubles and improved, once your ADHD was diagnosed and brought under control.
Explain your accommodations in high school, too.
For example, say if you had a waiver for things like language classes — colleges might see gaps in your transcripts and misinterpret them. , You definitely have academic strengths if you’re applying for college.
Still, there are probably some subjects that you don’t do as well in, like math or foreign languages.
Keep in mind that you may need to compensate in your strengths to make up for these weaknesses.
Doing so will improve your chance of acceptance.Look honestly at your grades from high school.
Are there any big holes? Did you fail a math class, for instance, or get poor grades in science? Now consider your strengths, like your top marks in English and history.
Find ways to make your strengths stand out even more.
For example, think about taking Advanced Placement courses in your best subjects.
If your strength is art or music, put together a strong portfolio of your work. , It's very common to spend a year or two at community college before transferring to a four-year school.
Not only is this often a money-saver, it can also give you an opportunity to prove yourself in subjects you may have struggled with in high school.
Consider going to community college for a year or two, taking classes that will allow you to get some of the core requirements of a four-year college out of the way.
Taking your time like this can really help you fully concentrate on subjects and raise your grades high enough to get into the college of your choice.
This can be especially helpful if you're not sure what you want to study.
Instead of spending a few (expensive) years at a four-year school trying to figure out your major, you can take time to grow and figure out what you want to do, as well as your strengths and challenges as a student., Another way to be more competitive for college is to get some life experience.
If you’re able, a gap year of working, traveling, or volunteering can do this.
College admissions often favor students who have non-academic as well as academic skills and can bring different perspectives.Young people often use gap years to travel abroad.
This time can help you get a better sense of what your strengths and passions are, how you want to use your skills, and what you’d like to study in college.
You can also gain valuable exposure to other cultures and languages.
You might also consider spending a gap year serving the community with a volunteer organization, like Americorps, Habitat for Humanity, or the Peace Corps. -
Step 3: Focus on your strengths.
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Step 4: Consider starting at community college.
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Step 5: Take a gap year to strengthen your file.
Detailed Guide
As a student with ADHD, you’ll face a lot of challenges in college.
Think about these challenges and how you can best manage them before you’ve gotten there, when you’re first applying to schools.
Research and look for colleges that have resources and offer a supportive environment.Think about things like class size, workload, the academic calendar, and available support services.
What are your needs? Will you do better with smaller classes, for example? Try writing these things out in a list.
Start to do research.
Try setting up an appointment with your school guidance counselor and asking about ADHD-friendly colleges, for one.
You might also search national ADHD organization websites for suggestions or google “ADHD-friendly colleges.” Many schools have special programs, like the University of Arizona or Augsburg College.
Others like Beacon College in Florida and Landmark College in Vermont are dedicated to students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.
Be strategic when you put together your college applications.
For one thing, it may be a good idea to be upfront about your disability.
Students with ADHD in high school can struggle, which gets reflected in your transcript.
Disclosing your disability will help the college understand your situation.Applications usually leave a blank space for explaining poor grades, absences, or other issues.
You can use this to disclose your ADHD, e.g. “As you can see, my grades increased a lot between 2014 and 2016, after I was first diagnosed with ADHD.” You might alternatively write a longer letter or even mention your struggles in your admissions essay.
Focus on how you overcame your academic troubles and improved, once your ADHD was diagnosed and brought under control.
Explain your accommodations in high school, too.
For example, say if you had a waiver for things like language classes — colleges might see gaps in your transcripts and misinterpret them. , You definitely have academic strengths if you’re applying for college.
Still, there are probably some subjects that you don’t do as well in, like math or foreign languages.
Keep in mind that you may need to compensate in your strengths to make up for these weaknesses.
Doing so will improve your chance of acceptance.Look honestly at your grades from high school.
Are there any big holes? Did you fail a math class, for instance, or get poor grades in science? Now consider your strengths, like your top marks in English and history.
Find ways to make your strengths stand out even more.
For example, think about taking Advanced Placement courses in your best subjects.
If your strength is art or music, put together a strong portfolio of your work. , It's very common to spend a year or two at community college before transferring to a four-year school.
Not only is this often a money-saver, it can also give you an opportunity to prove yourself in subjects you may have struggled with in high school.
Consider going to community college for a year or two, taking classes that will allow you to get some of the core requirements of a four-year college out of the way.
Taking your time like this can really help you fully concentrate on subjects and raise your grades high enough to get into the college of your choice.
This can be especially helpful if you're not sure what you want to study.
Instead of spending a few (expensive) years at a four-year school trying to figure out your major, you can take time to grow and figure out what you want to do, as well as your strengths and challenges as a student., Another way to be more competitive for college is to get some life experience.
If you’re able, a gap year of working, traveling, or volunteering can do this.
College admissions often favor students who have non-academic as well as academic skills and can bring different perspectives.Young people often use gap years to travel abroad.
This time can help you get a better sense of what your strengths and passions are, how you want to use your skills, and what you’d like to study in college.
You can also gain valuable exposure to other cultures and languages.
You might also consider spending a gap year serving the community with a volunteer organization, like Americorps, Habitat for Humanity, or the Peace Corps.
About the Author
Adam Richardson
Adam Richardson has dedicated 4 years to mastering science and research. As a content creator, Adam focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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