In my last two pieces, I discussed the different post-secondary options for students with an NVLD and other disabilities. Now I will discuss what is needed to help you gain admission to the comprehensive support programs at colleges like Curry and Dean College.
The first thing you need to do is to take as many of the regular courses as possible when starting high school while being realistic about your disability too. For example, for a student with an NVLD, taking a lower level of Math would be understandable, as spatial skills are often the biggest weaknesses for those with an NVLD. However, taking the lower level of History would likely be viewed as negative, as so much of the subject is memorizing facts, and that’s a strength for students with an NVLD, so you should be showing your ability, not disability, here. In my personal experience, working at the Dean and Curry College Open houses and having a father who is a school counselor, this is a big reason for rejection, as colleges can question your ability to overcome obstacles.
The next example is that you need to take as many academic courses as possible. This is because colleges like to see that you are highly committed to academics despite your disability. Keep in mind this doesn’t mean that they necessarily expect you to take regular Chemistry and Physics, as they understand the math requirement for these courses. Having the practical level of the courses or another science elective is certainly acceptable. I learned this my junior year when I attended several of the open houses. I then thought, thank goodness I attended Eagle Hill and was made aware of this before attending the open houses, as I would have enrolled in a vocational program that my IEP team highly recommended for students like myself rather than continue taking academic courses. My chances for being accepted to any of these colleges would have been slim, but instead my application presented what admissions teams favored, and I enrolled at Dean College.
Furthermore, having a few school and community activities also helps gain admission, as admissions teams like to see that you know how to connect with others. It doesn’t need to be a lot, as they understand joining certain activities would be a challenge both physically and socially, though there are activities that everyone can do. Two examples are community service clubs and joining a chorus, as both of these programs are very inclusive and great personal connections are formed. Another example would be to join a school or recreational sports team, as it teaches you to work together and the true meaning of friendship. Both of these qualities are important on a residential college campus. It appears many don’t understand this, but presenting that you want to connect on campus is also important, and this seems to be true for most college admissions teams.
Also starting to decrease the amount of support you receive and start to have modifications and accommodations as you start your junior year. Yes, this seems hard, but being prepared helps. For example, if you always had writing assignments modified due to your weaker fine motor skills and slower processing speed as a modification, change it to having an extra day to complete the exact requirements, which is an accommodation. Modifications don’t exist in college, but accommodations do. Another example is removing teacher assistant services from your IEP. Yes, your service providers may be worried about how you will get your notes and who will read your test for you; though in college you will have to set up these accommodations independently, so presenting that you already know how helps. We did this, and the ARCH Team said this showed them I was ready for college.
To wrap up Part A, understand these are just recommendations based on my personal experiences and experiences of my friends who were also in a comprehensive support program. The admissions teams, just like at the more competitive colleges, love to see students who show a strong commitment to their academic studies and to being active in campus life too. Yes, Psychoeducational evaluation scores and overall GPA play an important role too, but showing them you took extra courses and joined a few activities despite having an NVLD or another disability goes a long way. That being said, in Part B I will discuss a few of the colleges and their comprehensive support programs, as while they share the same goal of making sure their students experience academic, personal, and social success, no college and program are exactly alike.
Eileen
Eileen is a Project Social Ambassador and blogger for The NVLD Project. She loves helping others understand they can achieve their goals and dreams through hard work and dedication.
