Letter of Recommendation

Ask early – Don’t wait to request your letter of recommendation! Ask early, so that your contact has enough time to write and return the letter. Your letter of recommendation must be received by the deadline, together with the rest of your application. Partial applications will not be accepted.

Follow up – If you requested a recommendation through the online application, alert your contact to expect an e-mail from the scholarship program with instructions on submitting the letter online. Whether you’re applying online or by mail, if you haven’t heard back from your contact, follow up with him or her.

Choose an alternate – Have an alternate contact in mind and request a recommendation from him or her if your initial contact is unable to follow through.

Essay

Plan ahead – It takes time to write an essay that answers the question and conveys who you are. Allow yourself enough time to gather your thoughts, take notes, make an outline, write a draft, review, edit, and proof your essay.

Be specific – Give examples that best describe how 1) ADHD has impacted your life and
2) what you have done to meet the challenges that it has presented you.

Review it – Ask others to read your essay and review it yourself. Did you address the topic? Does your essay communicate who you are and why you should receive a scholarship? Does it meet the word count requirement?

College Tips

Set up support early – A few days after you arrive on campus, make an appointment with your school’s Student Support Services office (also called Resources for Disabled Students or Disability Services Office). Why? Introducing yourself early lets you get support and a relationship with an advisor in place if you need it later on. The advisor can help you—

• Review available services;
• Determine accommodations you may need;
• Learn what’s required to qualify for accommodations;
• Find out about ADHD student support groups on campus;
• Set up regular appointments during the first term, if available/needed

Schedule courses carefully – Work with your advisor to choose classes and develop a schedule that supports your academic success. For instance, if you are less alert in the morning, you may want to avoid classes that meet early. If, like many people with ADHD, you have difficulty with transitions, arrange your schedule with an hour between classes.

Connect with your professors – Introduce yourself in the first class and go to office hours. Making yourself known to your professors shows that you have an interest in the class and doing well. You can also ask your professor to review your assignments before you turn them in, request suggestions on how to improve your grades, or find out about opportunities to earn extra credit.

Know your learning style – Observe and understand how you learn best—and work with it. If you’re an auditory learner, you may want to start or join a study group to discuss class notes and quiz each other aloud, or use a recorder to capture class lectures and take reading notes. If you’re a visual learner, use diagrams, circles, arrows, and different colored highlighters to call out and remember key facts.

Use time management tools and strategies – Keep weekly and daily planners to keep track of your short- and long-term schedule. Copy due dates and test dates from the syllabus into your planner. Break down large assignments into smaller parts with separate deadlines to give yourself time to complete them.

ADHD & You

Visit ADHDandYou.com, Shire’s Web site with information, tips, and resources for people who are affected by ADHD.

ADHD Advocacy Groups

Attention-Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)

ADHD Resource Centers

National Resource Center on ADHD
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)