Jan 25
Today Tracy talks to our youngest group member, Sophia Criscione. Tracy was so impressed with a post that Sophia created in our Facebook Group, ADHD for Smart A** Women about how to navigate the college admissions process when you have ADHD, that she just had to have Sophia on her podcast. Sophia is 18 and has just completed her senior year in high school. Having just gone through the whole process of applying to colleges, she wanted to help other bright ADHD kids who are stressed about the whole college application process.
Sophia was diagnosed at the end of her freshman year and shares with us how her diagnosis came about. She is a definite smart ass. So smart, that among her many very high AP scores is a 5 in a history class that she taught herself. No matter how frustrating some of her symptoms might be, Sophia will tell you why she views her ADHD as a biochemical gift. Find out: why Sophia wishes she would have started taking the SAT early in her junior year the benefits of doing every single in-person interview that you can the pros and cons of disclosing your ADHD in your application how Sophia mentioned her ADHD traits without specifically disclosing her ADHD why and how you should use the additional information section on the common application what kinds of teacher recommendations were most helpful to Sophia’s admissions chances how Sophia managed the application deadlines why you should apply to as many colleges as possible who should consider test optional schools Sophia then shares advice on parenting teenagers with ADHD and her number one ADHD workaround.
APPLE
SPOTIFY
YOUTUBE
"I feel like it made a lot of sense when I sat down and thought about it and researched it."
- Sophia Criscione
"I highlighted the personality traits that I attribute to my ADHD that are positive without directly saying that I had ADHD."
- Sophia Criscione
"I think that parents should do their try their best to understand what it's like to have ADHD and make sure that they don't play into the stereotype of people with ADHD."
- Sophia Criscione
- Sophia first realized she was different in second grade, when her teacher noticed she could speak the Queen's English during reading but struggle with recall later.
- Sophia and Tracy discuss how their undiagnosed ADHD impacted their academic performance, with Tracy struggling in high school despite straight A's in elementary school, and Sophia excelling in foreign language classes but struggling with organization and planning skills due to undiagnosed ADHD.
- Sophia recommends taking the LSAT in June of senior year to avoid last-minute stress and potentially improve scores with Super scoring.
[16:12 - 28:45] ADHD, College Applications, and Accommodations
- Sophia shares her experience with the LSAT and how she taught herself how to take it through self-study and critical thinking.
- Sophia discussed her experiences with interviews and recommendations from teachers for college applications, highlighting her struggles with math and science despite academic strengths in the humanities.
- Sophia shares her experience with ADHD and the challenges of seeking accommodations in college.
[28:45 - 40:40] College Admissions, ADHD, and Test-Optional Schools
- Sophia shared her experience with the admissions officer at Binghamton University, who revealed that the school's ranking is prioritized over the students' needs.
- Sophia advised parents of ADHD children to understand and support their strengths, rather than focusing on their weaknesses.
- Sophia shares her experience with ADHD and how she has found success by focusing on her strengths and passions, such as traveling and learning about different cultures.
