Learning Differences

As with so many things in college admissions, it depends. Some schools don't even maintain wait-lists. Some take several students from the list, some take very few. This is also true of individual schools from one year to the next. A college might take 15 students from the wait-list this year, but next year only take three. Your best bet is not to stress about your chances of turning that wait-list status into admitted. Express your ongoing strong desire to attend the school via a letter, then put your wait-list worry aside and focus on choosing from among the colleges that have already offered you a spot.

Before you begin your college search, it's important to have a very clear, honest idea of who you are as a learner. Work with your family, your teachers, and your resource support to clearly identify your needs and how you learn best. When you begin to explore colleges, do so with the goal of finding those that best meet your unique needs for educational support. Remember that your rights to accommodations will no longer be protected under IDEA (special education law) as they were during high school; from here on, you will receive accommodations under Section 504. Section 504 is very different from IDEA. You will still be able to receive the accommodations to which your testing and documentation entitle you, but this doesn't mean you'll receive an organized support program. Colleges are allowed to determine the levels of support they offer; again, some offer a great deal, while some offer very little. Depending on the types of support you'll need to be successful in college, you might ask: - What levels of support does the college disability support services offer? - What documentation will the college need to support my request for accommodations and/or learning support? How do I request services? - What resources are available? Does the campus learning center have the personnel, technology, and programs that I need? - How are students selected for services? - Are the additional fees to use DSS services? - Are the tutors available professionals in the field or students? - Is there a summer orientation or transition program I can take advantage of? Is there one that is required? It's important to find a college that has the programs and personnel to support you in achieving success. Know your needs and look for the schools that can fill them.

This depends very much on the individual student's academic history and personal situation. Applicants are in no way required to disclose their LD diagnosis on college applications, but if you think it could be valuable information for admissions to use wen evaluating your application, you should consider it. Don't use your LD as an excuse for underachievement, but if it i a legitimate contributor to the level of your test scores or grades in certain areas, provide admissions with the information they need to adequately assess both their ability to provide you with the best quality education and your ability to be successful at their institution. Most applications offer an "additional information" section that provides a good place to briefly but thoroughly describe your learning differences. Your counselor might also make reference to your LD and accommodations are part of his/her recommendation. Don't, however, make your LD the focus of your admissions essay. Your learning style and differences are just a part of who you are and the way you take in and relate to the world around you. Use your essay to reveal a broader picture of your spirit and individuality.

Absolutely. The amount of support and services colleges offer for students with learning differences can range from very minimal accommodations to full spectrum, highly individualized support. There are several private schools that are designed specifically for students with LD. These may offer four-year degrees, two-year transitional support in transferring to a 4-year college, or a post-graduate year between high school and college to enable students to become better prepared for the challenges of higher education.

You'll want to visit/contact the office of Disability Services at each college to which you're thinking of applying and check out the services that they offer. While every college is required to provide accommodations according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the quality of support can vary widely. Depending on the type of learning differences you have and the accommodations required, you may want to select colleges that have comprehensive programs (often at an additional cost), but not necessarily. Many students with learning differences thrive at colleges of all kinds. One key will be for you to be proactive and advocate for yourself. If you find that difficult to do, check out some of the comprehensive programs (e.g. University of Arizona's S.A.L.T., University of Denver's LEP, Hofstra's PALs, etc.) on the University Web Sites.

It shouldn't. The issue is usually one of whether the transcript indicates there is a good match with the academic press. The rigor of your high school's curriculum and your transcript are a very good predictor of academic success in college. Beyond that, a school can't discriminate against you because you use a tutor, require the use of adaptive technology, or need any other accommodations.

If your learning difference had an impact on your high school academic performance I think you need to address that. If you believe your test scores are a result of your learning style, again I would discuss that. Don't do it in a whiney fashion. Rather, take responsibility for your work and own the situation. Clearly state your concerns IF you feel you will need to utilize special services on campus. If you plan to fly under the radar in college and there are no red flags in your application file, then there is no need to bring up the subject.

Absolutely. There are independent educational consultants who specialize in these kinds of placements. There are resource books available that focus on schools with programs tailored for students with learning differences. Some schools will offer more comprehensive services than others, so it is up to you to determine what level of support you are interested in having available.

The college search for a student with learning differences is pretty much the same with the addition of researching the support services available on campus. Some schools will have an actual support office, others an informal list of tutors, some colleges offer writing skiils centers, at some schools the services will be free, at others you may have to pay for certain services. It will be up to you to advocate for yourself, so you may as well begin the process during the search.

It shouldn’t, but in reality it is hard to know, and concerns about that fact have led to a division of opinion on whether or not students should admit on their application that they have a learning difference or disability. I have always believed that a student should disclose the information, that it is not something to hide, but is instead an important, but not defining, part of who they are and a recognition of the fact provides context for their overall record. However, there are those who fear that, the law notwithstanding, schools see it as a problem, one they do not want to deal with or are not staffed to deal with once the student gets on campus. Thus it may be a reason to deny a student admission. My experience has been to the contrary and I do think that it is in the applicant’s best interest to provide the admissions office with a full picture of who they are that includes full knowledge of the situation.