GPA Addendum ADHD

gsantoro2003

I'm wondering if I should write a GPA Addendum relating to ADHD. I'm currently undecided, as I've read many conflicting opinions online (some saying it could hurt my application.) Here is my story:

So, I was diagnosed with ADHD in middle school and took medication up until the end of high school. I stopped because despite trying several alternative medications and dosages, the side effects of weight loss and anxiety were far harsher than the medications' benefits. Throughout most of college, I felt not taking the medicine was more beneficial for my mental and physical well-being at the expense of the disability impeding on my academic performance and being unrepresentative of my intelligence. This past summer (2024), I spoke with my psychiatrist and started taking a new medication that alleviates the symptoms of ADHD and doesn't have any nasty side effects. Currently, I am performing at the top of most of my classes but my worry is that this is meaningless because the proof isn't on my transcript. My CAS GPA is a 3.04.

So do I write it? Let me know if y'all have any questions.

emilee219

Knowing how hard ADHD is and how much it can affect your overall gpa and your transcripts I think it would definitely be wise to let potential schools know "yeah I have a learning disability but I didnt let that stop me and this is what I've done about it" your addendum CANT just be a GPA excuse. It needs to be a cause and effect (what happened and why it made things go askew)---and a conclusion (how you have learned and grown from this experience, and how YOU are ready to take on law school because you have proven before, you can overcome challenges!) .

An addendum can hurt you as much as it can help you so be very careful and good luck!

Thegnomes

I can tell you about my personal experience with this situation and maybe it will help you decide.

DISCLAIMER: Excuse me if I am not being politically correct when I express myself at times. Hopefully it doesn't come off like rude or judgmental.

I have ADHD and I am medicated. I was on antidepressants that make it super difficult to concentrate/remember things as well. Combo only led to my eating disorder problems. Severe weight loss and such so I stopped the anti and continued to take my ADHD meds only a few times a week. Obviously it's different for everyone. I never took meds during my college years and still managed. However, if you were/are medicated or if you chose to not take medication despite being offered before, it might actually hurt you more than help.

For one, if you are medicated there is a chance a it will hurt you more than help. If you were medicated and YOU decided to stop, that can also hurt you more than help. Once you are on medication you are considered more "stable." Accommodations for LSAT can be denied if you are on medication, I learned this from personal experience.

The good thing is that you can potentially write a killer addendum and personal statement to express the difficulties if any. For example, I had an eating disorder among other things that caused my GPA to go down, however by the end of my schooling I graduated magna cum laude. Shows progression and improvement and discussing how I over came some of the issues and showing what I did to improve. Also why medication was not always best considering the eating disorder etc.

Not saying it will work but just don't make it sound like an excuse because then it opens up the "Well why didn't they go to their doctor to switch meds sooner instead of just deciding to quit?" Maybe do a deep dive on what made you stop instead of switching sooner. More detail on how it affected you in other ways. etc.

Just my thought. Also, take it with a grain of salt. Don't go on reddit. It's full of people who will only cause more paranoia. At the end of the day you are being compared to many other people with similar conditions who again, at the end of the day, have excelled without using it as a crutch.