By law, colleges are not allowed to ask personal questions of their applicants. On applications, in interviews, or other correspondences, admission officers must stay away from outright asking about your nationality, religion, age, marital or family status, health and physical disabilities, among a few other off-limits topics. A good interviewer can discover the information he needs by phrasing questions in such a way that is not illegal, intrusive or offensive to the applicant. For example, they cannot ask, “What is your native tongue?”, but they can ask, “What languages do you read, speak or write fluently?”
So a typical question from many of my clients is “Do I tell them that I have a learning disability?” The answer is not simple, because it depends. On the application, the college admissions representatives want to know basic information about a student and her family. It is usually the essay, personal statement, and/or the additional information section that asks for more information about a student’s character. My usual response to the question of disclosure is “no”, because colleges want to know what defines a student, or makes them unique, or how a student’s passions impact her life. Usually a passion has nothing to do with a student’s disabilities, but about her abilities and how well she uses them. In some cases though, a learning disability could define a student, because she has had to work harder to produce good grades, struggle more with academic materials, make harder choices about course loads, find ways to fit in extra-curricular activities between homework assignments that take longer than the average student, among other uphill battles. In some cases, the student has struggled for many years, and just recently found out she has a learning disability, and finally has an explanation for her years of struggle. So writing an essay or making a personal statement about being successful, despite a learning disability, could be the way to go.
Sometimes disclosure is a way to explain discrepancies in a transcript. If the student has good grades, but poor entrance exam scores, or vice versa, an admissions rep will want to know why. Explaining the discrepancy, before being asked, might be a responsible tactic. This is especially true, if the student never has a chance to have an admissions interview. This information may fit perfectly in the “Additional Information” section, saving the personal statement or essay for the passions, impacts, and unique experiences. The key element is to not make excuses for lesser grades or poorer scores, but to explain how the student compensates for one or the other in school.
Disclosure can sometimes explain a poor transcript, in general. Less desired grades and poor test scores should be explained. But again, explanations are preferred, rather than excuses. The student needs to leave the admissions rep with the impression that the student is a worthwhile candidate for their college. Perhaps the student perseveres despite obstacles, has learned how to process constructive criticism, and now knows when to ask for help.
If the student has the opportunity to have an interview, prior to applying to the college, she may want to talk about her learning disability and how it has impacted her academic success or her personality. Then the admissions representative can be more impressed by the application package. If the student interviews after an application has been submitted, the student can use this time to further explain discrepancies, or impress the rep with her successes despite her many obstacles.
Often disclosure is not necessary at all, during the application process. However, upon acceptance and the decision to attend a particular college, the student must disclose the disability to Disability Support Services in order to obtain needed accommodations. Read my blog from September 2010, at www.ruthbrodskyconsulting.com, to understand that process better.
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