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Some students may wonder whether to disclose their neurodivergence in a college application essay.

Teens should consider why and how they want to discuss neurodivergence in their academic journeys.

Authentic college essays are uniquely personal, self-aware, and insightful.

In late summer, the college application season arrives, bringing with it a mix of excitement, anticipation, and no small amount of stress. For high school students, this is a time filled with big questions about the future. For parents, it often comes with worries about how to best support their child. The college application essay tends to generate the most anxiety. Students must choose from a variety of prompts and can write about anything. It’s an important part of the application process as the one place a student can speak directly to an admissions committee in their own voice. For many teenagers, deciding what to write about is the hardest step.

As a former college admissions consultant who has worked with hundreds of high school students, I was sometimes asked one tricky question:

Should I talk about my neurodivergence in my college application essay?

Should I talk about my neurodivergence in my college application essay?

It’s an understandable question. For some teens, navigating school........

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