Disclosing Disabilities in College Applications

Many families seek the guidance of Bright Horizons College Coach when deciding if and how to disclose disabilities in college applications. There are complex layers involved when considering disclosing a disability, so my colleague Vanessa Garrido and I collaborated to provide context that we hope will help students make informed decisions.  

Before exploring the nuances around disability disclosure, let's establish an understanding of disability prevalence and what qualifies as a disability. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 21% of undergraduate college students in the U.S. reported having a disability.  

Some families we work with struggle with the word “disability” and worry that it carries a stigma. Although we validate these concerns and want all students to feel empowered to decide how to define themselves, we also want to share that the word “disability” is important because with it comes the legal framework for protections based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

The ADA defines disabilities that qualify for support services in college as physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. Examples of qualifying diagnoses include: 

• Physical disabilities, such as mobility limitations, hearing and/or visual impairments, or limb differences 

• Learning differences, such as dyslexia or processing disorders 

• Autism and ADHD  

• Mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, OCD, or bipolar disorder 

• Chronic medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, food allergies, and diabetes  

• Short-term disabilities as students recover from complex injuries or illness 

It's important to note that students often have multiple disabilities, such as a student with dyslexia who also has generalized anxiety disorder and food allergies. 

For some students, their journey with a disability or disabilities is a critical dimension of their experiences and identity, and it’s central to their college applications. For others, their disability-related experiences are too recent or raw, and they don’t want to feel pressured to share them.  We validate all realities.  

As former admissions officers, one thing we want to emphasize is how important it is NOT to leave any unresolved questions in applications for admissions committees to wonder about. For example, a sudden dip in grades, a subject area of consistent difficulty, a missing subject area like world language, or frequent school changes, might raise questions during application review. Explaining circumstances like these can be an empowering opportunity for students to own their narrative and tell their story. 

When considering the impact of a disability, it can also help to think about how recent the diagnosis was and the status of any treatment or support. For example, if a diagnosis is very fresh and the student isn’t yet able to reflect on skills learned or outcomes, perhaps disclosing the disability won’t provide a clear enough picture for admissions officers to fully understand the experience. If a diagnosis was earlier in high school and lots of personal growth has taken place, it can be effective to disclose and showcase current success.  

If a student decides to disclose a disability or disabilities in their application, there are two ways this is often done: 

1. First, most application platforms offer an optional text box called Additional Information, where students can provide important context not explained elsewhere. Some students use this space to help admissions officers understand their academic and personal experiences in high school. Content in this space should be concise and matter-of-fact, and should not be approached as an additional essay. 

2. The second common way of disclosing is in the main application essay. This essay is typically written in response to a prompt about overcoming a challenge or sharing a part of one’s identity. For an essay like this, it’s important to primarily focus on the outcome: values, skills, and qualities that were developed and have become core to who the student is. This is not an essay meant to focus extensively on past experiences but, rather, it often includes a brief anecdote followed by a strengths-based reflection on outcomes (while acknowledging that growth is ongoing). As admissions officers, we always wanted to know a student’s authentic story to glean the perspective, strengths, and talents they’d bring to campus. 

Because decisions around disclosure are individualized, the final choice to disclose a disability is ultimately the student’s. If they do decide to disclose, we recommend discussing what and how to disclose with their high school counselor and any teachers who may write letters of recommendation. This will ensure a consistent message is shared that fits the student’s vision and comfort level.