I wanted to know if anyone out there has gotten a 504 accommodation plan (legally requires any educational institution to make accommodations for anyone possessing a disability...) Since ADHD is considered a learning disability, we are entitled to these...

I want to attend grad school, but with a whopping 2.65 Undergrad GPA, a Subject to Dismissal on my records, and 8 failed classes, I feel hopeless...I only found out I had ADHD about a month and a half ago--I am a sixth year, so I have five years of not-so-impressive academics on record but hopefully, next quarter, I'll turn it around...Is there hope that with good grades next quarter, a good score on the GRE, some advocacy letters from our Disabled Students' Office and some letters of recommendation from a lab I interned at...that I could actually get into grad school?

Well you had an internship...that is very good. I've been told by a lot of people that experience (with glowing recommendations) is just as strong as GPA. GPA can mean a lot of things, such as the person cheated or the class was run very easily, etc. However, a great recommendation from someone you worked under is solid.

Also, your GPA isn't terribly low. How does your school handle class retakes? Do they average the new grade and the old grade together? Or have the new grade replace to old one, perhaps? Also, you could try spreading your classes out longer and taking a couple of electives (I know, it sucks to stay there longer -- but you've got to do what you've got to do.) Even if you don't get credit for retaking a class, you might do it anyways and earn a high grade to show you've learned the material.

The good GRE score is going to mean a lot as well. You've got 3/4 of the big criterion for grad school. And your GPA is workable and you could conceivably raise it a few points and you'd be looking good.

I don't know about 504 accommodation plan, I've never even heard of it to be honest, you could possibly use it to claim you're not so strong on exams or organization. However, the school might tell you that the physics graduate program is very intensive and you REALLY need to be able to step up to the plate -- especially with the qualification exam. You seem to be able to do decent on large scale exams, so that might work out.

I also suggest requesting an interview! Nothing shows else shows determination like an interview. You would have a chance to explain (and most importantly, answer questions -- something not available if you just apply through mail and leave it at that.)

And of course, lastly, apply to a lot of graduate programs!

However, the school might tell you that the physics graduate program is very intensive and you REALLY need to be able to step up to the plate
OneMoreYear, are you wanting to pursue grad studies in physics? If so, I have a whole bunch of advice/strong opinions for you.

Are you considering applying for masters or PhD programs? Usually masters programs are easier to get into. If you wanted to go for a PhD you could appy for masters program and try and complete it with excellent grades, which would prove that you are capable of grad level work and help you get into a PhD program.

OneMoreYear, are you wanting to pursue grad studies in physics? If so, I have a whole bunch of advice/strong opinions for you.
Yeah, I think she is -- and I'm interested in hearing your opinions/advice as well.

Graduate work is no joke. Whoever you are, you need to be able to do the work. IF you can get reasonable accomodation , fine, get it. I did not have it, but I did complete a graduate degree, and YES, it was a lot of work. :)

me :D

Your situation does not sound hopeless at all. Since you managed a 2.65 untreated, I'd assume you can do much better now that you're being treated.

Some things you might consider if you don't get in the first time around are to apply as a non-degree student and take a class or 2 that way. This will get some grad level work on your transcript, which really outweighs the poor performance in the earlier years. If you're at a university rather than an undergrad only institution, I would look into taking a grad class as part of your undergrad degree. Many universities will open up first year grad classes to upperclassmen. Finally, the suggestion to apply to master's programs is a good one, as well.

I would definitely work closely with the disability office to see if they have further suggestions for you.

Do you know what grad programs you are interested in? If I were you, I would call the deans or coordinators of those programs and see what they suggest (and I woudn't mention ADHD). Generally, programs have published minimums of 3.0 GPA, 1000 (or higher) GRE combined, etc. However, especially for masters programs at less prestigious schools, these are guidelines rather than minimums. Also, some masters programs will admit you on a probationary basis for your first semester.

Thanks for all the good advice everyone, and I'd love to find out more about your suggestions (Apeman!)...please message me if you want? And FYI I want to study Geophysics instead of theoretical Physics.

Maxwell--unfortunately, I have used up all my re-takes (8 failed classes with a max of 4 repeats) and I have a 4-F balance left over!
I can't stay at my school any longer--they are kicking me out because I've reached the unit cap and I had to petition for the few extra units they gave me that are enabling me to graduate.

Msanthrope, even though it might not be prudent to mention my ADD, it might also help...? The premise is that if my next two quarters' grades are good, it will show the graduate committee that I was unable to succeed before my medication BECAUSE of ADD but that NOW I can handle a grad school courseload.

Exeter I like ur suggestion about taking courses as a non-degree student and I might just try that :)

Ok, I've finally gotten around to following up my previous comment...

I barely made it into grad school. My marks weren't good enough but I managed to get in because I had worked with the prof before and I guess he liked me and my work. I wrote some stuff about it in this post (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=182631&postcount=4). Anyway, I got a conditional acceptance to grad school and I had to do 4 courses as an undergrad and get "good" marks to get officially accepted. I did it and I officially became a grad student in May. So I was (and still am) happy about that.

Here's my experience with Grad School so far:
I'm doing a Masters of Applied Science (Engineering) and it's way easier than Physics ever was. They also tend to give much higher marks in Engineering than in Physics, which is highly motivating! I find the teaching of the courses is much better too. A lot of things that never seemed to make sense to me in physics, I find are suddenly just falling in place because I can actually see them in action! (ex. electric circuits, amplifiers, signal processing, etc.)

Anyways, grad school is definitely much easier for me than my undergrad Physics degree. I only have to take 1 course (or 2 at the most) per term (for a total of 6 courses) so it's definitely a lot more manageable with course work. I can take up to 2 undergrad courses to count for my Masters degree, so I found some VERY useful undergrad Engineering courses that I can apply directly to my research. Having no previous engineering knowledge, I've found I've still had a lot of success because of my physics background and also my hard work/desire to fully understand something(or perhaps stubbornness to not let something go)/constantly improving my study skills.

As a grad student, I can work at my own pace and I have an awesome supervisor/research group with whom I meet with weekly, which helps keep me on track. I still wish I could learn things quicker and/or spend less time on book work and more time on real research, but I suppose that will come with time...
I really like the research I'm doing, which is related to Optics and Imaging.

Anyway, I highly recommend Applied Science as opposed to Physics. And chose your supervisor wisely! I definitely needed one with whom I have a lot of regular interaction.

Good luck!

FWIW, I know that it is possible to get through grad school with ADD. I was undiagnosed until about a month ago but got both an MA and a JD before that. Of course, school was a struggle and I think that I had to work harder than most others but I got through it. You can too.

I have never been in the top half of any class (from my freshman year in high school through my doctorate) yet I'm "smart" enough to be in Mensa (because I scored so high on my LSATs). Go figure.

It might depend on your field of study, but I think that practical learning, like through internships, is a really good way to balance out a mediocre GPA. It also gives you a chance to build connections, to network, and to have someone (a professor?) that writes you a nice reference letter.