Preparing Your College Application With ADHD

Completing the college application is a daunting task to say the least. There are so many spinning plates and at times it can feel incredibly overwhelming. Then you add in the ADHD element, and all of a sudden the plates are spinning, and 3 of them have fallen while you were focused on the wrong plate. 

I speak from experience as I myself went through the process without being formally diagnosed until the age of 28. 

Personally, the diagnosis allowed me to understand my mind better, I would say that I am on the higher functioning spectrum - however, being aware of what was happening allowed me to take great steps in moving forward positively. 

Avoid Making Huge To-Do-Lists

I once read that writing down a problem that you had and clearly defining it meant that you were halfway to solving the problem. Well I took this advice and I ran with it...

I used to make lists as though my life depended on it. I would buy the small yellow legal pads and burn through them like there was no tomorrow. I would have lists of all the lists I had to make, somehow making me feel more organized and that I would accomplish all of my tasks simply by writing them down. 

Now it doesn't take someone clairvoyant to foresee that I rarely completed all of the tasks on my lists. I would say that I almost never completed more than one task on the list. I would even look at the list, read it, and then go back to NOT completing the task on the list as though I had never read it. 

This was because the lists were too big, they weren't measurable goals, just vague descriptions of things I could do. 

Give Yourself Small Daily Goals

One thing that has helped me greatly is owning a sort of to-do-list journal. It asks me questions and gives me prompts and makes me list 3 things that I have to do. Just three. 

I think that's where the success lies, don't get bogged down in completing every task ever, every day. Pick 3 tasks each day and complete them, that way, we are slowly moving toward the end goal. I have found this to be a revelation, because I'm not overwhelmed by trying to build Rome in 30 minutes to the point where my brain moves onto another task. 

Make The Goals Easy To Complete

Another issue that I would face is that when I was completing a task, I would diverge suddenly into another task as it appeared before me. This was difficult to overcome because I wouldn't even notice it until I was already knee deep in the new task. 

To overcome this, I try to make my tasks very direct and measurable. Make the to-do-lists so obvious that you'll complete the task and so when you move onto something else it won't matter, you already achieved what you set out to do so anything extra is a bonus. 

One thing that research has shown is that the brain loves completing tasks, if you give yourself tasks that are simple and measurable with an end goal, you are more likely to complete them. Then completing many of these small tasks adds up to some pretty impressive achievements. 

Give Yourself Time; Start Early

One of the most important things to remember is that starting early is important. Students who start early have the most well rounded applications. The reason being, they had time to work on it and improve. Take the summer before senior year to complete a summer project. Pick something you enjoy, and try to go out of your way to learn something from someone outside of your usual circle. You'll find real growth in that. 

The main takeaways for students and parents who are living with ADHD or ADD is that completing the application takes many of these micro-tasks. They are all important, and giving yourself the time to complete them is important to your success. 

Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions regarding the application process. You can also get access to our free College Application Timeline by subscribing to our newsletter.