<p>i have a genetic disease called osteochondromatosis which hinders my walking. i’ve had one surgery (a few weeks before summer break in freshman year) and have been sent to the emergency room twice following my surgery -once during PE, and once just at home - (leg froze after my sleep and couldn’t get up from bed). i may have another surgery this upcoming may because they found another extra cartilage in my left knee.</p>
<p>would this be deemed a hook? the reason i ask is because there are people with far more devastating diseases or maladies and i’m not sure whether mine would even be considered serious enough to be a ‘hook’. should i bother mentioning it in my application?</p>
<p>thanks in advance</p>
<p>I read somewhere on these forums that some girl didn’t get into an elite school because of her diabetes. I’m not completely sure though.</p>
<p>I guess if you wrote your essays on how you overcame this obstacle, and your ECs dealt with helping others in the same situation as you, then it could be a hook? Otherwise, I’m not sure.</p>
<p>Good luck, and I hope your surgery is successful!</p>
<p>Ditto Eddie. I think it will only be a hook if you can talk about how you overcame this obstacle and learned from it.</p>
<p>If you just complain about your disease, it will definitely kick you out…</p>
<p>describe how you overcame it…</p>
<p>i wrote one sentence in my why cornell essay that I have diabetes. However, I clearly explained that this disease brought out my leadership qualities and made me conduct diabetes research during the summer. Am I screwed?</p>
<p>no… they will look positively upon it because it pushed you to do research, etc.</p>