Harvard Chance Me for Someone with Extenuating Circumstances

You will probably get into Conn College. They’ll be more than happy to take you based upon your stats, although I worry that they’ll hesitate because of your mental health issue, if it is revealed by your application.

Your stats are really not too bad, even with the academic hit you took from depression. You will get a geographical boost (South Carolina isn’t quite Wyoming, but it’s also not MA, NYC, CT, etc). If you reveal the depression, I am worried that admissions committees will be afraid that your mental health issues may interfere with your ability to perform in college; worse yet, they may be afraid that there is a risk of self-harm for which the college might be held responsible. So don’t reveal it, if there is any way to avoid it. If you cannot avoid revealing it, minimize it - although how you can minimize it when you’re on homebound schooling right now, I don’t know. But if you can manage to keep this out of your letters of reference, your guidance counselor’s cover letter, everything, do so.

Your being trans won’t give you an admissions boost. Theoretically, it should not harm your applications, either.

With all that is going on, have you considered whether staying close to home, or if you have close family near a potential school, choosing to go there, might not be a good idea? Starting college can be an uplifting new beginning for some who had mental health issues in high school - new friends, exciting new environment. But for many, the issues from high school years follow them, and the stress of crowded dorm life and separation from family support can exacerbate existing mental health issues. You don’t have to choose now, but at least make options close to home, and close to family in other parts of the country.

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