<p>“To fuel up the discussion, since we are not talking about someone that will cause consequences or will be a burden to a school, but instead can spice up an awesome application, should I still opt not to mention my illness at all?”</p>
<p>Unfortunately, bipolar and schizophrenia are chronic diseases, which also can flare up during times of stress and transition, such as when one is a college freshman, which is a time of great stress and transition for anyone.</p>
<p>Please talk to your mental health professionals about where it would be best for you to go to college, keeping in mind that it would be very important to be near professionals who are experienced in treating your diseases, which means being able to rely on more than college counseling centers, which tend to be excellent for short term problems, but not great places to get help for chronic, serious conditions like yours. My perspective comes from having been a clinical psychologist (I don’t practice now), having worked as a therapist in a college counseling center, and having friends who have illnesses such as being bipolar.</p>
<p>You do have a lot to be proud of in terms of how you’ve done so well despite having serious illnesses. I know other people with similar conditions who’ve excelled in high school, and have done well in college. They have, though, worked closely with their mental health professionals in terms of finding a college that would meet their needs. This has included going to colleges that were within a few hours drive of home so that if needed, they could see their regular mental health practitioners.</p>
<p>While you’ve done remarkably well, I continue to think that your writing about your mental health conditions will reduce your chances of admission to places such as private colleges. Since public universities basically use stats and state of residency as admission factors, I doubt if you’re describing your challenges and how you’ve overcome them will make any difference to your admission.</p>