Personal Statement: ADHD, pretentiousness, self-consciousness etc.

SplashofScience
Wed, 31 Jul 2013 16:49:52 +0000

I’m going to come at you from a couple different perspectives here. 1) I’m a Cal alum, 2) I’ve met plenty of transfer students back in my day, so I understand where a lot of you are coming from, 3) I run a college counseling business now.

You’re articulate. You can write, and I’m sure you could do well in school if you actually worked at it. Your statement is genuine and concedes your past shortcomings in an agreeable way. There’s the obvious issue with the risky ADHD blame-game going on, but some readers will understand.

The bigger issue is that your expectations (to get into UCB) and your academic record are not in line. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s not realistic to expect leniency when almost every community-college transfer has been in your shoes at some point. Why reward you with admissions when so many others have emerged triumphant over their past mistakes/decisions/circumstances? What makes you special? What makes you deserve another handout? Talk is one thing - results are another.

There are a lot of individuals like you - intrinsically talented, well-pampered, but so poorly motivated that they underperform compared to less-enabled peers. I’ve been in your shoes at various points in my life, and I’ve worked with students like yourself back when I was a teacher. I understand the position that you’re in.

The best advice I can give you is to finish community college, get out of school for a while, and go tough it out on your own. Don’t rely on your family’s support and don’t lean on dreams of redemption in higher education. What you need is to work, to be frustrated, to be dissatisfied, and to dream and yearn so violently that you will actually man up and accomplish something on your own accord.

I have some ‘lifestyle’ articles on my blog that can help you get started in thinking about changing your habits and attitude - [The App Style - A College Application Guide](http://theappstyle.com/) . There are also two books I would recommend for you - The Happiness Hypothesis, by Jonathan Haidt, and The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg.

It’s not going to be easy. As you get older, prepare to have more expectations unmet and more dreams unfurled. You’ll realize at some point that it’s the day-to-day that matters. Every day needs to be a victory of sorts - over past mistakes, over new resolutions. The only person watching will be yourself.

Good luck with your endeavors. I hope you find your light at the end of the tunnel.